Free Search: Maryland Criminal & Arrest Records (All MD Counties)

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Free Maryland Arrest Records & Criminal Records Search

Access Maryland Records: background checks, warrants, probation and parole, court records, and all criminal and arrest records.

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Conduct a free search of Maryland criminal records, including arrest records, in all MD counties through official agencies today.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Maryland Public Information Act (PIA) state certain records must be made public. However, the process to obtain these records can prove difficult unless someone knows what they’re looking for, and where to look.

While these statutes make most criminal records public and allow people to gain insight on a friend, colleague, loved one, or potential employee, there are countless types of records, associated agencies that host these records and each has its own process for accessing them.

Records Page simplifies this process by providing comprehensive resources that detail how to access Maryland public records and criminal records alike.

The remainder of this guide will show searchers how to:

• See if someone was arrested, the reason for detainment, view their mugshots, and figure out how to contact and bail them out
• Determine if someone has a criminal history, a warrant out for their arrest, is on probation or parole, or is a registered sex offender
• Seal and expunge eligible criminal records
• Find inmates in prison — both state and federal prisons
• Perform a background check for personal or professional uses

In addition, readers will learn more about laws and statutes surrounding the use of criminal records in professional settings to ensure they’re not discriminated against.

Are Criminal Records & Arrest Records Public Information in Maryland?

According to the Maryland Public Information Act (PIA), the public can access government records, such as Maryland arrest records and criminal proceedings without any costs.¹ It is important to note that there are some exceptions to this rule, such as juvenile delinquency, reports concerning disabled adults, and records that have been sealed or expunged.² These records are only available to the public if a court order is given or any special provisions exist.

Furthermore, since February 2020, Maryland law implemented the Ban the Box law, which prohibits employers with 15 or more full-time employees from requiring applicants to disclose if they have a criminal record or any criminal accusations.⁴ This applies until the first in-person interview and was implemented to protect individuals against discrimination.

Differences Between Maryland Criminal Records vs Arrest Records

While criminal records and arrest records can typically be used interchangeably, there are some notable differences to be aware of. A Nebraska arrest report is an indication that there was a suspension that someone broke the law, but it is not definitive proof because the individual has yet to be found guilty in court.

On the other hand, a criminal record will show more details, including the arrest, details of the crime, and what charges were filed, as well as the conclusion of the case, meaning if charges were dropped or the case was acquitted, if the individual was convicted, and any sentencing information.

All in all, Maryland criminal records will show significantly more information compared to Maryland arrest records, including information from the outcome of the case and everything in between. While an arrest record will only show the arrest information, which is not 100% proof that the individual is guilty of the crime.

How To Find Out If Someone Was Arrested Recently & the Reason Why (Free MD Arrest Record Search)

For recent arrest reports and to learn why someone was detained in Maryland, searchers can look through the tables below which provide the county sheriff’s office inmate roasters, city jail inmate rosters and phone numbers to call the local law enforcement agency or jail.

As a last resort, someone can utilize the Maryland Judiciary, which has an easy-to-use website to search for all criminal, civil, traffic, and civil citation records that have originated within the District Court and Circuit Courts.⁵ It is important to note that this online database may not be suited for recent arrests as it’s updated slower than the methods below.

How To Find Arrest Records & Mugshots in Maryland Through County Sherriff’s Inmate Rosters

When looking for Maryland arrest records and arrest reports in differing counties, some jurisdictions have a dedicated inmate search tool directly through their website that will include mugshots, arrests, and personal information.

Below is a breakdown of all of the six different counties in Maryland that has a direct link to their inmate search feature and the phone number to contact the jail and sheriff’s office:

County Inmate Search Tool or Contact Page	County Jail or Sheriff’s Office Phone Number	Shows Mugshots?
Allegany County	Sheriff’s Office: 301-777-1585 Detention Center: 301-729-8540	✓
Anne Arundel County	Sheriff’s Office: 410-222-1571 Detention Center: 410-222-7374	X
Garrett County	Sheriff’s Office: 301-334-1911 Detention Center: 301-334-5055	✓
Harford County	Sheriff’s Office: 410-838-6600 Detention Center: 410-638-3140	X
Montgomery County	Sheriff’s Office: 240-777-7000 Inmate Records: 240-777-9730 Detention Center: 240-777-9960	X
Somerset County	Sheriff’s Office: 410-651-9225 Detention Center: 410-651-9223	✓
St. Mary’s County	Sheriff’s Office: 301-475-8008 Detention Center: 301-475-4200 ext, 3200	✓

