Access Harford County Criminal Court Records

Harford County criminal court records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk at 20 West Courtland Street in Bel Air and are available online through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search, in person, by mail, or through several other channels. The free portal at casesearch.courts.state.md.us covers Circuit Court records from 1998 and District Court records from 1989. This page provides complete contact details and step-by-step instructions for getting criminal records from the Circuit Court, District Court, and Sheriff's Office in Harford County.

Circuit Court Clerk

The Harford County Circuit Court is at 20 West Courtland Street, Bel Air, MD 21014. The main phone is (410) 638-3426, with a toll-free in-state line at 1-800-989-8296. The fax is (410) 838-8540. The clerk is Michelle L. Karczeski, reachable at (410) 838-4952 or michelle.karczeski@mdcourts.gov. Chief Deputy Kimberly L. Wagner can be reached at (410) 638-3041 or kimberly.wagner@mdcourts.gov. The Criminal Department phone is (410) 638-3472. Expungement and criminal matters are handled by Criminal Supervisor Wanda B. Edie at (410) 638-3042 or wanda.edie@mdcourts.gov. Courtroom Clerks can be reached at (410) 638-3040, and the Assignment Office is at (410) 638-3169. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The website is at www.courts.state.md.us/clerks/harford.

Harford County Circuit Court also runs two specialty dockets that may be relevant to your search. The Family Recovery Court and Drug Court handle specific criminal matters, and related case records are still held by the same clerk's office. If you are looking for a case that went through one of these programs, contact the Criminal Department at (410) 638-3472 for guidance on how those files are stored and accessed.

The screenshot below shows the Harford County Circuit Court clerk's page at www.courts.state.md.us/clerks/harford, which lists current contact details and information on how to request records.

The clerk's page confirms hours, addresses, and staff contacts for the Harford County Circuit Court Criminal Department.

How to Request Criminal Records

Harford County Circuit Court offers several ways to request criminal court records. In-person requests are handled the same day for available records. Mail requests take 7 to 10 business days. Email and fax options are also available for remote requests.

For in-person requests, visit the Criminal Department at 20 West Courtland Street, Bel Air. Complete a record request form. Bring the subject's full name and date of birth. Valid government-issued photo ID is required. Pay the applicable fees at the time of pickup. Same-day service is available for records that are on-site.

Mail requests go to: Clerk of Circuit Court, Attn: Criminal Department, 20 West Courtland Street, Bel Air MD 21014. Include the subject's full name, date of birth if known, approximate case dates, the case number if you have it, your contact information, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment by check or money order made payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Mail requests typically take 7 to 10 business days to process.

For questions or remote requests, contact the Criminal Department at (410) 638-3472. The clerk can advise on the best method for your specific request and confirm what documents are available. For expungement matters specifically, contact Wanda B. Edie at (410) 638-3042 or wanda.edie@mdcourts.gov.

Copy fees are $0.50 per page for regular copies. Certified copies cost $5.00 plus $0.50 per page. Exemplified copies cost $10.00 plus $0.50 per page. A $5.00 record search fee also applies. Payment in person is accepted by cash, check or money order, or credit card. For mail requests, use a check or money order. Do not send cash in the mail.

What Criminal Court Records Contain

Harford County Circuit Court criminal records cover felony cases, serious misdemeanor charges, District Court appeals, and jury trial records. Cases handled through the Family Recovery Court and Drug Court are also on file at the Circuit Court. Each file holds the documents from the entire life of the case.

A typical criminal case file in Harford County may contain: the original charging document, bond documents and conditions of release set at initial appearance, court orders issued throughout the case, all pleadings and motions filed by both sides, hearing and trial records, sentencing orders, probation terms, and any warrant records including arrest warrants and bench warrants. Expungement records for cases that qualify under Maryland law are also processed through the Criminal Department. Post-conviction records such as violation of probation hearings may appear in the same file or as a separate related case.

Some records are not public. Juvenile records are confidential by law. Sealed cases require a court order before the clerk can release them. Expunged records are removed from public access entirely. If a search returns no results, the case may have been expunged or sealed rather than never filed. The clerk's staff can confirm whether a case number exists in the system but cannot explain restrictions on sealed or expunged matters without a court order.

The Maryland Judiciary Case Search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us is available at no cost, 24 hours a day. It covers Harford County Circuit Court records from 1998 and District Court records from 1989. The screenshot below shows the portal where Harford County cases can be searched by name or case number.

The portal returns case summaries, charges, docket entries, and dispositions for all public cases in Harford County, covering both Circuit Court and District Court records.

Copy Fees and Payment

Harford County Circuit Court follows Maryland statewide copy fee standards. Regular copies are $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 plus $0.50 per page. Exemplified copies, which carry the court seal and are needed for certain legal proceedings, are $10.00 plus $0.50 per page. A $5.00 record search fee is charged for each request that requires staff to locate records. This fee applies even if no responsive documents are found.

In-person payment is accepted by cash, check or money order made payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court, or by credit card. For mail requests, send a check or money order. Do not mail cash. For remote requests by phone or email, contact the Criminal Department at (410) 638-3472 to confirm current payment options before submitting. The Maryland Judiciary Case Search online portal is free to use and requires no payment.

District Court

The District Court for Harford County is at 2 South Bond Street, Bel Air, MD 21014. The main phone is (410) 836-4545. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The District Court handles lesser misdemeanors, traffic violations, civil cases under $30,000, and landlord-tenant disputes. Most initial criminal filings in Harford County go to the District Court. Cases that move to jury trial or involve more serious charges are transferred to the Circuit Court. District Court records from 1989 are searchable for free at casesearch.courts.state.md.us. For physical document copies or cases not in the online system, contact the District Court directly at (410) 836-4545 during business hours.

Sheriff's Office

The Harford County Sheriff's Office is at 45 South Main Street, P.O. Box 150, Bel Air, MD 21014. The main phone is (410) 838-6600. The fax is (410) 879-2782. The Jail can be reached at (410) 638-3140. The Sheriff's Office website is at harfordsheriff.org. The PIA Liaison is Michelle Hanks, reachable at (443) 409-3403, hanksm@harfordsheriff.org, or PIA@harfordsheriff.org. The Detention Center is at 1030 Rock Spring Road, Bel Air MD 21014, phone (410) 638-3140.

The Sheriff's Office holds arrest records, incident reports, accident reports, booking records, and body camera footage. These are separate from the court case records kept by the Circuit Court clerk. The Sheriff's Office offers multiple ways to submit a public records request. You can use the online portal at records.govquest.com/harford-county-sheriff/publicportal, submit in writing by mail, or visit the office in person Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Law enforcement agencies and military personnel must fax requests with a signed release to (410) 638-7513 or email records@harfordsheriff.org.

For crash reports specifically, use the separate portal at secure.crashdocs.org/md-harfordcounty. Search fees at the Sheriff's Office are waived for the first two hours of staff time; additional time is billed at an hourly rate. Video copies on CD or DVD cost $20.00 each. Body camera footage may carry additional fees.

The screenshot below shows the Harford County Sheriff's Office public records portal at records.govquest.com/harford-county-sheriff/publicportal, where you can submit online requests for incident and arrest records.

The GovQuest portal allows online submission of public records requests to the Harford County Sheriff's Office, covering incident reports, arrest records, and other law enforcement documents.

Cities in Harford County

Bel Air South is the qualifying community in Harford County with a population over the threshold.

Nearby Counties

Harford County shares borders with Cecil County to the northeast, Baltimore County to the south and west, and Anne Arundel County to the southwest.