Garrett County Felony Records

Garrett County felony records are maintained by the Circuit Court in Oakland and are open to the public through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search at no charge. This page covers how to find and request felony records from Garrett County courts and law enforcement, with specific addresses, phone numbers, fees, and step-by-step guidance for each source.

Circuit Court for Garrett County

The Garrett County Circuit Court is the place to go for felony records. All felony charges in Maryland are tried at the circuit court level, which means indictments, plea agreements, trial verdicts, sentencing documents, and any post-conviction motions will all be on file here. The court is located at 203 S. 4th Street, Room 201, Oakland, MD 21550. You can reach the clerk's office by phone at (301) 334-1937. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

To get copies in person, bring the defendant's full name and, if you have it, a case number. The clerk can pull the file while you wait, or for larger records, you may need to schedule a return visit. Copy fees are $0.50 per page for standard copies. Certified copies cost $5.00 plus $0.50 per page. Pay by cash or check made out to the Circuit Court for Garrett County.

Mail requests are accepted. Write a letter that includes the name, approximate filing date or year, and a description of the documents you need. Include a check for estimated copy costs. If the actual cost differs from your payment, the court will contact you. Allow two to four weeks for mail requests. The court does not have a fax option for records requests.

Search Garrett County Felony Records Online

The Maryland Judiciary Case Search is free and requires no account. It covers all Maryland circuit and district courts, including Garrett County. The system was redesigned on February 5, 2024, and the current interface is faster and easier to use than older versions. You can search by name, case number, or date range.

Name searches are the most common starting point. Enter a last name and first name. The system returns a list of cases that match. Each result shows the case number, case type, filing date, and current status. Click a case to see the full record, which includes every charge, each court event with its date and result, the assigned judge, and attorney listings. For felony cases, the disposition line will show guilty, not guilty, nolle prosequi, stet, or probation before judgment.

If you are searching for a person with a common name, use the percent sign (%) as a wildcard to narrow results. For example, searching "Sm%th" will return Smith, Smyth, and similar names. The system caps results at 500 per search, so if a name search returns the maximum, add a date filter to reduce the list. Garrett County circuit court felony cases use the prefix "C-11-CR" in the case number.

What Garrett County Felony Records Include

A felony record from the Garrett County Circuit Court contains multiple layers of information. The charging document is the foundation. It lists the specific Maryland statute the defendant is accused of violating, the class of felony (A through E, with Class A being the most serious), and the facts alleged. This document is filed at the start of the case and becomes part of the permanent record.

Beyond the initial charges, the record shows the full history of the case from first appearance through final disposition. You can see whether bail was set and at what amount, the dates of each hearing, what motions were filed and how the judge ruled on them, and whether the case went to trial or was resolved by a guilty plea. If the person was convicted, the sentencing record will show the prison term, any suspended portion, probation length, fines, and restitution amounts.

Financial data is also part of the record. Court costs, fines assessed, and payment history appear in the case file. Attorney information is listed, including whether the defendant had private counsel or a public defender. If the case involved multiple defendants, the record may reference co-defendant case numbers. Records that have been expunged are removed from public access and will not show in a search.

Garrett County Sheriff and District Court Records

The Garrett County Sheriff's Office holds arrest records, incident reports, and jail booking records for crimes investigated by the sheriff's department. The office is located at 287 Pleasant Valley Road, Oakland, MD 21550. The main phone number is (301) 334-1911. To request an arrest record or incident report, call the records line or visit in person. Ask for Records when you call. Fees for copies vary by document type, so confirm the cost before submitting a request.

Arrest records from the sheriff show the date of arrest, the charges filed at the time, and the booking information. They do not show the outcome of any court case. For the court result, you need the circuit court record. It is common to pull both when you want the full picture from arrest to final disposition.

The Garrett County District Court is located at 205 S. 3rd Street, Oakland, MD 21550. The phone number is (301) 334-1965. District court handles lower-level criminal matters, but in felony cases it is often where the initial appearance and bail hearing take place before the case moves to circuit court. District court records may show early filings, preliminary hearing results, and bail conditions that predate the circuit court file.

MPIA Requests in Garrett County

The Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA), codified at General Provisions Article sections 4-101 through 4-601, gives Maryland residents and others the right to request and inspect public records held by state and local government agencies. In Garrett County, this covers records from the Sheriff's Office, the State's Attorney, and other county agencies involved in criminal matters.

To submit an MPIA request, write a letter or email to the custodian of records at the agency that holds the documents you want. Identify the specific records as clearly as you can. The agency has 30 days to respond. The first two hours of staff time are free. After that, the agency can charge for staff time and copies. Copies cost $0.50 per page. For help writing a request or to find out more about your rights, visit the Maryland Attorney General's MPIA page, which has sample request letters and a FAQ section.

The Garrett County State's Attorney's Office is located at 203 S. 4th Street, Room 103, Oakland, MD 21550. The phone number is (301) 334-1960. This office handles felony prosecutions in Garrett County. While the State's Attorney's internal case files are not public records, all documents that are filed with the court and entered into the court record are accessible through the clerk's office.

Statewide Criminal History and Background Checks

The Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers court records across the state, but it only shows cases that reached the court. For a broader look at someone's criminal history, including arrests that did not result in court filings, the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) division of the Maryland State Police handles statewide background checks. CJIS is at 6776 Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, MD 21215, and can be reached at (410) 764-4501. A personal background check costs $38.00 by check made payable to the Maryland State Police.

The Maryland State Police website has more information on criminal history services, including the forms needed for various types of background check requests. The CJIS report covers all Maryland counties, including Garrett. It is more complete than a court search alone because it draws from law enforcement databases as well as court records.

The Case Search is still useful for quick, free lookups. But if you need a certified or official criminal history report, the CJIS route is the right one. Third-party background check requests may need authorization from the subject depending on the purpose.

Expungement of Felony Records in Garrett County

Maryland law allows some felony records to be removed from public view through expungement. The controlling statutes are Criminal Procedure Article sections 10-300 through 10-306. For felony convictions, the waiting period is 15 years from the end of the sentence, including all probation and parole. Not every felony is eligible. Senate Bill 432, passed in 2024 and effective October 1, 2025, expanded which felonies qualify, so it is worth checking the current statute text before assuming a record cannot be expunged.

To file for expungement in Garrett County, submit form CC-DC-CR-072 with the Circuit Court at 203 S. 4th Street, Room 201, Oakland. The court notifies the State's Attorney, who has 30 days to file an objection. If there is no objection and the judge finds the petition meets the legal requirements, the order is signed and the record is cleared from court files and law enforcement databases. Once expunged, the record will not appear in Case Search.

People who were arrested but not convicted often qualify for expungement on a shorter timeline. Non-conviction cases including acquittals, nolle prosequi, and stet dispositions may be eligible after a shorter wait or immediately in some cases. Review the current statute at the Maryland General Assembly website or consult a Maryland attorney before filing.

Nearby Maryland Counties

Garrett County's only Maryland neighbor is Allegany County to the east. The county also borders West Virginia and Pennsylvania. If a case crosses county lines or you need records from an adjacent jurisdiction, the link below goes directly to the Allegany County records page.