Sixteen of the counties in Maryland do not publish inmate lists or information on their website. The following county sheriff’s offices do not publish inmate lists on the website:

• Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office: 410-887-8698 Department of Corrections: 410-512-3200 and press “0”
• Baltimore City County Sheriff’s Office: 410-396-1155 Correctional Center: 410- 332-4340
• Calvert County Sheriff’s Office: 410-535-2800 Detention Center: 410-535-4300 or 301-855-9640
• Caroline County Sheriff’s Office: 410-479-2515 Detention Center: 410-479-2517
• Carroll County Sheriff’s Office: 410-386-2900 Detention Center: 410-386-2628
• Cecil County Sheriff’s Office: 410-996-5500 Detention Center: 410-996-5800
• Charles County Sheriff’s Office: 301-932-2222 Detention Center: 301-932-3100
• Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office: 410-228-4141 Detention Center: 410-228-8101
• Frederick County Sheriff’s Office: 301-600-1046 Detention Center: 301-600-2550
• Howard County Sheriff’s Office: 410-313-4150 Corrections Center: 410-313-5200
• Kent County Sheriff’s Office: 410-778-2279 Detention Center: 410-778-6025 
• Montgomery County Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office: 301-780-8500 County Jail: 301-952-4800
• Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office: 410-758-0770 Detention Center: 410-758-3817
• Talbot County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center: 410-822-1020
• Washington County Sheriff’s Office: 240-313-2100 Detention Center: 240-313-2133 Detention Center Records: 240-313-2125
• Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office: 410-548-4891 Corrections Center: 410-548-4850 
• Worcester County Sheriff’s Office: 410-632-1111 Detention Center: 410-632-1300 

To find inmate information at one of these facilities, someone must contact the Sheriff’s office or detention center or utilize the VineLink website to search the entire state of Maryland. 

How To Look Up Maryland Arrests Records Created by Local Police Departments Who Operate City Jails

Searching for arrests in city jails can be useful because individuals can be held here for 24 hours or more before being transferred to a county jail. Individuals arrested by Maryland law enforcement are taken to the nearest county detention facility while they await trial or bond.

For example, someone arrested in Germantown, Maryland, would be taken to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, which accepts inmates arrested by Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office deputies, the Germantown Police Department, and federal agencies.

While county jails cover a wider area and are most prevalent in Maryland, one city jail in Maryland is located in the largest city in Maryland and is the Baltimore City Correctional Center. The best way to find an inmate and information about a city jail is as follows:

1. To search for information on the city jail in Maryland, navigate to this website, Baltimore City Correctional Center.
2. Directly on the homepage, the address and phone number should be present. Sometimes it’s near the bottom of the page or under the tab called “Contact us.”
3. While some websites will have a clear drop-down bar with different options to navigate throughout the website, others will also have a search bar near the top to make the search process easier.

If applicable, search for “arrest records” or “inmate locator” to bring up those pages. If nothing populates, the county or city jail may not publish that information online, and it would be best to default to calling the phone number.

Another option that would help simplify the process of trying to find out who’s in jail in Maryland is employing the services of a bail bondsman, an expert and helpful people finder. This can be a helpful option because a bondsman can help locate the arrested individual and potentially help get the person released on bail.

How To Go About Contacting & Bailing Out Someone in Jail

Maryland’s correctional facility locator has important information for visiting, and each facility has different rules and requirements for visits, so it’s important to contact each one directly for that information.

To schedule an in-person visitation, please contact the facility using the assigned email address or phone number below. If you have any questions, please contact the Maryland DPSCS COVID-19 Family Hotline at 410-724-5722 or look at the Maryland inmate visitation services page.

The following images provide each facilities name, visitations hours, and contact information:

Information on posting bonds for someone can be obtained by calling the county jail or sheriff’s office or hiring a bail bondsman to help with the process.

How To Search for Criminal Records in Maryland (Search MD Criminal Records)

Criminal records can be found through various public record repositories but in most cases, checking with county and state courts will yield the quickest and most comprehensive results.

The Clerk’s Office for each county court and the process to check the Maryland Judiciary site is listed below but there is still other places to check so information on warrants, prisons records, background checks and the sex offender registry will follow.

How Can I Look Up Maryland Criminal Record Search Using the Clerk of Court

Each county in Maryland has its own Clerk’s Office that houses a variety of older records, including criminal records. Calling or going to the Clerk’s Office can be helpful to ensure the office has the records before visiting them to obtain someone’s criminal record details.

