Find Felony Records in Queen Anne's County
Queen Anne's County felony records are handled by the Circuit Court in Centreville, a smaller court that maintains a complete record of all felony charges, verdicts, and sentencing orders filed in this Eastern Shore county. Because the court serves a rural population of around 51,000 residents, case volumes are lower than in urban Maryland counties, but the same statewide access rules apply. Records are available through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal online and in person at the Centreville courthouse, and this guide explains how to find what you need, request specific documents, and understand your rights under Maryland law.
Queen Anne's County Overview
Queen Anne's County Circuit Court
The Queen Anne's County Circuit Court is located at 100 Court House Square, Centreville, MD 21617. The clerk's office phone number is (410) 758-1773, and the office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All felony cases from the county, including violent crimes, drug offenses, and property crimes above District Court jurisdiction, are filed here. The Circuit Court also handles appeals from the District Court for cases that begin as misdemeanors but escalate or are appealed to the higher court.
To request records in person, go to the clerk's office and provide either the full case number or the defendant's name and approximate date of birth. Staff can locate docket sheets, charging documents, verdict forms, sentencing orders, and other case materials. Copies run $0.50 per page. If you need a certified copy, the fee is $5.00 per document. The courthouse is a small facility, so calling ahead at (410) 758-1773 before a visit is helpful if you are requesting records from older or archived cases.
You can also submit a written request by mail to 100 Court House Square, Centreville, MD 21617, and include a check payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Be as specific as possible with case numbers or names to avoid delays. The clerk will notify you of the total copy cost before processing a large request.
Note: The Circuit Court in Centreville is a single-courtroom facility. During active trial weeks, the clerk's office may have limited availability for walk-in records requests. Calling ahead is recommended.
Online Case Search for Queen Anne's County
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal at casesearch.courts.state.md.us is the best way to search Queen Anne's County felony records without making a trip to Centreville. The system was updated with a new interface on February 5, 2024. It lets you search by name, case number, filing attorney, or business name. Queen Anne's County Circuit Court cases carry the prefix "CT" in the case number field. District Court cases from the county use "6D."
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal provides free online access to Queen Anne's County criminal records, including felony charges and case outcomes filed in the Centreville Circuit Court.
Search results show the charge description, filing date, current case status, hearing dates, and the final disposition if the case is closed. The system returns up to 500 results per search, which is more than enough for this county given its smaller docket. For cases filed in the MDEC electronic filing system, some documents may be viewable directly online. Older paper-filed cases require a clerk request to obtain document copies.
The District Court for Queen Anne's County is located at 120 Broadway, Centreville, MD 21617, same phone number (410) 758-1773. District Court handles misdemeanors and some lower-level crimes, but felony preliminary hearings often start there before transfer to Circuit Court. Searching both courts in Case Search will give you the most complete picture of a person's local criminal history.
Note: Not all case documents are available through Case Search. Charging sheets, plea agreements, and sentencing orders typically require a clerk request even for MDEC-filed cases.
What Queen Anne's County Felony Records Show
A felony case record from Queen Anne's County Circuit Court typically contains several layers of documentation. The charging document, either an indictment from a grand jury or an information filed by the State's Attorney, sets out the specific charges and the statutory code sections. The docket sheet tracks every event in the case, from the initial appearance and bail hearing through pretrial motions, trial, and sentencing.
Records also include bail and bond conditions, any motions filed by defense or prosecution and the court's rulings, plea agreements, trial transcripts if a trial was held, verdict forms, and the sentencing order detailing the specific penalties imposed. If the defendant appealed, the appellate record and court of special appeals decision are also public. Probation conditions and any orders to pay restitution appear in the sentencing documentation.
Some records are not public. Juvenile records are sealed under Maryland law. Records that have been expunged no longer appear in Case Search or in clerk responses. Any record sealed by court order is withheld. Mental health evaluations conducted for competency or sentencing purposes are generally restricted. The clerk can confirm whether a specific document in a given case is available for public inspection before you make a formal copy request.
The Queen Anne's County government website at qac.org provides information about county services and offices, including links to the Sheriff's Office and other agencies that generate or hold criminal justice records.
Sheriff Records in Queen Anne's County
The Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of the county. The office is located at 505 Railroad Avenue, Centreville, MD 21617, and can be reached at (410) 758-0770. The Sheriff's Office maintains arrest records, incident reports, and booking records. These are separate from court records and are held by the law enforcement agency rather than the court clerk.
