Search Frederick County Criminal Records
Frederick County criminal records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in Frederick city and are available electronically from March 13, 2000, through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal, while historical criminal dockets going back to 1900 are preserved at the Maryland State Archives, making Frederick one of the most thoroughly documented counties in the state for criminal court history.
Frederick County Overview
Circuit Court Clerk - Frederick County
The Circuit Court for Frederick County is located in downtown Frederick at 100 W. Patrick Street. The Clerk's office handles all felony criminal filings in the county, maintains the official case record, and provides public access to court documents. Electronic records go back to March 13, 2000, and older paper records are available by direct request from Clerk staff at the courthouse.
Walk-in access to court records is available during regular business hours. Large records requests or searches for older pre-electronic files benefit from a phone call ahead of time so staff can pull materials before your visit. Mail-in requests are accepted with the appropriate payment. The Clerk can process certified copy requests the same day for most standard documents.
| Address | 100 W. Patrick Street, Frederick, MD 21701 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 301-600-1955 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Records Online From | March 13, 2000 |
The Frederick County Clerk's page has current contact details and records request forms. The general information page covers procedures for public records access at the courthouse.
The Clerk's page provides the most current contact information, forms, and procedures for accessing Frederick County criminal court records.
Maryland Judiciary Case Search for Frederick County
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers Frederick County criminal records from March 13, 2000, onward. The system is free and requires no login. Search by name, case number, or attorney to pull up case filings, charges, hearing dates, and dispositions. Sentencing details appear for cases that resulted in conviction.
Since December 2021, the system defaults to exact name matching. Use the percent sign (%) for partial name searches when you are unsure of the full spelling. Searching "Fred%" would return Frederick, Fredericks, Fredericka, and similar entries. This is particularly useful in a county where many residents share common surnames.
Frederick County is one of Maryland's larger jurisdictions by population, so name searches may return many results. Filtering by date range or case type can narrow results when you are looking for a specific matter. The Frederick County records portal offers supplemental search guidance and links to the statewide Case Search system.
The portal helps orient users to what Frederick County criminal records are available and how to access them through the state's system.
Note: As of 2024, dismissed charges, acquittals, nolle prosequi entries, stet dockets inactive for more than three years, and cannabis possession records no longer appear in the public Frederick County Case Search index.
What Frederick County Criminal Records Include
Frederick County criminal records from the Circuit Court show the defendant's name, case number, charges filed, all court dates, the outcome of the case, and sentencing when applicable. Convictions display the full sentence including any incarceration, probation terms, and fines. Appeals, post-conviction motions, and case modifications are also part of the public record.
District Court criminal records for misdemeanors and lower-level matters appear in the same Case Search system. Both court levels are searched together through a name lookup. If a person had cases in both courts in Frederick County, all appear in the same results. Civil cases may also appear, so pay attention to case type when reviewing results.
Certain records are not public. Juvenile records are sealed. Expunged records are removed from the public index entirely. Shielded records are not visible in public searches but remain accessible to law enforcement. The Maryland court records access guide explains the rules for what is and is not available to the public.
District Court in Frederick County
The District Court for Frederick County handles misdemeanor criminal matters, traffic violations, peace orders, and preliminary hearings for felony cases before they transfer to Circuit Court. It is located in Frederick city and serves the entire county. Records from District Court are searchable through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search system alongside Circuit Court records.
In-person access to District Court files is available at the Frederick courthouse during normal business hours. There is no separate public records lookup for District Court in Frederick County. All case searches use the statewide Case Search portal.
| Location | Frederick, MD |
|---|---|
| Handles | Misdemeanors, traffic violations, peace orders, preliminary felony hearings |
| Records Access | Maryland Judiciary Case Search |
Law Enforcement Records in Frederick County
Frederick County has both a Sheriff's Office handling the unincorporated county and a separate Frederick City Police Department serving the city proper. Arrest records and incident reports from either agency are not available through Case Search. These records are maintained by the agencies themselves.