None of the counties in Maryland have an online criminal record search database and instead link to the state-wide search through the Maryland Judiciary. If a case isn’t found through the case search feature described in the next section, then contacting the Clerk’s office would be the next best thing to do.

Check the table below for a list of the different Clerk’s Offices by county, address, and phone number:

County Courts That Host Criminal Records	Courthouse Address	Phone Number
Allegany County Clerk’s Office	30 Washington Street, Cumberland, MD 21502	301-777-5923
Anne Arundel County Clerk of Court	8 Church Circle Annapolis, MD 21401	410-222-1420 (a case number is required when calling)
Baltimore City Clerk’s Office	Mitchell Courthouse 2nd Floor, Room 200 100 N Calvert St Baltimore, MD 21202	410-333-3750
Baltimore County Clerk’s Office	401 Bosley Avenue 2nd Floor Towson, MD 21204	410-887-2601
Calvert County Clerk’s Office	175 Main Street Prince Frederick, MD 20678	410-535-1600
Caroline County Clerk of Court	207 S. Third Street Denton, MD 21629	410-819-4600
Carroll County Clerk’s Office	55 N. Court Street Westminster, MD 21157	410-386-8710
Cecil County Clerk’s Office	129 E. Main Street Elkton, MD 21921	410-996-1021
Charles County Clerk’s Office	200 Charles Street La Plata, MD 20646	301-932-3201
Dorchester County Clerk’s Office	206 High Street Cambridge, MD 21613	410-228-0481
Frederick County Clerk’s Office	100 W. Patrick Street Frederick, MD 21701	301-600-1976
Garrett County Clerk’s Office	203 S. 4th Street, Room 109 Oakland, Maryland 21550	301-334-1937
Harford County Clerk’s Office	20 West Courtland Street Bel Air, MD 21014	410-838-4952
Howard County Clerk’s Office	9250 Judicial Way Ellicott City, MD 21043	410-313-2111
Kent County Clerk’s Office	103 N. Cross Street Chestertown, MD 21620	410-778-7460
Montgomery County Clerk’s Office	North Tower 1st Floor, Room 1260 191 East Jefferson Street Rockville, MD 20850	240-777-9440
Prince George’s County Clerk’s Office	14735 Main Street Suite 173B Upper Marlboro, MD 20772	301-298-4000
Queen Anne’s County Clerk’s Office	120 Broadway Suite #1 Centreville, MD 21617	410-819-4000
St. Mary’s County Clerk’s Office	23110 Leonard Hall Drive Leonardtown, MD 20650	301-880-2700
Somerset County Clerk’s Office	30512 Prince William Street Princess Anne, MD 21853	410-845-4840
Talbot County Clerk’s Office	11 North Washington Street Suite 16 Easton, MD 21601	410-822-2611
Washington County Clerk’s Office	24 Summit Avenue Hagerstown, MD 21740	301-733-8660
Wicomico County Clerk’s Office	101 North Division Street Room 105 Salisbury, MD 21801	410-543-6551
Worcester County Clerk’s Office	One West Market Street Room 104 Snow Hill, MD 21863	410-632-5500

While contacting or going to the county Clerk’s Office can help find older criminal records, searching the state-wide Maryland Judiciary Case Search may still be a great first option because that database includes recent arrests and older criminal records.

How To Run Statewide Criminal Record Search In MD Through Maryland Judiciary Case Search

The broadest way to determine if someone is in a Maryland jail or has a criminal hisotry is to use the statewide criminal record search feature through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search. This case search is also a great and free way to help someone figure if they were charged with a crime after an encounter with law enforcement.

To search for an individual, follow these steps:

1. Open the Maryland Judiciary Case Search and after reading the disclaimer, check the box and click “I Agree” to open the search platform.
2. Search by name or by case number. Most searches will probably be by name.
3. Select the court type
   a. Trial: The default option is trial courts which will encompass most criminal records, except those that have been appealed.
   b. Appellate: This court focuses on reviewing appeals.
4. Enter the name. When entering the name, it’s possible to search for a partial name by inserting at least the first character of the last name followed by the % symbol. For example, J%. The first name is not required as part of the search but can also be searched partially.
5. Choose the type of search.
   a. All case types
   b. Civil
   c. Criminal
   d. Traffic
   e. Civil Citation
6. This search can be narrowed down by adding the specific county the crime took place, but the default option is to search all counties.
7. For the date, the exact date or date range can be searched. Enter the date and then click search.
8. From there, scroll through the search results to see the case number, name, date of birth, court, filing date, and case status.

