Are Criminal Records in Montgomery County Publicly Accessible?

Yes, Montgomery County criminal records are publicly accessible, with some exceptions. The Maryland Public Information Act (PIA) grants individuals the right to access Montgomery County criminal records. Also, several laws govern the dissemination of criminal records in Montgomery County and other parts of Maryland. These include:

• Maryland Code of Criminal Procedure § 10-101 et seq
• Maryland Courts & Judicial Proceedings § 13-101
• Maryland Code, Public Safety § 5-301.

Under Maryland laws, the public can access Montgomery County criminal court case information, inmate records, and sex offender registry. In contrast, there are restrictions on public access to:

• Arrest records
• Sealed criminal records
• Police reports & investigative records
• Criminal background checks
• Juvenile criminal records.

In Montgomery County, due to privacy and safety concerns, only the courts, law enforcement agencies, and authorized entities can access exempted criminal records.

Who is Eligible to Access Montgomery County Criminal Records in Maryland?

Montgomery County criminal records are accessible to

• Private individuals
• The courts
• Law enforcement
• Legal professionals, researchers
• Journalists
• Authorized entities.

However, the accessibility of Montgomery criminal records depends on the document type and the requesters. For safety and privacy reasons, accessing some Montgomery County criminal records requires legal authorization, judicial orders, or special consent. For instance, public access to sealed and juvenile conviction records requires court orders.

How to Request Criminal Records in Montgomery County

Accessing criminal records in Montgomery County depends on the type of criminal records. Montgomery County criminal records are accessible online and through the custodian agency's offices. Requesters seeking Montgomery County criminal records should:

• Log into the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Portal. These search tools offer access to Montgomery County judicial information (including criminal records)
• Visit or send mail requests to any of the following agencies:

Montgomery County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office (for felony, misdemeanor appeals, and grand jury indictment records)
50 Maryland Avenue,
Rockville,
MD 20850
Phone: (240) 777-9400

Montgomery County District Court Clerk’s Office (for misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and minor criminal cases)
191 East Jefferson Street,
Rockville,
MD 20850-2630
Phone: (301) 563-8800,toll-free 1(800) 944-1341, TTY: 711

Montgomery County Police Department (for arrest & incident reports)

100 Edison Park Drive,
Gaithersburg,
MD 20878
Phone: (240) 773-5330

• Visit any Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Fingerprinting Services location, or download a Fingerprint Card Order Form or Private Party Petition packet, complete the form, and fax or mail it to the Criminal Justice Information System - Central Repository at:

P.O. Box 32708,
Pikesville,
Maryland 21282-2708
Fax: (410) 653-6320

Alternatively, contact the DPSCS Baltimore or Sykesville branches at:

6776 Reisterstown Road,
Baltimore,
MD 21215
Phone: (410) 585-3300

Or

6852 4th Street,
Sykesville,
MD 21784
Phone: (877) 379-8636

• Search for Montgomery County criminal records through Marylandcourtrecords.us or other private online repositories that have databases of Maryland judicial records.

Individuals who seek to confirm their eligibility to access Montgomery County criminal records should send valid government-issued identification documents to the Montgomery County Circuit Court Clerk's Office.

Also, requesters should note that a copy of a Montgomery County criminal record costs $1.00 per page plus an additional $5.00 certification fee. Also, state background checks through the DPSCS attract the following fees.

• Mail-in request - $18.00 for mail-in requests
• In-person request - $38.00

Full Background Check (State and FBI)

• Mail-in request - $31.25
• In-person request - $51.25.

Depending on the request method, request complexity, and workload, the timeline for delivering Montgomery County criminal records may vary between a few minutes (for online access), same-day, and several business days.

What Information Is Contained in Montgomery County Criminal Records?

In Montgomery County, publicly accessible criminal records information includes the following:

• Names, aliases (if any), dates of birth, genders, and the ethnicity of the record owner
• Booking numbers, time and location of arrests, names of the arresting agencies, mugshots, and bail/bond details (if applicable)
• Case numbers, charges and sections of Maryland laws violated, arraignment details, court names, pleas entered, and trial dates.
• Outcome of trials
• Date and duration of sentences
• Names of the prosecuting and defending attorneys
• Names of jail facilities
• Probation and parole records (if it applies).

Information seekers should note that custodian agencies will restrict access to information that endangers the public or violates privacy laws. Also, sealed, expunged, and juvenile conviction records are not disclosable.

Are There Restrictions on Accessing Criminal Records in Montgomery County?

Yes, there are restrictions to accessing Montgomery County criminal records. The Maryland Public Information Act and other supporting laws do not grant access to records and information that infringe privacy rights or compromise public safety. Hence, there is a restriction to public access to expunged, sealed, and juvenile criminal records. Also, the public cannot access criminal records relating to:

• Ongoing investigations
• Domestic violence and abuse
• Medical or mental health
• Undercover law enforcement operations
• Law enforcement personnel confidential details.

Nonetheless, restricted Montgomery County criminal records are accessible to the courts, law enforcement, and authorized entities for official use in the line of duty.

What Happens if My Request for Criminal Records is Denied in Montgomery County?

Requesters should do the following if custodian agencies restrict access to Montgomery County criminal records:

• Confirm eligibility to access the criminal records
• Request for a written explanation for access denial
• Modify the request (if necessary) and resubmit
• Write a formal request to the agency to review its decision if there are reasons to believe the decision is wrong.
• If the agency refuses to rescind its decision within 30 days of the denial, to Office of the Maryland Attorney General Office - Public Access Counselor at: