Frederick County Criminal History Records
Frederick County criminal history records are accessible through the Circuit Court in Frederick City and through the Maryland CJIS Central Repository for certified background checks. Frederick County sits in western Maryland and borders six other counties, making it a hub for people who live and work across the region. The Frederick County Sheriff's Office runs an online records portal and offers fingerprinting by appointment, giving residents clear options for accessing criminal history. This page covers all the ways to get criminal records in Frederick County.
Frederick County Overview
Frederick County Circuit Court
The Frederick County Circuit Court handles felony criminal cases, family court matters, and civil cases for the county. Court records are public in Maryland. Most cases filed since 1989 are searchable free through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search. You can look up charges, dates, and outcomes at no cost. Expunged records do not appear.
Paper copies of court documents cost $0.50 per page. Contact the clerk's office at 100 West Patrick Street in Frederick. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The main phone number is 301-600-1976. For written requests by mail, include the subject's full name, date of birth, and case number if available.
| Address | 100 West Patrick Street, Frederick, MD 21701 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 301-600-1976 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM |
| Website | courts.state.md.us/clerks/frederick |
The image below shows the Maryland State Police site, which is one of the statewide agencies that works alongside CJIS to manage criminal history data for Frederick County and other Maryland jurisdictions.
The Maryland State Police coordinates with local agencies in Frederick County on criminal history matters and background check services.
Frederick County Sheriff Fingerprinting and Records
The Frederick County Sheriff's Office offers fingerprinting by appointment for background check submissions. The office is at 110 Airport Drive East, Frederick, MD 21701. For general records questions, call 301-600-1046. For the records unit specifically, call 301-600-1740.
An appointment is required for fingerprinting. There is a $20 administrative fee on top of the CJIS processing fees. Full background checks (FBI plus state) cost $58 total. A state-only or FBI-only check costs $40. FD258 cards cost $21. The Sheriff accepts cash, credit or debit cards, checks, and money orders. Bring a valid, unexpired photo ID to your appointment.
The Sheriff's website at frederickcosheriff.com has current information on scheduling. After fingerprinting, CJIS processes the request. Standard turnaround is 10 to 15 business days. For questions, call CJIS at 1-888-795-0011 or see the DPSCS background check page.
Frederick County Sheriff Online Records Portal
The Frederick County Sheriff's Office has an online public records portal for submitting requests for incident reports, calls for service, body-worn camera footage, and crash reports. The portal is at records.govquest.com/frederick-county-sheriff/publicportal. Using the portal is the preferred method for records requests and lets you track the status of your request online.
This portal handles records related to specific incidents, not criminal history records. Criminal history background check requests still go through CJIS. But if you need a police report tied to a specific event in Frederick County, the online portal is a fast and straightforward way to get it.
Note: The Frederick County Sheriff's online portal is the preferred method for incident report requests and often results in faster processing than mail submissions.
Frederick County Criminal History Through CJIS
A certified Maryland criminal history report covers all jurisdictions in the state, not just Frederick County. That means if someone has arrests or charges in Frederick, Montgomery, Carroll, and other counties, all of them appear in a CJIS report. This makes CJIS the best source when you need a comprehensive view of someone's Maryland criminal history.
The free Maryland Judiciary Case Search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us lets you search all Maryland court cases in one place. It is fast and free but does not produce a certified record. For a certified official report, you need to go through the fingerprint and CJIS submission process described above. Send cards and fees to CJIS-CR, P.O. Box 32708, Pikesville, Maryland 21282-2708 or overnight to 6776 Reisterstown Road, Suite 102, Baltimore, MD 21215.
State-only checks cost $18 through CJIS directly. The Frederick County Sheriff charges $40 for state-only checks when you fingerprint through their office, which includes the admin fee and service. Both routes lead to the same CJIS report at the end.
Expungement of Criminal Records in Frederick County
Maryland allows expungement of eligible criminal records from Frederick County cases. File your petition at the court where the case was heard. The filing fee is $30 in most cases. After expungement is granted, the record is removed from the Maryland Judiciary Case Search and from CJIS public records. It will not show up in standard background checks.
Eligible cases include charges that were not prosecuted, acquittals, and certain other resolved matters. The People's Law Library has a free step-by-step guide on Maryland expungement. The Maryland courts clean record page is also free and helpful. If you are not sure whether your case qualifies, a legal aid organization in Frederick County can review your situation.
Sex Offender Registry in Frederick County
DPSCS maintains the Maryland Sex Offender Registry, which covers Frederick County. The registry is free to search at dpscs.maryland.gov. Results include name, current address, offense type, and registration tier. The registry is a public tool updated on a regular basis. It does not require a records request or fee to use.
For broader criminal history questions, the DPSCS main site at dpscs.maryland.gov and the Maryland State Police at mdsp.maryland.gov are both useful starting points.
Cities in Frederick County
One city in Frederick County meets the population threshold for an individual page on this site.
Other communities in Frederick County include Thurmont, Emmitsburg, Brunswick, Middletown, and New Market. These areas are served by the same Circuit Court and Sheriff's Office in Frederick City.
Nearby Counties
Frederick County borders six other Maryland counties, making it one of the most connected jurisdictions in the state.