St. Mary's County Background Check Records
St. Mary's County background check records are held at the Circuit Court in Leonardtown and through the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. This Southern Maryland county keeps criminal, civil, and court case records that are open to the public. You can search these records online or visit the courthouse in person to find what you need.
St. Mary's County Overview
St. Mary's County Circuit Court
The Circuit Court Clerk in Leonardtown is the main office for court-based background check records in St. Mary's County. This office stores criminal case files, civil judgments, family court orders, and land records. Anyone can ask to see or copy these records. Staff at the clerk's office can help you find a case, but they cannot give legal advice on how to use the records you find.
The court serves the 7th Judicial Circuit, which covers St. Mary's County alone. This means all circuit-level cases from the county are filed and stored here. If you need to look up a criminal conviction, a civil judgment, or a restraining order, this is the right place to start. Records go back many decades, though older files may need to be requested in advance since they may be stored off-site.
The Circuit Court Clerk's Office is located at the courthouse on Court House Drive. You can reach them by phone during business hours to ask about record availability before making the trip to Leonardtown.
| Office | Circuit Court Clerk, St. Mary's County |
|---|---|
| Address | 41605 Court House Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650 |
| Phone | (301) 475-4568 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | mdcourts.gov/clerks/stmarys |
Search St. Mary's County Background Check Records Online
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search tool is the fastest way to find court records for a St. Mary's County background check. This free database covers all Maryland circuit courts and district courts. You can search by name, case number, or date range. Results include criminal cases, civil suits, traffic violations, and family court matters filed in St. Mary's County.
Visit casesearch.courts.state.md.us to run a search. You will need to agree to the terms of use before seeing results. The system shows case status, charges, and hearing dates. It does not always include full case documents, but it gives you enough detail to know whether a case exists and what the outcome was. For full documents, you will need to contact the clerk's office directly or make a records request.
Note: Case Search results are not a substitute for a certified background check. For official verification, use the CJIS system or request a certified record from the Circuit Court.
Maryland CJIS Background Check for St. Mary's County
The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services runs the Criminal Justice Information System, known as CJIS. This is the official state system for criminal history background checks. It covers arrests and dispositions from all Maryland counties, including St. Mary's. The CJIS Central Repository holds records on every person who has been arrested and fingerprinted in the state.
To get a CJIS background check that includes St. Mary's County records, you submit a fingerprint-based request through the CJIS Division. The CJIS Public Services page explains how to request a criminal history record. Walk-in fingerprinting is available at select Maryland Vehicle Administration locations. You can also mail a request to the CJIS Central Repository at P.O. Box 32708, Pikesville, MD 21282-2708, or call 410-764-4501 for more information on the process.
CJIS checks pull data statewide. This means the background check result covers not just St. Mary's County but also any other Maryland county where the person has a record. This makes it more complete than a single-county court search for most uses.
Note: Fingerprint-based background checks through CJIS are the most thorough option and cover the full state criminal history.
St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Records
The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Tim Cameron, handles local law enforcement records for the county. The Sheriff's Office maintains incident reports, arrest logs, and other records separate from what the Circuit Court keeps. These records can be relevant when conducting a background check on activity in St. Mary's County.
The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office website provides information on how to request records and what is available to the public. Some records, like incident reports, are available on request. Others may be restricted depending on the nature of the case or whether charges are still pending. Contacting the office directly is the best way to find out what records are available for a specific background check inquiry in St. Mary's County.
Types of Background Check Records in St. Mary's County
A thorough background check in St. Mary's County can draw from several different record sources. The Circuit Court keeps the most detailed case-level information. Records at the court include criminal cases, civil judgments, restraining orders, domestic relations filings, and land records. All of these are public records under Maryland law unless a judge has ordered them sealed.
District Court records for St. Mary's County cover lower-level criminal cases, traffic violations, and civil matters under a certain dollar threshold. These are also searchable through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search. District Court records often include misdemeanor charges and traffic-related offenses that would not appear in the Circuit Court system.
Beyond court records, background checks may also pull from:
- Maryland CJIS criminal history database
- Sex offender registry maintained by the Maryland Department of Public Safety
- Sheriff's Office incident and arrest reports
- Federal court records through PACER for federal cases
- Land and property records at the Circuit Court
Each source covers different types of information. Court records show charges and outcomes. The CJIS database shows fingerprint-linked criminal history. Property records show ownership and liens. No single source gives you everything, so a full background check in St. Mary's County often means checking more than one system.
How to Get Records from St. Mary's County
You have a few ways to get background check records from St. Mary's County. Each method has its own steps and wait times. Knowing which method fits your situation will save you time.
In-person requests are the fastest way to get records from the Circuit Court clerk's office in Leonardtown. You go to the courthouse, give the clerk the name or case number you are searching, and staff will pull the record. Copy fees apply. Plain copies typically cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies cost more and require the clerk to stamp and sign the document. Bring your ID when you visit.
Mail requests are also accepted. Send a written request to the clerk's office at 41605 Court House Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Include the full name of the person you are searching, their date of birth if known, the approximate date of the case, and the case number if you have it. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check or money order for the copy fees. Processing times for mail requests can range from a few days to a few weeks depending on volume.
Online searches through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search are free and give you instant results for most cases. Use the online tool first to see if a case exists, then decide whether you need certified copies from the clerk's office.
Nearby Counties
St. Mary's County sits in Southern Maryland. These neighboring counties also maintain background check records through their own Circuit Court offices.