Find Felony Records in Harford County

Harford County felony records are filed with the Circuit Court in Bel Air and can be searched online at no cost through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search. This page explains how to look up, request, and understand felony records from Harford County courts and law enforcement agencies, with current addresses, phone numbers, and fees for each office.

Harford County Circuit Court

All felony cases in Harford County are heard at the Circuit Court in Bel Air. This court holds the official record for every felony charge filed in the county, from the initial indictment through sentencing and any appeals. The address is 20 W. Courtland Street, Bel Air, MD 21014. The main phone number for the clerk's office is (410) 838-6000. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

To get copies of records in person, visit the clerk's office with the defendant's name and, if possible, the case number. Clerks can pull records from the file room, though very old records may take longer to retrieve. Copy fees are $0.50 per page for plain copies. Certified copies cost $5.00 plus the per-page fee. Bring a check or cash. Credit cards are not accepted at the clerk's counter for copy requests.

Mail requests work too. Write a letter with the name, any case numbers you have, the type of documents needed, and a check for estimated copy costs. The court will contact you if the amount changes. Turnaround for mail requests is typically two to four weeks, though it can be longer when the court is busy. The clerk can also confirm receipt of a mailed request by phone.

Search Harford County Felony Records Online

The quickest way to find Harford County felony records is through the free Maryland Judiciary Case Search. No registration is needed. The system was updated on February 5, 2024, with a new interface that loads faster and returns results more clearly than the old version. It covers all Maryland circuit and district courts, including every felony case filed in Harford County.

Search by entering a name, case number, or filing date range. A name search returns a list of matching cases sorted by date. Click any case to see the full detail page, which shows the charges, each court event (hearing date and result), the judge, the attorneys, and the final disposition. For felony cases, the disposition line tells you the outcome: guilty, not guilty, nolle prosequi, stet, or probation before judgment. Sentencing details appear if the person was convicted.

For partial name searches or to handle spelling variations, use the percent sign (%) as a wildcard character. Enter "Jon%s" to catch Jones, Jonas, and similar names. The system caps results at 500 per search. If you hit the cap, add a year filter to split results. Harford County circuit court felony case numbers begin with "C-12-CR."

What Harford County Felony Records Include

A felony record from the Harford County Circuit Court is a detailed document file covering the life of the case from first filing to close. The charging document shows the specific statute, the class of felony, and the facts as alleged by the State's Attorney. Maryland felonies range from Class A (most serious, such as first-degree murder) down to Class E (less severe but still serious crimes).

The record also contains the hearing history. Every court event gets its own entry: arraignment, bail review, motions hearings, the trial or plea, and sentencing. Each entry notes the date, what happened, and the judge's ruling. If the case went to trial, there will be a verdict recorded with the date. If it was resolved by plea, the record shows the charges the defendant pleaded to and the terms agreed upon.

Sentencing records include the prison term (with any suspended portion), probation conditions, fines, court costs, and any restitution ordered for victims. Attorney information is part of the record. Financial transactions such as payments made toward fines and fees are listed. Documents sealed by court order do not appear in public access. Victim personal information is redacted under Maryland Rule 16-907.

Harford County Sheriff and District Court Records

The Harford County Sheriff's Office handles arrest records, incident reports, and jail booking records for crimes investigated by the sheriff's department. The office is at 45 S. Main Street, Bel Air, MD 21014. The main number is (410) 838-6600. To ask about records, call the main line and ask for the Records Division. Arrest records show the date, charges, and booking data but do not reflect case outcomes. You need the circuit court record for that.

The Harford County District Court is located at 2 S. Bond Street, Bel Air, MD 21014. The phone number is (410) 836-4500. District court in Maryland handles misdemeanors and preliminary proceedings in felony cases. When a felony is first charged, the defendant appears in district court for bail review before the case moves to the circuit court. District court records for those early proceedings are also searchable in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search under the district court filter.

MPIA Record Requests in Harford County

The Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA), found at General Provisions Article sections 4-101 through 4-601, gives the public the right to request records held by government agencies. In Harford County, this includes records from the Sheriff's Office, the State's Attorney, and other county offices involved in criminal cases. The 30-day response rule applies, and the first two hours of staff time are free. Copies cost $0.50 per page.

Write a letter or email to the custodian of records at the relevant agency. Describe the records you want as precisely as you can. Include your contact information so the agency can follow up if needed. For help drafting a request or learning more about what MPIA covers and what it does not, see the Maryland Attorney General's MPIA page. The office also runs a Public Access Ombudsman program for disputes.

The Harford County State's Attorney is at 20 W. Courtland Street, Bel Air, MD 21014, phone (410) 836-4850. This office prosecutes felony cases in Harford County. Internal prosecution files are not public, but once documents are filed with the court they become part of the court record accessible through the clerk's office.

Felony Record Laws in Maryland

Maryland court records are governed by Maryland Rule 16-901 through Rule 16-912, which define what is public, what is shielded, and how courts must manage access to case information. Under these rules, most circuit court felony records are presumed open. Exceptions include juvenile records, records sealed by specific court order, and certain victim information protected under Rule 16-907.

Criminal Procedure Article section 10-101 provides the definitions used in Maryland criminal records law, including what counts as a criminal record and who is considered a custodian. Section 10-109 gives individuals the right to challenge inaccurate information in their criminal history records. If a record contains an error, you can contact CJIS at 6776 Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, to start a challenge.

The full text of Maryland statutes is available at the Maryland General Assembly website. This is the best place to review current statute language, since the legislature updates codes regularly. For background check provider rules, see Commercial Law Article section 24-4-18, which sets requirements for companies that compile and sell Maryland criminal records data.

Expungement of Harford County Felony Records

Maryland's expungement law is at Criminal Procedure Article sections 10-300 through 10-306. Expungement removes a record from public access and notifies all government agencies holding the record to destroy or seal their copies. For felony convictions in Harford County, the standard waiting period is 15 years from the end of the sentence, counting all probation and parole time. You must also meet other eligibility criteria under current law.

Senate Bill 432, signed in 2024 and effective October 1, 2025, expanded which felonies are eligible for expungement. If a felony was not previously expungeable, it may be now. Check the current statute text before concluding a record cannot be cleared. The petition form is CC-DC-CR-072, available from the circuit court clerk or online through the Maryland Judiciary.

File the completed form at the Harford County Circuit Court, 20 W. Courtland Street, Bel Air. The State's Attorney will be served and has 30 days to object. If there is no objection and the judge approves the petition, the expungement order goes out to all relevant agencies. For non-conviction cases such as acquittals, nolle prosequi, or stet dispositions, the waiting period may be shorter or the petition may be filed immediately. Contact the clerk at (410) 838-6000 with questions about eligibility.

Nearby Maryland Counties

Harford County borders Cecil County to the northeast and Baltimore County to the south and west. If you need felony records from a neighboring county, the links below go to those pages.

Qualifying Cities in Harford County

Bel Air South is the one community in Harford County with a population above the qualifying threshold. Its residents use the Harford County Circuit Court in Bel Air for all felony filings.