Charles County Criminal History Records

Charles County criminal history records are accessible through the Circuit Court in La Plata and through the Maryland CJIS Central Repository for certified background checks. Charles County is part of Southern Maryland and is one of the faster-growing counties in the state, with much of its population centered in Waldorf. The Charles County Sheriff's Office runs a fingerprint center in Waldorf that makes it easy for residents to submit background check requests. This page walks through all the options for finding criminal history in Charles County.

Charles County Circuit Court

The Charles County Circuit Court in La Plata handles felony criminal cases, civil matters, and family court proceedings. Court records are public in Maryland. You can search most cases filed since 1989 through the free Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal. That tool shows charges, court dates, and dispositions. Expunged records are not visible in the system.

To get paper copies of court documents, the standard fee is $0.50 per page. Contact the clerk's office to request records in person or by mail. Send written requests to 200 Charles Street, La Plata, MD 20646. Include the subject's full name, date of birth, and case number if you know it. The clerk's office phone is 301-932-3201.

The image below shows the Charles County Sheriff's Office website, where the Fingerprint Center information and records request options are posted for Charles County residents.

The Charles County Sheriff's Fingerprint Center in Waldorf provides fingerprinting services for background check submissions to CJIS.

Fingerprinting and Background Checks in Charles County

The Charles County Sheriff's Office runs a dedicated Fingerprint Center in Waldorf, which is convenient for the large portion of the county's population that lives in that area. The center is located at St. Charles Towne Center Mall, 11110 Mall Circle, Waldorf MD 20603, on the upper level next to Dick's Sporting Goods. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 4 PM, by appointment only. Call 301-609-6438 or email fingerprinting@ccso.us to schedule.

Bring a valid, unexpired photo ID. Payment options include cash, check, credit card, or money order. The Fingerprint Center does not accept cash for some services, so confirm payment details when you call. After fingerprinting, your card is sent to CJIS for processing.

Fingerprinting fees at the Charles County center are: Full background (FBI plus state) $58.00. State only or FBI only is $40.00. FD258 cards are $21.00. These cover both the fingerprinting service and the CJIS processing fees. Allow 10 to 15 business days after submission. For the state-only fee through CJIS directly, the cost is $18. More detail at dpscs.state.md.us/bgchecks and dpscs.state.md.us/fingerprint.

Charles County Sheriff Records Requests

Outside of the Fingerprint Center, the Charles County Sheriff's Office also handles records requests for incident reports and other law enforcement documents. The Records Unit phone number is 301-609-6404. There is an online Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) portal available for submitting records requests electronically.

Records requests require an $8 processing fee paid by money order only. That fee covers the cost of locating and preparing the records. Actual copy costs may be additional depending on the volume of records. The Sheriff's main website is ccso.us.

What Is in a Charles County Criminal History Report

A certified criminal history report from CJIS covers all Maryland jurisdictions. If a person has cases in Charles County and other counties, all of them appear. The report includes arrests, charges, and dispositions. It is a statewide record, not limited to what is in the Charles County Circuit Court.

The free Maryland Judiciary Case Search is narrower. It searches across all Maryland courts but only shows case-level data from official court filings. Arrest data that did not result in a case filing may not appear. And expunged records will not show up in either system once the court processes the expungement order.

For a quick, free search of Charles County court records, start with casesearch.courts.state.md.us. For a certified report that goes beyond court filings, submit a formal CJIS request. The two tools serve different purposes, and the right one depends on what you need the information for.

Expungement in Charles County

Maryland residents with eligible Charles County criminal records can file to have those records expunged. File the petition at the Circuit Court or District Court where the case was heard. The filing fee is $30 in most cases. After the expungement is granted, the record is removed from public court searches and from CJIS.

Eligibility depends on the charge type, how the case was resolved, and how much time has passed. Cases that were dismissed, not prosecuted, or resulted in acquittal are generally eligible. The People's Law Library has a free guide. The Maryland courts clean record page at courts.state.md.us also has useful information.

Sex Offender Registry in Charles County

DPSCS maintains the Maryland Sex Offender Registry. You can search registered individuals in Charles County for free at dpscs.maryland.gov. The registry is separate from the criminal history system and does not require a records request or payment. Results include offense details, tier level, and current address. The registry is updated on a regular basis.

Cities in Charles County

One community in Charles County meets the population threshold for an individual page on this site.

Other communities in Charles County include La Plata, White Plains, Bryans Road, and Indian Head. These areas are covered by the same Circuit Court in La Plata and the Sheriff's Office.

Nearby Counties

Charles County is part of Southern Maryland and shares borders with several neighboring counties.