To get an arrest record or incident report from either the Sheriff's Office or the Frederick Police Department, submit a Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request to the specific agency. Many agencies have online portals for records requests. Written requests are also accepted. Agencies must generally respond within 30 days under state law.
For official state criminal history background checks, contact CJIS at 410-764-4501 or 1-888-795-0011. Mailing address is PO Box 32708, Pikesville, MD 21282-2708. Email is cjis.customerservice@maryland.gov. The state-only check costs $18 and a combined state and federal check runs $38-45. Processing takes two to four weeks. The CJIS background check portal has the submission forms and instructions.
Fees and Copy Costs
Searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search online is free. No fee is charged to search a name or view case details through the website. Fees apply when you request physical copies or certified court documents from the Frederick County Clerk's office.
- Name search fee: $7.00 per name
- Copy fee: $0.50 per page
- Certified copy fee: $5.00 per document
- Audio CD (court recordings): $25.00
These fees are set statewide and apply uniformly across all Maryland circuit courts. Pay at the Clerk's window in cash, check, or money order. For mail-in requests, make checks payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Frederick County and include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Historical records research at the Maryland State Archives carries its own fee of $25 for a basic search. This is separate from any fees at the Frederick County courthouse.
Expungement and Shielding in Frederick County
Maryland's expungement process removes qualifying criminal records from public access entirely. Cases ending in acquittal, dismissal, or a stet docket that has been inactive for more than three years are generally eligible. Certain convictions for lower-level offenses may also qualify depending on the specific charge and how much time has passed since sentencing was completed.
To file for expungement in Frederick County, submit a petition at the Circuit Court Clerk's office at 100 W. Patrick Street. The filing fee is $30 for most petitions and free for acquittals and dismissals. The State's Attorney has 30 days to object after the petition is filed. If no objection comes in, the court typically grants the expungement and notifies relevant agencies to remove the record from their systems.
Shielding is available for some cases that do not qualify for expungement. It hides the record from public Case Search results without permanently destroying it. Courts and law enforcement can still see shielded records. This option is available for certain first-time convictions and specific drug-related offenses under Maryland law.
For help determining eligibility or navigating the filing process, legal aid organizations in Frederick and central Maryland provide assistance at low or no cost. The Frederick County Circuit Court general information page also provides procedural guidance on court filings including expungement petitions.
Historical Criminal Records - Frederick County
Frederick County has one of the most complete sets of historical criminal records available in Maryland. The Maryland State Archives holds Frederick County criminal dockets going back to 1900 and criminal judgment records from 1900 through 1971. This makes Frederick especially valuable for researchers tracing older cases, family history, or legal history of the region.
Records before March 2000 are not available through Case Search. For cases from that era, contact the Circuit Court Clerk at the Frederick courthouse to request paper files. The Clerk's office can tell you what years are indexed and how to request specific records. Older files may require more lead time to locate.
The Maryland State Archives criminal records guide provides a detailed breakdown of what Frederick County records exist at the Archives and how to access them. The Archives in Annapolis are reachable at 410-260-6487 or msa.helpdesk@maryland.gov. A basic search costs $25. For Frederick County specifically, the depth of historical records makes the Archives an important resource for anything predating computerized court systems.
The general information page covers procedures for accessing Frederick County court records, including instructions for older files and historical requests.
The county government's Circuit Court page provides complementary information on local procedures and contacts for Frederick County court services.
Note: Frederick County's criminal dockets from 1900-1969 and criminal judgments from 1900-1971 are archived at the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis, not at the courthouse in Frederick city.
Cities in Frederick County
The city of Frederick is the county seat and the largest city in the county. It has its own criminal records page with details about city-specific resources and courthouse access.
Nearby Counties
Frederick County borders several Maryland counties and sits near the Virginia and West Virginia state lines. Criminal records searches in this region may involve these neighboring jurisdictions.