The central location to find Maryland criminal records is the Maryland State Archives, which contains various records from all 24 counties in Maryland.

After the modern District Court System was established in 1971, this became the host for public criminal records in Maryland. Before then, each county had a different method of storing its records, and the records went to various places.

Additionally, a centralized records management center is responsible for the many different records in Maryland Annapolis known as the District Court Record Center.⁸ It’s important to know that this center does not directly work with individuals; instead, someone must contact the Maryland State Archives or the nearest district court to access their records.

How Do I Obtain a Copy of My Own Criminal Records in MD or Maryland?

Retrieving a copy of criminal records electronically can be done on the Maryland Judiciary Case Search website. This website is the primary way most Maryland public search for records and obtains information.

It is important to note that Case Search no longer displays information for any criminal charge that resulted in dismissal, acquittal, not guilty, a formal notice of abandonment, also known as “nolle prosequi.” They also do not include District Court cases involving marijuana from October 1, 2014, or earlier. While these records are not available on Case Search, the public can still access them through the courthouse.

If someone has an interest in obtaining paper records, there is a different process that takes place and fees that are involved. While court records are kept at the courthouse where the case took place, anyone can view records in person at the clerk’s office. These can be located with the case number or the names of the individuals involved. It’s recommended to call ahead to ensure the office has the records.

To obtain a criminal background check with physical copies of records, contact the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services at their website or phone number +1-888-795-0011. City law enforcement and county sheriff’s officers can also provide Maryland criminal records.

How To Determine if Someone Is on Probation or Parole in Maryland?

The Maryland Division of Parole & Probation ensures offenders on parole and probation adhere to their requirements. It has recently expanded its focus to enhance community safety by supervising known violent offenders.⁹ Whether or not someone is on probation (minor offenses) or parole (major offenses) this is information the public can find.¹⁰

Probation is usually given to those offenders accused of misdemeanors or low-level crimes which have just been released from jail. In contrast, parole is seen as an early release from prison and given to convicted felons after completing some time in prison. In Maryland, someone must serve at least 50% of their sentence for violent offenders before possible parole.¹¹

While there is no specific parolee database, probation search, or online directory, someone can search Maryland’s Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) service, which can provide custody status updates.

Unfortunately, once someone is released or on probation or parole, the update shows “closed.” And it is instead recommended to contact the prior facility the inmate was at, but this resource could be a good starting point and will allow access to the case number. Remember that a free account needs to be created to see the full case number and birth date.

Furthermore, the Federal Bureau of Prisons does have an online database for information about federal inmates released after 1982 and will show the date the inmate was released. For this search, both first and last names are required. It is important to note that this search will only show inmates federally charged and will not specifically state whether the inmate was on probation or parole and only shows when they were released.

Additional ways to find parole or probation information would be to check criminal records through the specific county courthouse for past offenses, run a personal background check on the individual, or by calling the probation or parole offices which can easily be found by searching “parole and probation office [county] Maryland.”

It’s also valuable to know that the Maryland Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services has an Office of Victim Services through the Division of Parole and Probation. This service focuses on assisting the victims of crimes whose offenders are in jail or on parole or probation.

They assist through filling protective orders, helping write Victim Impact Statements, assisting through court hearings, and recommending counseling or other valuable services. For further information, contact the director at 410-585-3340 or email [email protected].

How To Seal or Expunge Criminal Records in Maryland (Erase or Remove Criminal Records in MD)

It’s possible to request to seal or expunge a criminal record in Maryland by oneself or obtain legal aid from an attorney or lawyer to help simplify the process. A criminal record can be expunged or removed from court and law enforcement records if the case meets certain requirements.

In Maryland, for cases where all charges brought against someone ended with an acquittal, not guilty, dismissal, or nolle prosequi and happened on October 1, 2021, or later, the court automatically expunges the case after three years. There is a form someone can fill out for free to request expungement earlier, and there is no fee. For guilty charges, there is a different form to fill out, and a $30 fee is required.

Another option someone has is shielding or sealing records. This differs from expungement because shielding keeps all information in a case private from public inspection, whereas expungement will only remove court and police records. It does not remove the criminal record, it just removes it from the public view, but law enforcement officers and other agencies may still be able to view the information.

The court only grants one shielding over your lifetime, and someone must wait three years after completing all their sentences, including parole or probation. There is no fee to request shielding in Maryland. Still, certain requirements must be met, including the conviction on the list of approved convictions eligible for shielding and not being convicted of a new crime within the 3-year waiting period.

