Kent County Felony Records
Kent County felony records are kept by the Circuit Court in Chestertown and are available to the public at no cost through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search. This page explains how to search and request felony records from Kent County courts and law enforcement, with accurate contact details, fees, and procedures for each office involved in criminal case records.
Kent County Overview
Kent County Circuit Court
The Circuit Court for Kent County handles all felony cases filed in the county. Felony charges in Maryland are tried at the circuit court level, so every indictment, plea, verdict, and sentencing document for Kent County felonies will be in the court's file system. The court is located at 103 N. Cross Street, Chestertown, MD 21620. The clerk's office number is (410) 778-4600. Office hours run 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. A case number helps but is not required. The clerk will search the database and pull the file. Standard copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 plus the per-page fee. Cash or check payable to the Circuit Court for Kent County is accepted. For large or older files, calling ahead before your visit is a good idea.
Mail requests are accepted. Write a letter that clearly identifies the case by defendant name, approximate year of filing, and what documents you need. Include a check for estimated copy costs. If the amount differs from what you sent, the court will follow up by phone or mail. Allow two to four weeks for mail requests. Kent County is a smaller court, so in-person visits often yield same-day copies for straightforward requests.
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal is the best first step for finding Kent County felony case records before contacting the clerk's office in Chestertown.
The portal returns case details including charges, hearing dates, and dispositions for all Kent County felony cases in the electronic system.
Search Kent County Felony Records Online
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search is free and open to anyone with internet access. No account or login is needed. The system covers all Maryland courts, including Kent County's circuit and district courts. It was updated on February 5, 2024, with a redesigned interface that is faster and cleaner than earlier versions.
Name searches are the most straightforward way to start. Enter the last name and first name. The system returns a list of matching cases. Each shows the case number, type, filing date, and current status. Clicking a case opens the full record, where you can read each charge, track the hearing history event by event, see who the attorneys were, and find the final disposition. Felony cases show whether the outcome was guilty, not guilty, nolle prosequi, stet, or probation before judgment. Sentence details appear if the case ended in conviction.
For common names or uncertain spellings, use the percent sign (%) as a wildcard. Searching "Wh%te" catches White, Whyte, Whitee, and other variants. If results exceed the 500-case cap, add a date filter to narrow the search. Kent County circuit court felony cases use the prefix "C-14-CR" in the case number. If you already know the case number, enter it directly in the case number field for an instant result.
Note: Kent County felony cases filed before the court went to electronic records may not appear in Case Search. For older records, contact the clerk's office at (410) 778-4600 and request a manual search of paper files.
What Kent County Felony Records Include
A felony record from the Kent County Circuit Court gives you a detailed view of the case from beginning to end. The charging document lists the specific Maryland statute violated, the class of felony charged, and the factual summary supporting the charge. Maryland's felony classes run from Class A (the most serious, carrying up to life in prison) through Class E, with defined sentencing ranges for each class.
The hearing history is a chronological log of every event in the case. Each entry shows the event type, the date it occurred, and what happened. Common entries include the arraignment, bail review, preliminary hearings, motions hearings, the trial or plea, sentencing, and any appeals or post-conviction motions. Judges' rulings on motions appear in the event log. If a charge was dropped as part of a plea, that appears in the record too.
For convictions, the sentencing record details the prison term, any suspended portion, the length and conditions of any probation, fines, court costs, and restitution. Attorney information, including the name of any public defender, is part of the public record. Financial entries show payment activity on fines and fees. Documents filed under seal by court order do not appear in public access. Victim personal information is protected under Maryland Rule 16-907.
Kent County Sheriff and District Court Records
The Kent County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for the county. The office is at 104 Vickers Drive, Chestertown, MD 21620. The phone number is (410) 778-2279. To request an arrest record or incident report, call the main line and ask for Records. The sheriff investigates most crimes in Kent County, so arrest and incident records from the county will typically come from this office. Fees for copies vary by document type.
Arrest records show who was arrested, the date, the charges at the time of arrest, and booking information. They do not show how the case turned out in court. That information lives in the circuit court record. For a complete picture, use both the sheriff's arrest record and the circuit court file together.
The Kent County District Court is at 125 Armstrong Street, Chestertown, MD 21620. The phone number is (410) 778-4600. District court shares a phone line with the circuit court in Chestertown. District court handles initial felony appearances and bail hearings before cases move to circuit court, as well as misdemeanor trials. District court records for those early proceedings are searchable in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search under the district court filter.
The Kent County government website provides contact information for county departments including the Sheriff, State's Attorney, and other offices involved in criminal case records.
The site is a useful directory when you need a current phone number or department email for a specific records request.
MPIA Record Requests in Kent County
The Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) is at General Provisions Article sections 4-101 through 4-601. It gives the public the right to request and inspect records held by state and local government agencies. In Kent County, this applies to records from the Sheriff's Office, the State's Attorney, and other county agencies. MPIA requests are the right tool when you need records that are not available through the court case search or the clerk's counter.
To file an MPIA request, write a letter or email addressed to the custodian of records at the specific agency. Describe the records you want as clearly as you can, including dates, names, and document types. The agency has 30 days to respond. The first two hours of staff time are free. After that, time charges may apply. Copies cost $0.50 per page. The Maryland Attorney General's MPIA page has templates, a FAQ, and information on what to do if your request is denied or delayed.
The Kent County State's Attorney's Office is at 103 N. Cross Street, Chestertown, MD 21620. The phone number is (410) 778-1595. This office handles all felony prosecutions in the county. Internal files held by the State's Attorney are generally not subject to MPIA, but any documents filed with the court become part of the public record and are available through the clerk's office.
Felony Record Laws and Background Checks
Maryland Rules 16-901 through 16-912 define the rules for public access to court records. Under these rules, most circuit court records, including Kent County felony cases, are presumed to be open to the public. The exceptions are narrow: juvenile records, records sealed by court order, and victim personal information under Rule 16-907. If a record is withheld, the court must state the reason.
Criminal Procedure Article section 10-101 defines criminal records under Maryland law. Section 10-109 gives individuals the right to dispute inaccurate entries in their official criminal history. If a Kent County felony record contains wrong information, contact the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) at 6776 Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, MD 21215, phone (410) 764-4501. A personal background check through CJIS costs $38.00 and covers the full Maryland criminal history, including all counties.
The Maryland State Police website has additional information on criminal history services. The CJIS report is more complete than a Case Search lookup because it draws from law enforcement databases as well as court records. The full Maryland code is at the Maryland General Assembly website.
Note: A Case Search result showing a felony case does not mean the person was convicted. Always read the disposition line to determine the actual outcome. A nolle prosequi or not guilty disposition means the person was not convicted on that charge.
Expungement in Kent County
Maryland's expungement statute is at Criminal Procedure Article sections 10-300 through 10-306. Expungement removes the record from public access and requires all agencies with copies to destroy or seal them. For a felony conviction in Kent County, the waiting period is 15 years from the end of the full sentence, including probation and parole. Eligibility also depends on the specific charge and whether any new charges have been filed since.
Senate Bill 432, passed in 2024 and effective October 1, 2025, expanded which felony convictions can be expunged. If a conviction was not eligible under earlier law, it may now qualify. Review the current statute at the Maryland General Assembly website before assuming a record is not expungeable. The petition form is CC-DC-CR-072, available from the Kent County Circuit Court clerk or from the Maryland Judiciary.
File the petition at the Kent County Circuit Court, 103 N. Cross Street, Chestertown. The clerk will serve the State's Attorney, who has 30 days to object. If there is no objection and the judge approves, the order goes out to all relevant agencies. For non-conviction cases, including charges ending in acquittal, nolle prosequi, or stet, the wait may be shorter or no waiting period may apply. Contact the clerk at (410) 778-4600 with questions about the process.
Nearby Maryland Counties
Kent County borders Queen Anne's County to the south and Cecil County to the north. If you need records from a neighboring jurisdiction or a case crosses county lines, the links below go directly to those county pages.