Talbot County Criminal Records
Talbot County criminal records are held by the Circuit Court Clerk in Easton and are available online through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search system, with electronic records going back to June 26, 2000. The Clerk's office has served residents since 1658, making it one of the oldest court offices in Maryland, and maintains criminal, civil, and juvenile case files for this Eastern Shore county.
Talbot County Overview
Circuit Court Clerk - Talbot County
The Circuit Court for Talbot County sits in Easton and handles all felony criminal cases, serious misdemeanors, and appeals from the District Court. The Clerk's office manages the filing, processing, and storage of criminal case records alongside civil and juvenile actions. Walk-in requests are welcome during regular hours, and staff can assist with locating case records going back to the June 2000 electronic start date or older paper records on request.
The office has been in continuous operation since 1658. That is a long run by any measure. The Clerk is a locally elected state official, and the office's duties are set by Maryland law and the rules of the Supreme Court of Maryland. Judy Mowbray supervises the Criminal Unit and can help direct questions about criminal case access and document requests.
Mail-in requests are accepted. Write clearly with the full name of the person whose records you need, the case number if you have it, and the type of document you want. Include a check or money order for the applicable fees. Processing by mail can take one to two weeks depending on volume at the office.
| Address | 11 N. Washington Street, Easton, MD 21601 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 410-822-2611 |
| Toll-Free | 800-339-3403 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Records Online From | June 26, 2000 |
| Criminal Unit Supervisor | Judy Mowbray |
The Talbot County Clerk's page at the Maryland Judiciary website has current contact details and links to forms for records requests.
Maryland Judiciary Case Search - Talbot County
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers all 24 jurisdictions in Maryland, including Talbot County. Electronic records for Talbot go back to June 26, 2000. No account is needed. You can search by name, case number, or attorney name and view charges, case status, court dates, and final dispositions at no cost.
Since December 2021, the system defaults to exact name matching. If you are not sure of the spelling or if the name is common, use the percent sign (%) as a wildcard. Searching "Har%" will return Harris, Hart, Harmon, and so on. This is helpful when you only know part of a name. Talbot County case numbers follow the standard Maryland format with a county code prefix and a two-digit year.
The screenshot below shows the Case Search portal used to look up Talbot County criminal records.
Use this portal as your first step when looking up Talbot County criminal case records. It is free and updated regularly.
Note: As of 2024, dismissed charges, acquittals, and nolle prosequi entries no longer appear in public Case Search results. Stet dockets are hidden after three years, and cannabis possession convictions have been removed from the public index.
What Talbot County Criminal Records Show
A Talbot County criminal record from the Circuit Court includes the defendant's full legal name, the charges filed, all court dates, current case status, and the final outcome. If the case went to trial or ended in a plea, you will see whether the person was convicted, acquitted, or had charges reduced. Sentencing details, including jail time, probation terms, and fines, are part of the public record in most cases.
Some records are not public. Juvenile records are sealed. Expunged records do not appear in Case Search, and shielded records are hidden from public view even though they remain accessible to law enforcement and government agencies. If you see fewer results than you expected, it may be because some charges were dismissed and removed under the 2024 rule changes.
District Court criminal records for minor offenses are also in Case Search. These cover misdemeanor charges and traffic-related criminal matters handled at the Easton District Court. Both court levels are searched through the same name search interface.
For more details on what types of records are accessible and how court records work in Maryland, see the Maryland Courts access to court records page.
District Court in Talbot County
The District Court for Talbot County is in Easton, not far from the Circuit Court. It handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, peace orders, and preliminary hearings for felony matters before they move to Circuit Court. All District Court records are searchable through Case Search just like Circuit Court records.
| Address | 108 W. Dover Street, Easton, MD 21601 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 410-819-5850 |
| Handles | Misdemeanors, traffic violations, peace orders, preliminary felony hearings |
| Records Access | Maryland Judiciary Case Search |
If someone had a minor criminal matter that stayed in District Court, those records show up in Case Search under the same name search. In-person access to files is available at the courthouse during business hours.