To get a copy of an arrest report or incident report from the Sheriff's Office, submit a written Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request to the office. Include as much identifying information as you can: the date of the arrest or incident, the name of the person involved, and the incident or case number if known. The office has 30 days to respond to a written request. Some materials may be withheld if the case is still under active investigation or if release would endanger a witness.
The Queen Anne's County State's Attorney's Office handles all felony prosecutions. Their office is at 100 Court House Square, Centreville, MD 21617, phone (410) 758-1640. The SAO does not release case files or prosecutorial records directly to the public, but many of the documents they file in court become part of the public court record accessible through the clerk's office.
Note: Arrest records from the Sheriff's Office and court records from the Circuit Court are separate documents held by separate agencies. An arrest record shows the initial charge and booking information. A court record shows what happened after the case was filed in court.
MPIA Access Rights in Queen Anne's County
Maryland's Public Information Act, administered through the Maryland Attorney General's office, gives any person the right to inspect and copy most government records. The law covers criminal history records held by law enforcement agencies, administrative court records, and records held by county offices. You do not need a lawyer or a specific reason to make a request.
Requests must be in writing. You can deliver them in person or by mail. The agency must acknowledge your request within 10 days and provide the records, a denial with explanation, or an extension within 30 days. The first two hours of staff time to locate records are free. After that, agencies can charge for staff time at a reasonable rate. Copies cost $0.50 per page at most Maryland agencies. If your request is denied, the agency must give you a written reason citing a specific statutory exemption.
If you believe a denial was improper, you can appeal to the Maryland Public Access Counselor in the Attorney General's Office. The PAC reviews denials and issues advisory opinions at no cost to the requester. In practice, most routine requests for Queen Anne's County felony records, such as arrest reports and clerk-held court documents, are granted without dispute.
Maryland's District Court system, which handles preliminary felony hearings and lower-level offenses in Queen Anne's County, maintains separate records that can also be accessed through the statewide Case Search portal.
Maryland Felony Record Laws
Criminal Procedure § 10-101 defines what constitutes a criminal record in Maryland, including arrest descriptions, indictments, charges, and case outcomes. Section 10-109 requires all criminal justice agencies, including the Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office and State's Attorney, to report criminal history data to CJIS in Baltimore.
CJIS, located at 6776 Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, MD 21215, phone (410) 764-4501, holds the most complete version of a person's statewide criminal history. A personal record check costs $38. CJIS records pull from all courts and agencies across Maryland, while Case Search reflects only court-level data. If you need the fullest possible picture of someone's felony history in Maryland, a CJIS check is more thorough than a Case Search alone.
Maryland Rules 16-901 through 16-912 govern public access to all Maryland court records. The rules require courts to make case records available for public inspection unless a specific exception applies. Exceptions include juvenile records, sealed records, and records containing sensitive personal identifiers that have been redacted under Rule 16-906. These rules apply uniformly to all circuit courts including Queen Anne's.
Expungement in Queen Anne's County
Maryland allows expungement of felony records in certain situations. If a felony charge was dismissed, acquitted, or entered as a nolle prosequi (not prosecuted), you can often file for expungement relatively quickly, sometimes within 3 years or immediately depending on the outcome. If you were convicted of a qualifying felony, the wait is 15 years from the end of your sentence including any probation or supervised release.
Not all felonies qualify. Crimes like murder, first-degree assault, rape, and certain sexual offenses are permanently ineligible under Criminal Procedure §§ 10-300 through 10-306. Senate Bill 432, effective October 1, 2025, expanded the list of qualifying convictions. If you were denied before, it may be worth checking your eligibility again under the new law.
To file in Queen Anne's County, get form CC-DC-CR-072 from the Circuit Court clerk at 100 Court House Square or from the Maryland Judiciary website. Complete the form and file it with the clerk along with a petition explaining why you qualify. The State's Attorney's Office at (410) 758-1640 will be notified and has the right to object within 30 days. If no objection is filed, the court will typically grant the petition without a hearing. Once expunged, the record is removed from public Case Search results and from most law enforcement databases.
Nearby Maryland Counties
Queen Anne's County is bordered by Kent County to the north and Caroline County to the south. Both have Circuit Courts with felony records accessible through the same Case Search system.