The shielding request of eligible criminal records will be done at the Circuit or District Court, where the case is finished. The Maryland Attorney’s Office and victims have 30 days to file an objection or provide additional information relevant to the shielding.¹⁴ After 30 days, the judge will deny or approve the shielding request.

How To Search for Someone in a Maryland State Prison or Federal Penitentiary

Utilizing the Maryland Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services Division of Correction is an effective way to find someone in Maryland state prisons. This public records repository will not show what someone was arrested for and is also not a mugshot database. Still, the information provided shows the DOC ID, date of birth, and what facility the individual is held in. It is recommended to contact the specific facility for more information.

The Bureau of Prison website will also allow a nationwide search of a federally charged inmate in federal prison by searching with the inmate number or finding by first and last name (both names are required). Additionally, it’s possible to see historical data through the Bureau of Prison.

How To Obtain Warrant Information in Maryland: MD Arrest Warrant Search

Federal case criminal records can be accessed through PACER, and all federal warrants are stored in the U.S. Marshal’s Service Warrant Information System (WIN). Still, unfortunately, that search is not available to the public. So to answer the question of how someone knows there is a warrant out for their arrest, it may be most helpful to turn to specific counties in Maryland.

For example, Anne Arundel County’s online warrant database is updated weekly and contains unserved county warrants active for six months or longer. This database has the warrant number, the individual’s name and age, the charge, and the last known address.

Check the links and numbers below to find out if someone has a warrant in a nearby county. If a given county isn’t shown, search “[County Name] warrant search” and navigate to the official county website for a given region. There will typically be a warrant option in the menu that can be searched online, but if not, navigate to the contact page to call the county sheriff’s office.

Here is a list of Maryland counties that have an online warrant database system:

• Calvert County Sheriff’s Office posts those with outstanding warrants on their Facebook page.
• Garrett County County Sheriff’s Office has done “Warrant Wednesdays” for those with outstanding warrants.
• Harford County Sheriff’s website has the top 10 most wanted and 10 most wanted for child support.
• Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff posts their open warrant list as a most wanted list on their website.
• Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office lists their active warrants.
• Worcester County Sheriff’s Office has a list of their outstanding warrants.

While the above counties publish their warrant information, it’s also possible to contact the county sheriff’s office to determine if there is an outstanding warrant. Below is a list of all the counties in Maryland and their warrant department phone number, if applicable, or their sheriff’s office number:

• Allegany County: 301-777-1585
• Anne Arundel County: 410-222-1571
• Baltimore County: 410-887-2031
• Baltimore City County: 410-396-1155
• Calvert County: 410-535-2800
• Caroline County: 410-479-2515
• Carroll County: 410-386-2900
• Cecil County: 410-996-5500
• Charles County: 301-932-3100
• Dorchester County: 410-228-4141
• Frederick County: 301-600-1532
• Garrett County: 301-334-1911
• Harford County: 410-838-6600
• Howard County: 410-313-4174
• Kent County: 410-778-2279
• Montgomery County: 240-777-7022
• Prince George’s County: 301-780-8500
• Queen Anne’s County: 410-758-0770
• Somerset County: 410-651-9225
• St. Mary’s County: 301-475-8008
• Talbot County: 410-822-1020
• Washington County: 402-426-6890
• Wicomico County: 410-548-4891
• Worcester County: 410-632-1111

Maryland Background Checks Explained

Every state-level (level 1) background check within Maryland will go through the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) hosted by the Department of Public and Correctional Services. The process and purpose may vary slightly for each organization, so check out the table below for a breakdown of Maryland’s official background check agencies. The FAQ for the CJIS provides further details on background check timelines, costs, forms, and process.

Level 2 background checks will go through the FBI for a full rap sheet report.