Law Enforcement Records - Talbot County
The Talbot County Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement for unincorporated areas of the county. Arrest records and incident reports that have not yet led to court filings are maintained by the Sheriff's Office, not the Circuit Court. These records are separate from case records and are not in Case Search. You need to contact the Sheriff's Office directly to request arrest or incident reports.
The Town of Easton has its own police department covering calls within city limits. Other small towns in Talbot County may have their own agencies as well. Each department keeps its own records. Formal requests for law enforcement documents typically require a written request under the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA).
For a complete criminal history check that goes beyond what Case Search shows, the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) at the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services handles official state background checks. Reach CJIS at 410-764-4501 or 1-888-795-0011, or visit the CJIS background check portal. The state check costs $18; adding an FBI fingerprint check brings the total to roughly $38-$45.
Fees and Copy Costs
Searching Case Search online is free. No account needed, no fee to view case details. Fees come into play when you need physical copies or certified documents from the Clerk's office. These rates are set statewide by the Maryland Rules of Procedure and are the same in Talbot County as everywhere else in Maryland.
- Name search fee: $7.00 per name
- Copy fee: $0.50 per page
- Certified copy: $5.00 per document
- Exemplification: $10.00 plus $0.50 per page
- Audio CD of court proceedings: $25.00
Pay in person by cash, check, or money order. Mail payments go to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Talbot County at 11 N. Washington Street, Easton, MD 21601. Make checks payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Expungement and Shielding in Talbot County
Maryland lets people petition to have certain criminal records removed from public access through expungement. Cases that were acquitted, dismissed, or placed on a stet docket for more than three years are often eligible. Some convictions for minor offenses may also qualify depending on the charge and how much time has passed since sentencing. Expunged records do not appear in Case Search at all once the process is complete.
To file in Talbot County, submit a petition to the Circuit Court Clerk at 11 N. Washington Street in Easton. The fee is $30 for most petitions. There is no fee to expunge a charge that ended in an acquittal or dismissal. After you file, the State's Attorney's office has 30 days to object. If no objection is filed, the court typically grants the petition and sends notices to all agencies that hold the record.
Shielding is different from expungement. It hides the record from public view without destroying it. Law enforcement and courts can still access shielded records. Shielding applies to certain first-time convictions and some drug offenses. The petition process is similar to expungement and is filed at the same Clerk's office.
Historical Criminal Records - Talbot County
Talbot County has some of the oldest court records in Maryland. The Maryland State Archives criminal records guide lists criminal judgment records for Talbot County dating back to 1842. That is one of the earliest county collections in the state. These records are held at the Archives in Annapolis and are not available through Case Search.
For criminal records from before June 26, 2000, you have two options. Paper records held at the Circuit Court go back further than the electronic system; call the office first to confirm what is available. For older historical research, the State Archives is the better path. A basic search at the Archives costs $25. Contact them at 410-260-6487 or email msa.helpdesk@maryland.gov. The screenshot below shows the Archives criminal records guide.
The Archives guide explains what record types exist for each county and the date ranges covered. Talbot's 1842 criminal judgment records are particularly useful for genealogy and historical legal research.
Official Background Checks Through CJIS
Case Search shows public court records but is not the same as a certified criminal history. For official background checks, the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) provides state-level reports that cover the full scope of an individual's Maryland criminal history, including records not visible in Case Search.
CJIS charges $18 for a state background check. Adding an FBI fingerprint check brings the cost to roughly $38-$45. Processing takes two to four weeks. Send requests to PO Box 32708, Pikesville, MD 21282-2708, or call 410-764-4501 or 1-888-795-0011. The screenshot below shows the CJIS background check page.
CJIS also accepts requests by email at cjis.customerservice@maryland.gov for general inquiries about the background check process.
Nearby Counties
Talbot County borders several other Eastern Shore counties. Criminal records for individuals who may have cases in neighboring jurisdictions are searchable through the same Maryland Judiciary Case Search system.