Search Washington County Criminal Records

Washington County criminal records are managed by the Circuit Court Clerk in Hagerstown and are available online through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search system, with electronic records dating back to November 1, 1999. This western Maryland county, which borders both Pennsylvania and West Virginia, has a specific policy in place since October 2020 that requires a case number before the Clerk's office can locate a file, so you should run a Case Search lookup before reaching out to the office directly.

Circuit Court Clerk - Washington County

The Circuit Court for Washington County is in Hagerstown and handles all felony criminal cases, serious misdemeanors, and appeals from the District Court. The Clerk's office is where you go to get physical copies of records, request certified documents, or submit formal records requests. Electronic records go back to November 1, 1999.

Washington County has an important and unique policy. Since October 5, 2020, the office requires a case number to locate any record. They cannot search by name. If you call or walk in without a case number, staff will not be able to pull the file. Get the case number first from the Maryland Judiciary Case Search before you contact the office. This applies to in-person visits, phone calls, and mail requests.

The office also cannot certify that a person has no record or that a specific record does not exist. If you need that kind of certification, contact the Maryland CJIS for an official background check instead.

Hours here are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, which is a half hour earlier than many other Maryland circuit courts. Keep that in mind if you plan to walk in.

The Washington County Clerk's page has forms, current contact details, and more information about records access in the county.

The Clerk's page lists forms for records requests and explains the case number policy for Washington County.

Maryland Judiciary Case Search - Washington County

Because the Washington County Clerk's office requires a case number to locate any record, your first step for almost every criminal records request is the Maryland Judiciary Case Search. This free tool covers all 24 Maryland jurisdictions, including Washington County. Electronic records for this county go back to November 1, 1999. You can search without creating an account and view charges, case status, court dates, and dispositions.

Since December 2021, the system uses exact name matching by default. Use the percent sign (%) as a wildcard if you are unsure of the spelling. For example, entering "Will%" returns Williams, Willis, Willson, and similar names. Once you find the right case in the results, note the case number. That number is what you need to bring to the Clerk's office.

Washington County case numbers follow the standard Maryland format with a county code prefix (21 for Washington) and a two-digit year. Write the full case number down before you call or visit the office.

What Washington County Criminal Records Show

A Washington County criminal record from the Circuit Court typically includes the defendant's full legal name, the charges filed, all hearing dates, current case status, and the final outcome. Conviction records will show the sentence, including jail or prison time, probation terms, and fines. Not all records are public. Juvenile records are sealed. Expunged records do not appear in Case Search. Shielded records are hidden from public view but accessible to law enforcement.

Both Circuit Court and District Court criminal records appear in Case Search. District Court handles the lower-level criminal matters. If someone had a misdemeanor charge resolved in District Court rather than Circuit Court, that record is still in the same system. Use the same name search to pull both.

For a more complete picture of what records are available and what restrictions apply, see the Maryland Courts court records page.

District Court in Washington County

The District Court for Washington County is in Hagerstown. It handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, peace orders, and preliminary hearings for felonies. Records from the District Court are in Case Search the same way Circuit Court records are.

Minor criminal matters that stayed in District Court appear under the same name search. In-person access to District Court files is available at the Antietam Street location during business hours.

Law Enforcement Records - Washington County

The Washington County Sheriff's Office covers unincorporated areas of the county. Arrest records and incident reports that have not led to court filings are held by the Sheriff, not the Circuit Court, and are not in Case Search. Contact the Sheriff's Office directly to request those records. Formal requests may require a written MPIA request to the agency.

Hagerstown has its own police department handling calls within city limits. Other towns in the county have their own agencies as well. Each keeps its own arrest and incident log.

For a certified criminal history that covers the full scope of Maryland records, the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) is the right resource. CJIS handles official state background checks. Call 410-764-4501 or 1-888-795-0011, or visit the CJIS background check portal. A state check costs $18. An FBI fingerprint check adds roughly $20-$27 to that cost. Processing takes two to four weeks.

Fees and Copy Costs

Searching Case Search online is free. No account is needed and there is no cost to view records. Fees apply when you need physical documents from the Clerk's office. The Washington County Clerk accepts VISA, MasterCard, and Discover. American Express is not accepted here.

• Name search fee: $7.00 per name
• Copy fee: $0.50 per page
• Certified copy: $5.00 per document
• Audio CD of proceedings: $25.00

These rates are set by Maryland statewide rules and apply in all circuit courts. For mail requests, send your case number, the documents needed, and payment to the Clerk at 24 Summit Avenue, Hagerstown, MD 21740.

Expungement and Shielding in Washington County

Maryland allows expungement for certain criminal records. Cases that ended in acquittal, dismissal, or a stet docket that has been inactive for more than three years are often eligible. Some convictions for lower-level offenses may also qualify depending on the charge and time since sentencing.

To file in Washington County, submit a petition to the Circuit Court Clerk at 24 Summit Avenue in Hagerstown. The filing fee is $30 for most cases. Acquittals and dismissals are free to expunge. After filing, the State's Attorney has 30 days to object. If no objection is filed, the court typically grants the petition. Once expunged, the record is removed from Case Search and all public indexes.

Shielding hides a record from public view without destroying it. Certain first-time convictions and drug offenses may qualify. Law enforcement and courts can still access shielded records. The process is similar to expungement and is filed at the same Clerk's office.

Historical Criminal Records - Washington County

Criminal records before November 1, 1999, are not in Case Search. Paper records at the Circuit Court may cover earlier years; call the office with your case number (required even for historical requests) to check availability. For older records, the Maryland State Archives criminal records guide lists what older documents exist and how to access them.

The State Archives in Annapolis holds court records from counties across Maryland going back to the colonial era. A basic search at the Archives costs $25. Contact them at 410-260-6487 or email msa.helpdesk@maryland.gov.

The Archives guide explains what record types are available for each county and the dates they cover.

Nearby Counties

Washington County borders Allegany County to the west and Frederick County to the east in Maryland. Criminal records for individuals with cases in nearby jurisdictions can be found through the same Maryland Judiciary Case Search system.