Search Washington County Criminal Court Records
Washington County criminal court records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in Hagerstown and include felony case files, serious misdemeanor matters, jury trial records, and appeals from the District Court. This guide covers how to search for criminal records in Washington County, what the online portal lets you access for free, when you need a case number before you can search, and how to get copies by mail or in person at 24 Summit Avenue in Hagerstown.
Washington County Overview
Washington County Circuit Court Clerk
Kevin R. Tucker is the Circuit Court Clerk for Washington County, reachable at (301) 733-8660, Ext. 265, or by email at kevin.tucker@mdcourts.gov. Chief Deputy Cathryn J. Boyer handles day-to-day operations at Ext. 235. The Criminal Department supervisor is Billie J. Smith, who can be reached at (301) 790-7941, Ext. 263, or at billie.smith@mdcourts.gov. The main courthouse sits at 24 Summit Avenue in Hagerstown and is the primary location for accessing Washington County criminal court records at the Circuit level. Historical records at this office go back a long way: civil records from 1776, court records from 1797, and land records from 1776.
| Address | 24 Summit Avenue, Hagerstown, MD 21740 (physical) P.O. Box 229, Hagerstown, MD 21740 (mailing) |
|---|---|
| Phone | (301) 733-8660 | Criminal Dept: (301) 790-7941, Option 3 | Toll-free: 1-800-937-2062 |
| washcocc_clerk@mdcourts.gov | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Website | www.mdcourts.gov/clerks/washington |
| Historic Records | mdcourts.gov/clerks/washington/historicrecords |
Important: Beginning October 5, 2020, a case number is required for case lookup at this office. Staff cannot search by name alone, and the office cannot certify that a record does not exist.
Searching Washington County Criminal Records
The free Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal is still the best place to start, even with the county's case number requirement for in-person and mail requests. The online database lets you search by name and will return the case number if a record exists. Write down that number before you go to the courthouse or mail a request, because you will need it. Circuit Court records go back to 1998 in the system, and District Court records start from 1989.
The screenshot below shows the Maryland Judiciary Case Search interface, which is where you can find Washington County criminal court case numbers before submitting a formal records request.
Use this portal to pull up a case number first. Once you have it, you can submit a mail request or visit the clerk's office to get physical copies of the file.
For in-person requests, go to 24 Summit Avenue during business hours. Have your case number ready along with a photo ID and payment. Staff will pull the case file and let you review it. Mail requests go to: 24 Summit Avenue, Hagerstown, MD 21740, Attn: Criminal Department. Include the case number, your contact info, a list of the documents you want, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order for the copy fees. Without a case number, the office cannot process your request.
Note: Washington County Circuit Court cannot certify that a record does not exist, so name-only searches for the absence of a record are not available here.
What Washington County Criminal Records Include
Washington County Circuit Court criminal case files document the full history of a case from the moment charges are filed through the final judgment. These records cover felony prosecutions, serious misdemeanor matters moved up from District Court, cases where a defendant requested a jury trial, and all related filings in between. The file held by the Circuit Court Clerk is the official record for the case.
Inside a typical criminal case file you will find the original charging documents, grand jury indictment if applicable, bond orders and pretrial release conditions, plea agreements, sentencing orders signed by the judge, final judgments, warrant history, subpoenas, and the full chronological docket. Each docket entry records a filing, a hearing, or a court order, so you can trace every step of the case. If you need a certified copy for use in another legal proceeding, the clerk can provide one with the court seal for $5.00 plus per-page costs.
- Charging documents and grand jury indictments
- Bond documents and pretrial conditions
- Plea agreements and hearing records
- Sentencing orders and final judgments
- Warrant history (active and recalled)
- Full chronological docket entries
The Clerk's Office does not conduct criminal background checks. Contact the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) at 1-888-795-0011 for background check services. The clerk provides court record copies only.
Copy Fees and Payment
Standard copies at the Washington County Circuit Court are $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00 plus $0.50 per page for the document pages. Exemplified copies, which carry the highest level of court authentication, are $10.00 plus $0.50 per page. These rates match the statewide fee schedule set by Maryland court rules.
Payment is accepted as cash, check or money order, or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or Discover). Make checks and money orders payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Washington County. If you are sending a mail request and are not sure how many pages the file contains, call the Criminal Department at (301) 790-7941, Option 3, and ask Billie Smith's team for a page count before you send payment.
Washington County District Court
The Washington County District Court is located at 36 W. Antietam Street in Hagerstown. The main phone number is (240) 420-4600. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. District Court in Washington County handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic matters, civil cases under $30,000, and preliminary hearings for felony charges before they transfer to Circuit Court.
District Court records from 1989 onward appear in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search database alongside Circuit Court records. If you cannot find a case in the Circuit Court records, check the District Court side of the portal. Many misdemeanor cases that did not involve a jury demand are filed and resolved entirely at the District Court level and will not appear in Circuit Court records at all. Appeals from District Court go to the Circuit Court and are held there by Clerk Tucker's office.
Washington County Sheriff's Office
The Washington County Sheriff's Office is at 500 Western Maryland Parkway in Hagerstown. The main number is (240) 313-2100. The Judicial Division, which handles court-related law enforcement matters, is at (240) 313-2530. The Sheriff's website is www.washcosheriff.com.
The screenshot below shows the Washington County Sheriff's Office website, where you can find information on MPIA requests and public records available from the Sheriff.
Submit MPIA requests to the Sheriff's Office for incident reports, arrest records, and related law enforcement documents. Sheriff records are entirely separate from Circuit Court records.
For incidents inside Hagerstown city limits, the Hagerstown Police Department at 50 N Burhans Blvd may hold the relevant report. The main HPD line is (301) 790-3700, and the records desk is at (301) 393-4951. Always check which agency responded to the incident you are researching, since the City PD and the Sheriff serve different areas, and records will be held by whichever agency made the contact.
Communities in Washington County
Washington County does not have any cities that meet the population threshold for a dedicated records page on this site. The Circuit Court in Hagerstown handles criminal court records for all communities throughout the county, including Boonsboro, Smithsburg, Williamsport, and other towns. All residents and requesters in the county use the same office at 24 Summit Avenue.
Nearby Counties
Washington County borders three other Maryland counties, each with its own Circuit Court and criminal records process.