Frederick County Criminal Court Records

Frederick County criminal court records are held at the Circuit Court at 100 W. Patrick Street in Frederick and are available to the public through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search online tool, public kiosks at the courthouse, mail requests, and email. The free portal at casesearch.courts.state.md.us lets you search Circuit Court records from 1998 and District Court records from 1989. This guide covers every contact, address, and step needed to find and request criminal records in Frederick County.

Circuit Court Clerk

Frederick County Circuit Court is at 100 W. Patrick Street, Frederick, MD 21701. The main phone is (301) 600-1976, with a toll-free in-state line at 1-800-341-8797. The fax is (301) 600-2245. The clerk is Sandra K. Dalton, reachable at (301) 600-1906 or sandra.dalton@mdcourts.gov. Chief Deputy Gloria L. Lewis is at (301) 600-1908 or gloria.lewis@mdcourts.gov. For criminal and traffic matters, the department line is (301) 600-1973. Criminal Department Supervisor Paula G. Smith can be reached at (301) 600-1932 or paula.smith@mdcourts.gov. Court Operations Manager D. Jean Creighton is at (301) 600-2056 or jean.creighton@mdcourts.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The website is at www.mdcourts.gov/clerks/frederick.

The courthouse has public self-service kiosks where you can look up cases and review case information on your own. This is a good option if you just need a case number or want to confirm case details before requesting copies. Staff are also available to help with more complex searches. For searches that require more information than the kiosks provide, call the Criminal Department Supervisor at (301) 600-1932 before your visit.

How to Request Criminal Records

Frederick County Circuit Court records can be requested in person, by mail, or by email. All methods require you to provide enough information to identify the specific case and documents you need.

For in-person requests, go to 100 W. Patrick Street, Frederick. Use the public kiosks to locate the case, or ask staff for help. Once you have the case details, complete a record request and pay the required fees. Valid photo ID is needed for in-person visits. Staff can process most requests the same day for records that are on-site and not in archived storage.

Mail requests go to: Attn: Criminal Department, 100 W. Patrick Street, Frederick MD 21701. Include the case number or the defendant's full name, a list of the specific documents you need, and payment. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of the copies. Make checks or money orders payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Do not send cash by mail.

Email requests go to paula.smith@mdcourts.gov or sandra.dalton@mdcourts.gov. Include all identifying case information in your message. Staff will reply with instructions on payment. Credit card is the typical payment method for remote requests. For any complex request, it is worth calling the Criminal Department at (301) 600-1932 first to confirm what documents are available and what information you will need to provide.

Copy fees are $0.50 per page for plain copies. Certified copies cost $5.00 plus $0.50 per page. Exemplified copies cost $10.00 plus $0.50 per page. Payment in person is accepted by cash, check, money order, or Visa, Mastercard, or Discover. For mail and email requests, confirm current payment options with the clerk's office when you submit.

What Criminal Court Records Contain

Frederick County Circuit Court handles felony cases, serious misdemeanor charges, District Court appeals, and jury trial demands. The criminal records held by the clerk cover every stage of a case from initial filing to final disposition.

Documents in a typical Circuit Court criminal file include: the initial charging document (indictment or information), arrest warrants and bench warrants issued during the case, bond records and conditions of release, all motions and pleadings filed by both the defense and prosecution, court orders responding to those motions, a complete docket showing every hearing and filing in the case, the final plea or verdict record, the sentencing order detailing the terms of punishment, and post-conviction documents such as probation conditions or appeals. Subpoenas may also appear in the file if witnesses were called.

Access is restricted in some cases. Sealed criminal cases require a court order before the clerk can release them. Juvenile records are confidential and not available to the public without a court order. Expunged records are removed from public access and do not appear in online searches or in-person file searches. If you cannot find a case you believe exists, it may have been expunged or sealed rather than simply filed under a different number.

The Maryland Judiciary Case Search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us is the fastest way to confirm whether a Frederick County case is in the system. The tool is free and available around the clock. Search by full or partial name or by case number. Results show charges, case type, docket activity, and final disposition.

Copy Fees and Payment

Frederick County Circuit Court follows the Maryland standard fee schedule. Regular copies are $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 plus $0.50 per page. Exemplified copies, which carry the highest level of court authentication, are $10.00 plus $0.50 per page. These fees cover all types of criminal case documents held by the clerk, including case dockets, charging documents, orders, and sentencing records.

In-person payments are accepted by cash, check or money order made payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court, or by Visa, Mastercard, or Discover. For mail requests, send a check or money order. Do not mail cash. For email requests, credit card is standard; confirm the process with the clerk's office at (301) 600-1976 when you submit your request. There is no fee to use the public kiosks inside the courthouse or to search records through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search online portal.

District Court

The District Court for Frederick County shares the building at 100 W. Patrick Street, Frederick MD 21701. The District Court phone is (301) 600-2008. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The District Court handles misdemeanor cases, traffic violations, and civil matters under $30,000. Most criminal cases in Frederick County start here. When a defendant requests a jury trial, the case is transferred to Circuit Court. District Court records from 1989 are available for free at casesearch.courts.state.md.us. For document copies or cases not in the online system, call (301) 600-2008 during business hours. The District Court and Circuit Court share the same building, so a single visit can cover both courts if needed.

Sheriff's Office

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office is at the County Law Enforcement Center, 110 Airport Drive East, Frederick, MD 21701. The non-emergency number is (301) 600-2071. For 24-hour information, call (301) 600-1046. The fax is (301) 600-1527. The Sheriff is Charles A. Jenkins, reachable at cjenkins@frederickcountymd.gov. Chief Deputy Col. David L. Benjamin is at dbenjamin@frederickcountymd.gov. The Records Requests line is (301) 600-3929. The website is at www.frederickcosheriff.com.

The Sheriff's Office holds arrest records, incident reports, booking records, and other law enforcement documents that are separate from the court records kept by the Circuit Court clerk. For fingerprinting, call (301) 600-4058. The Central Booking number is (301) 600-1790. The Detention Center is at 7300 Marcie's Choice Lane, Frederick MD 21704, and can be reached at (301) 600-2550.

To request records, submit a Public Information Act request to the Sheriff's Office. An online portal is available for some request types at www.frederickcosheriff.com. You can also submit in writing to the office at 110 Airport Drive East. Bring or provide valid photo ID. Processing times and fees vary depending on the type and volume of records requested. Not all records are releasable. Records tied to active investigations or subject to other exemptions under Maryland law may be withheld.

The screenshot below shows the Frederick County Sheriff's Office website at www.frederickcosheriff.com, which offers an online portal for submitting certain records requests.

The Sheriff's website includes the online records request portal and contact details for the Records Requests line at (301) 600-3929.

Search Frederick County Criminal Records Online

The screenshot below shows the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal at casesearch.courts.state.md.us, the free statewide tool for searching Frederick County criminal court records.

The portal covers Circuit Court records from 1998 and District Court records from 1989, and it is available at no charge, 24 hours a day.

Cities in Frederick County

The city of Frederick has a population over the qualifying threshold and has its own dedicated records page.

Nearby Counties

Frederick County shares borders with several Maryland counties, each with its own Circuit Court handling criminal records independently.