Access Worcester County Criminal Records
Worcester County criminal records are held by the Circuit Court Clerk in Snow Hill and are available online through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search system, with electronic records going back to October 23, 2000. Worcester County was formed in 1742, giving it one of the oldest courthouse record collections in Maryland, and the Circuit Court maintains criminal, civil, and land records for this southeastern Maryland county.
Worcester County Overview
Circuit Court Clerk - Worcester County
The Circuit Court for Worcester County in Snow Hill handles all felony criminal cases, serious misdemeanors, and appeals from the District Court. The Clerk's office maintains criminal case records alongside civil and land records including deeds, mortgages, plats, and conveyances, which are now maintained electronically. Records date back to 1742 when the county was formed, making Worcester one of the oldest continuously operating court offices in the state.
Susan Braniecki serves as Clerk of the Circuit Court. Walk-in requests are welcome during regular business hours. For older paper records or large requests, a call ahead is helpful so staff can locate files before you arrive. Mail requests are accepted and typically take one to two weeks to process.
| Address | 1 West Market Street, Snow Hill, MD 21863 |
|---|---|
| Clerk | Susan Braniecki |
| Susan.braniecki@mdcourts.gov | |
| Phone | 410-632-5500 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Records Online From | October 23, 2000 |
The Worcester County Clerk's page at the Maryland Judiciary website has current contact details and links to records request forms.
Maryland Judiciary Case Search - Worcester County
The free Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers all 24 Maryland jurisdictions, including Worcester County. Electronic records for Worcester go back to October 23, 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 uses exact name matching by default. Use the percent sign (%) as a wildcard if you are unsure of a spelling or searching a common name. Searching "Bro%" returns Brown, Brooks, Brock, and similar names. Worcester County case numbers follow the standard Maryland format with the county code and a two-digit year.
The screenshot below shows the Case Search portal used to look up Worcester County criminal records.
This portal is free and covers Worcester County records back to October 2000. It is updated regularly and is the fastest way to find a case number or check a record's status.
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. Cannabis possession convictions have been removed from the public index as well.
What Worcester County Criminal Records Show
A Worcester County criminal record from the Circuit Court includes the defendant's full legal name, the charges filed, all hearing dates, current case status, and the final outcome. Conviction records show sentencing details including jail or prison time, probation, fines, and other conditions. If charges were reduced or changed through a plea, the record reflects the final charge and disposition.
Some records are not public. Juvenile records are sealed. Expunged records do not appear in Case Search. Shielded records are hidden from the public index but remain visible to law enforcement and government agencies. The 2024 rule changes removed dismissed charges and acquittals from public view, so some older records may look different than expected.
District Court records for misdemeanor and traffic-related criminal matters in Worcester County also appear in Case Search. Both court levels are covered in the same name search. For more on what records are accessible under Maryland law, see the Maryland Courts court records page.
District Court in Worcester County
The District Court for Worcester County is in Snow Hill on Commerce Street, near the Circuit Court. It handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, peace orders, and preliminary hearings for felony matters. All records from this court are in the same Case Search system.
| Address | 301 Commerce Street, Snow Hill, MD 21863 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 410-219-7830 |
| Handles | Misdemeanors, traffic violations, peace orders, preliminary felony hearings |
| Records Access | Maryland Judiciary Case Search |
In-person access to District Court files is available at the Commerce Street location during regular business hours.
Law Enforcement Records - Worcester County
The Worcester County Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement for unincorporated areas of the county. Arrest records and incident reports that have not yet resulted in court filings are maintained by the Sheriff, not the Circuit Court. These records are not in Case Search. Contact the Sheriff's Office directly to request arrest or incident documents.
The Sheriff's Office is located at 1 West Market Street in Snow Hill and can be reached at 410-632-1111. One thing to note: the Worcester County Sheriff's Office does not provide a digital warrant database. There is no online warrant lookup for this county. If you need to check for active warrants, you will need to contact the office directly or check in person.
Ocean City, one of the more heavily visited places in Worcester County, has its own police department covering calls within its jurisdiction. Their records are separate from the Sheriff's Office and the Circuit Court system.
For a certified criminal history check, the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) handles official state background checks. Reach CJIS at 410-764-4501 or 1-888-795-0011, or visit the CJIS background check portal. A state check costs $18. Adding an FBI fingerprint check brings the total to roughly $38-$45.
CJIS also accepts general inquiries by email at cjis.customerservice@maryland.gov. Send mail requests to PO Box 32708, Pikesville, MD 21282-2708.
Fees and Copy Costs
Searching Case Search online is free. No account is needed and there is no charge to view records. Fees apply when you need physical documents from the Clerk's office at 1 West Market Street. These rates are set statewide and apply in all Maryland circuit courts.
- Name search fee: $7.00 per name
- Copy fee: $0.50 per page
- Certified copy: $5.00 per document
- 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 Worcester County at 1 West Market Street, Snow Hill, MD 21863. Make checks payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Expungement and Shielding in Worcester County
Maryland allows people to petition for expungement of certain criminal records. Cases that ended in acquittal, dismissal, or a stet docket inactive for more than three years are generally eligible. Some convictions for lower-level offenses may also qualify depending on the charge and the time since sentencing.
To file in Worcester County, submit your petition to the Circuit Court Clerk at 1 West Market Street in Snow Hill. The filing fee is $30 for most petitions. Acquittals and dismissals cost nothing to expunge. The State's Attorney has 30 days to object after you file. If no objection is filed, the court typically grants the petition and sends removal notices to all agencies holding the record. Once expunged, the record does not appear in Case Search.
Shielding is a separate option that hides records from public view without removing them. Law enforcement and courts can still access shielded records. Shielding applies to certain first-time convictions and some drug offenses. Petitions are filed at the same Clerk's office.
Historical Criminal Records - Worcester County
Worcester County was formed in 1742, and court records here go back nearly three centuries. Criminal records before October 23, 2000, are not in Case Search. Paper records at the Circuit Court may cover earlier periods. Call the office to confirm availability for the time period you need.
For historical research, the Maryland State Archives criminal records guide is the place to start. The Archives in Annapolis holds court records from counties across Maryland going back to the colonial era. Worcester County's records from 1742 onward are among the earliest in the Archives' collections. A basic search costs $25. Contact them at 410-260-6487 or email msa.helpdesk@maryland.gov.
The Archives guide explains what record types exist for each county and the date ranges covered. Worcester's 1742 founding gives it one of the longer historical record spans in the state.
Nearby Counties
Worcester County is in Maryland's southeastern corner on the Atlantic coast. Criminal records for individuals with cases in neighboring jurisdictions are searchable through the same Maryland Judiciary Case Search system.