Maryland Background Checks

Maryland Criminal Records

Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services handles all request for Maryland criminal records. Maryland is considered a closed state, however, which means only approved individuals and agencies are allowed access to Maryland criminal records. Approved employers who may require Maryland criminal record history include criminal justice agencies, federal, state and local government agencies, child care, public housing, adult dependent care, attorney/client, taxis, State Racing Commission, State Liquor Board and Maryland State Police License.

If you have not yet applied for approval and you fall into one of the above categories, you will need to fill out and submit a general registration form. If you aren’t in one of the above categories, then you must fill out a private party petition packet and submit it along with a description of your business and the reason for your request.

Adoption agencies will also need to conduct a Maryland criminal record check, usually with a Gold Seal letter accompanying the record, especially if the adoption will take place overseas. Any Maryland criminal record request must be accompanied by a fingerprint card in order to verify identification in the system. Private fingerprinting businesses may take your fingerprints and submit them directly to Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Your Maryland criminal record will not be distributed to the private provider, however, but will be mailed to you or the agency who requested it.

A full Maryland background check may be performed through Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, which will include conviction and arrest information occurring in any state, not just Maryland, but this is only available to the FBI and state-approved agencies. The cost for this is $37.25. A Maryland state criminal record check costs $18 or $19 if a Gold Seal letter is required.

An attorney requesting Maryland criminal records for his client pending a civil matter must pay $18, but there is no cost if it is associated with a pending criminal trial. Getting fingerprinted is an additional charge of $20 if you opt to use the state’s services, while private providers might charge more.

Maryland criminal records are typically mailed within 10 to 15 business days of receiving the fingerprint card and request form. Currently, background checks are not available online, but only via mail. You can contact the Call Center to check the status of a current request in process or for additional information on how to obtain Maryland criminal records.

To request criminal records by mail do the following:

For additional information on obtaining Maryland criminal records, please contact the office at the address or phone number below:

CJIS-Central Repository
6776 Reisterstown Road, Suite 102
Baltimore, MD 21215
(410) 764-4501
(888) 795-0011

Resource Links
Maryland Background Checks

Maryland Court Records

Maryland offers three types of court records through three different online sources. Case Search is open to the public and allows you access to detailed case information from traffic court, criminal and civil court cases tried through Maryland Circuit and District Courts. This information used to be requested from the court clerks’ offices, but is now available online.

You can obtain case information including city and state, case number, date of birth, trial date, charge, case disposition and names of involved parties through Case Search. Maryland land records are available online, as well as real property information, through the Department of Assessments and Taxation.

To search for court records online do the following:

For additional information on obtaining Maryland court records, please contact one of the offices below:

Administrative Office of the Courts
Maryland Judicial Center
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 260-1400

Department of Assessments & Taxation
301 W. Preston St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 767-1184

Resource Links
Maryland Judiciary Case Search

Maryland Jail Records

To obtain Maryland jail records, you will use the inmate locator, operated by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, which is an online service that allows the public to learn where inmates are in custody. The only exceptions are those inmates who receive short sentences and are housed in the Division of Pretrial and Detention Services facilities. If an inmate is no longer incarcerated, he will also not be listed. You can also access the inmate locator via telephone. You should have the inmate’s full name, race, gender, date of birth and social security number in order to find the right inmate’s Maryland jail record.

To search for jail records online do the following:

For additional information on locating Maryland jail records, please use the phone numbers below:

Data Processing for Division of Correction
(410) 585-3350
(410) 585-3351
(410) 585-3352

Resource Links
Maryland Iname Locator

Maryland Driving Records

Maryland driving records are available to the individual only, unless they are requested by the police, the individual’s attorney, an approved CDL employer or other approved government agency. The appropriate form is available online to download, fill out and then mail. The fee for a certified copy is $12, while a plain copy costs $9. You can bring the form and payment to your local MVA office or mail to headquarters.

For additional information on obtaining Maryland driving records, please contact the office at the address or phone number below:

Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration
6601 Ritchie Highway NE, Room 145
Glen Burnie, MD 21062
(800) 950-1682

Resource Links
Maryland Driving Record Information

Additional Resources

Maryland Sexual Offender Registry
Maryland Attorney General