The following is a guide to various agencies that require a background check in Maryland, the reason for the screenings, and a link to the most relevant background check page that details the submission process for each agency:

Maryland Agency That Requires Background Checks	Screening Reasons
Maryland Department of Health	Medical and surgical professionals X-Ray Technicians Surgical Assistants Physical Therapists
Maryland Board of Nursing	Nurses Nurse Aids
Department of Consumer Protection	Accountants Amusement facilities Architects Bedding and furniture manufacturing Charitable solicitors Community association managers Controlled substance practitioners Crane operators Pharmacists Cosmetologists Electrical engineers Elevator workers E-cigarette vendors Fire protection Food and beverage workers Glaziers Health clubs and martial arts studios Health product dealers HVAC Hemp manufacturing Home inspection workers General contractors Interior designers Land surveys Liquor vendors Landscapers Lottery agents Locksmiths Medical marijuana professionals Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians Plumbers Public service technicians Real estate workers Telecommunication technicians
Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulations	Architects Barbers Certified Interior Designers Certified Public Accountants Cosmetologists Electricians Foresters Home Improvement Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Contractors Individual Tax Preparers Landscape Architects Land Surveyors Pilots Plumbing Professional Engineers Real Estate Appraisers, Appraisal Management Companies and Home Inspectors Real Estate Commission Secondhand Precious Metal Objects Dealers and Pawnbrokers Stationary Engineers Athlete Agents Athletic Commission Cemetery Oversight Elevator Safety Review Board Locksmiths Oil and Gas Land Professionals
Department of Education	School administrators Teachers Teacher assistants Volunteers Support staff Bus drivers Housekeeping staff
Department of Human Services	Social workers Foster families Child care workers Adult care facility workers Volunteers Adoptive parents

Addiotnally, background checks for personal uses can be performed by searching public records seen in this guide, and third-party sites can also assist in checking records across multiple states and counties at once. However, personal background checks can not be used to make decisions involving employment, housing, or insurance and these records can not be used to stalk, harass, or intimidate others.

How To Look Up Someone on the Maryland Sex Offender Registry

Maryland has a comprehensive sex offender registry which can be obtained directly through the Maryland Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services website.

1. From the homepage of the Maryland Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services website, input into the search bar “sex offender registry” and hit search, then click on the first option, which should be the sex offender registry.
2. After agreeing to the disclaimer, the Maryland official sex offender registry will open.
3. There are a few different options on how to search for an offender.
   1. In Your Area: This will be used to see if there are any sex offenders near your home, business, or school. Enter the desired address, city, state, and zip code.
   2. Name: This search is used to see registered offenders by name. A partial name can be used, and the first letter can be entered if the name is unsure. For example, only search “B” in the last name, and all offenders with a last name starting with B will be brought up. The search will bring up the photo and address of each offender.
   3. City: To locate offenders in an entire city, enter the desired city here.
   4. Non-Compliant: To view a list of those who have not updated their address and personal information
4. The results will show the individual’s name, mugshot, address, and tier.
   1. Tier 1: These individuals will be on the registry for 15 years.
   2. Tier 2: On the registry for 25 years.
   3. Tier 3: These individuals have committed the worst sex crimes meaning they must be on the sex offender felony registry for life.

For a larger overview, there is also the option to search the national sex offender registry through the United States Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender Public website.

An Overview of Maryland Laws & Statutes on Criminal Records & Arrest Records

Criminal records searches must comply with state and federal laws that dictate what is released, how it’s released, and who can view the information.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that protects information collected by reporting agencies such as credit bureaus, tenant screenings, and medical information companies.¹⁹ Additionally, each individual has the right to know what information is in the report and be told if something caused a denial.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EECO) is crucial in ensuring all background checks are the same for each individual and not being used in a discriminatory manner. Reports can be made to the commission if someone feels a report has been used incorrectly to discriminate against them. Furthermore, the EECO provides background check guidance to employers and anti-discrimination law enforcement.

In addition to following federal laws, a few Maryland-specific laws are related to criminal and arrest records.

The Maryland Security and Privacy Act and the Code of Maryland Annotated Regulations (COMAR) prevent someone from requesting a background check on another individual without prior authorization.

Maryland’s Public Information Act (PIA) allows citizens to access public records such as criminal and arrests without unnecessary costs or delay. Most records can be accessed for free online or locally and printed out for a small fee.

To further EEOC and prevent discrimination as part of the hiring and interview process, Maryland adopted the Ban the Box law effective February 29, 2020. Ban the Box prevents employers from requiring applicants to disclose a criminal record until the first in-person interview. It is important to note that there are some exceptions to the ban-the-box law.

Individuals applying for certain positions in health care, education, and those providing care to minors or vulnerable individuals may have to disclose their criminal record background immediately.

To wrap things up, official Maryland criminal records can be found through the county courts and Maryland Judiciary case search portal. Addiotnally, Maryland arrest records, including warrants, can be found through the county sheriff’s office and local police departments while probation and parole information can be located via the Maryland Division of Parole & Probation, and lastly, background checks can be performed with the Department of Public and Correctional Services.