Find Criminal History in Anne Arundel County

Anne Arundel County criminal history records are spread across several agencies, from the Circuit Court in Annapolis to the District Court in Glen Burnie. The county is home to Maryland's state capital, and its courts handle a large volume of cases each year. Getting criminal history here depends on what you need: free online court records are one option, while certified criminal history reports require going through the state's CJIS Central Repository. This page explains both paths and connects you to the right offices for Anne Arundel County.

Anne Arundel County Circuit Court

The Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in Annapolis handles felonies, serious misdemeanors, and civil cases for the county. Court records here are public records. You can search them free at the Maryland Judiciary Case Search. That system covers most cases filed since 1989. It shows charges, dispositions, and hearing dates but does not include expunged records.

Paper copies of court documents cost $0.50 per page. To request copies, contact the clerk's office by phone or visit in person. You can also send a written request by mail with payment. Allow some time for processing, especially for older records.

Anne Arundel County Criminal History Background Checks

The Anne Arundel County Police Department is not authorized to give criminal history record information (CHRI) to non-criminal justice agencies. That restriction applies to the general public. If you want a certified criminal background check and you are not a law enforcement agency, you must go through the Maryland CJIS Central Repository.

Start by getting fingerprinted on a Form 015 state fingerprint card. Anne Arundel County has several options for fingerprinting. The Department of Detention Facilities at 600 East Ordnance Road in Glen Burnie can assist with fingerprinting. Once you have the card, submit it to CJIS along with your fee. A state-only check costs $18. Adding an FBI check brings the total to $38 or more. Send overnight to 6776 Reisterstown Road, Suite 102, Baltimore, MD 21215, or mail to CJIS-CR, P.O. Box 32708, Pikesville, Maryland 21282-2708.

Processing takes about 10 to 15 business days. Call CJIS at 1-888-795-0011 with questions. Full details are on the DPSCS background check page.

The image below shows the Maryland courts public access portal, which provides free online case records for Anne Arundel County and all Maryland jurisdictions.

This portal is a starting point for looking up case filings, though it does not replace a certified criminal history report from CJIS.

Anne Arundel County Police Records

Even though the Anne Arundel County Police cannot produce CHRI for the general public, the department can provide other types of records. Incident reports, crash reports, and call-for-service records are available through the Records Division.

Police Department contact information for records is below. Fees apply for most documents. Crime and accident reports cost $15 per report. If you are the victim of the crime documented in the report, you may be able to get a copy free. Archived reports cost $35.00 to retrieve. Color photo copies are $1.00 each. You can also get records on disc or audio for set fees.

You can also check the background check page at aacounty.org for the latest instructions on what the department does and does not provide.

Anne Arundel County District Court in Glen Burnie

The District Court covering Anne Arundel County is located in Glen Burnie. It handles misdemeanors, minor civil cases, and traffic matters. District Court records are searchable through the same Maryland Judiciary Case Search system. They are public records.

Glen Burnie is the largest community in Anne Arundel County outside of Annapolis. Many county residents use the Glen Burnie District Court for routine legal matters. If you need records from a District Court case, contact the clerk's office there directly.

Expungement and Record Sealing in Anne Arundel County

Maryland law allows people with eligible criminal records to file for expungement. In Anne Arundel County, you file the petition with the Circuit Court or District Court, depending on where the case was heard. Eligible cases include charges that were not prosecuted, cases where charges were dropped, acquittals, and some guilty pleas to minor charges.

Filing an expungement petition costs $30 in Maryland, though fee waivers may be available. After an expungement is granted, the record is removed from public view, including from the Maryland Judiciary Case Search and CJIS records. The People's Law Library has free guidance on what qualifies and how to file. The courts also have a clean record help page at courts.state.md.us.

Sex Offender Registry for Anne Arundel County

Maryland's Sex Offender Registry lists individuals required to register under state law. The registry is public and free to search. It covers all counties, including Anne Arundel. You can search by name, address, or zip code at dpscs.maryland.gov.

Registrations are tied to the county where the person lives or works. Results show the offense type, registration tier, and current address. This is maintained by DPSCS separately from the criminal history database.

Cities in Anne Arundel County

Two communities in Anne Arundel County meet the population threshold for individual pages on this site.

Other communities in the county include Odenton, Crofton, Pasadena, Bowie (Prince George's County), and Annapolis. These areas are served by the same Circuit Court and CJIS system.

Nearby Counties

Anne Arundel County borders several other Maryland counties. Each has its own court clerk and local law enforcement for records requests.