Baltimore County Criminal Court Records

Baltimore County criminal court records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in Towson and go back to 1977 for felony cases. The county also operates three separate District Court locations, giving it one of the more layered court records systems in Maryland. This page covers every office you may need to contact, how to search online for free, and what to expect when requesting physical copies of criminal case files.

Baltimore County Circuit Court Clerk

Clerk Julie L. Ensor leads the Baltimore County Circuit Court, with Chief Deputy Craig R. Moskovitz overseeing daily operations. The court building is at 401 Bosley Avenue, 2nd Floor, in Towson, inside the County Courts Building. The Criminal Division has its own phone line at (410) 887-2625 and a dedicated email at ccbaltcoclerkcriminalleads@mdcourts.gov.

Julie Ensor can be reached at julie.ensor@mdcourts.gov and Craig Moskovitz at craig.moskovitz@mdcourts.gov. For copy requests submitted by email, use baltcocc@mdcourts.gov. The office also accepts written requests by mail to the P.O. Box.

Searching Baltimore County Criminal Records

The free Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers Baltimore County Circuit Court records from 1998 onward and District Court records from 1989. It is available 24 hours a day at no cost. For felony records going back to 1977, you need to contact the Criminal Division directly since those older files predate the online database.

The screenshot below shows the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal, which is the main tool for looking up Baltimore County criminal court records without visiting Towson.

Using the online database first is strongly recommended before submitting any copy request, since it lets you confirm the case number, verify which court level handled the matter, and identify which documents are in the file.

In-person visits go to the Criminal Division at 401 Bosley Avenue, 2nd Floor. Complete a Request for Copies form at the counter. Staff can pull case jackets while you wait for smaller files, though larger or older files may take longer. Payment is accepted by cash, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, check, or money order. Personal out-of-state checks are not accepted and neither are debit cards.

Mail requests go to P.O. Box 6754, Towson MD 21285-6754. Include the defendant's name, case number, the documents you need, and a self-addressed stamped envelope with payment. Email copy requests can be sent to baltcocc@mdcourts.gov with the same details. For specialized searches beyond the standard two free hours of staff time, the office charges $25 per hour.

Criminal Records at Baltimore County Circuit Court

Baltimore County holds a substantial archive of felony criminal records. The collection goes back to 1977, which is earlier than most Maryland counties. The court handles homicide, sexual assault, kidnapping, and other serious felonies, along with misdemeanor appeals and post-conviction petitions. Each case file is called a case jacket and contains the complete filing history from initial charges through final disposition.

A standard criminal case jacket includes indictments issued by the Grand Jury or filed by the State's Attorney, plea agreements negotiated between counsel and the State, sentencing orders signed by the presiding judge, probation records if supervised release was ordered, and docket entries for every court appearance and filing. Warrants and post-conviction motions are also part of the permanent record. The case jacket is the most complete single source for what happened in a criminal matter at the Circuit Court level.

The Criminal Division at (410) 887-2625 can confirm whether a specific file is available and estimate copy costs before you submit a formal request.

Copy Fees at Baltimore County Circuit Court

Standard copy fees here differ from most Maryland counties. Baltimore County charges $0.25 per page for regular copies, which is lower than the statewide standard of $0.50. Case jacket copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified document copies are $5.00 per document. Specialized searches that go beyond the first two free hours of staff time are billed at $25 per hour.

Payment options include cash, credit card (MasterCard, Visa, or Discover), check, and money order. No personal out-of-state checks. No debit cards. For copy requests sent by email to baltcocc@mdcourts.gov, the office will tell you the total cost before processing, so you can mail payment or arrange another method.

District Courts in Baltimore County

Baltimore County has three District Court locations, which is unusual among Maryland counties. Each serves a different part of the county. All three handle misdemeanors, minor felony charges, traffic offenses, and civil matters under $30,000.

The Towson District Court is at 120 E. Chesapeake Avenue, Towson MD 21286. The main line is (410) 512-2000 and the Criminal Division is (410) 512-2101. The Essex District Court is at 8914 Kelso Drive, Essex MD 21221, and the main number is (410) 512-2300. The Catonsville District Court is at 1 Rolling Cross Road, Catonsville MD 21228, and can be reached at (410) 512-2500.

All three locations have records available through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal. If you need copies from a specific District Court location, contact that court directly to confirm its copy fee process, since District Court copy procedures may differ slightly from Circuit Court procedures.

Sheriff, Police, and Corrections

The Baltimore County Sheriff's Office is at 401 Bosley Avenue, Room 100, Towson MD 21204. The main number is (410) 887-3151 and the email is sheriff@baltimorecountymd.gov. Sheriff records and court records are completely separate systems. Getting documents from one does not give you access to the other.

For police report requests, contact the Baltimore County Police Department's Information and Records Management Unit at 700 E. Joppa Road, Towson MD 21286. The phone number for records is (410) 887-2544. Police reports cost $15 per report for most requesters. Crime victims can get copies at no charge. Mail requests go to the Information and Records Management Unit at the Joppa Road address. Allow approximately two weeks for processing. Juvenile records and reports tied to active investigations are generally not released.

The Baltimore County Department of Corrections is at 720 Bosley Avenue, Towson MD 21204, phone (410) 512-3200. Online tools include the Baltimore County Detention Center inmate lookup, the Maryland Sex Offender Registry, the Baltimore County Police daily crime blotter, and the Baltimore County active child support warrant search on the Sheriff's website at www.baltimorecountymd.gov/departments/sheriff.

Cities in Baltimore County

Two cities in Baltimore County have dedicated records pages on this site. Criminal cases from all communities in the county are processed through the Circuit Court and District Courts described above.

Nearby Counties

Baltimore County shares borders with four Maryland counties, each with its own Circuit Court and criminal records process.