Find Arrest Records in Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County arrest records are available through the county police department, the Maryland Judiciary Case Search, and formal public information requests. This guide explains how to search those records, what to expect from each source, and what rights you have under Maryland law when requesting documents from the agencies that hold them.
Anne Arundel County Overview
Anne Arundel County Police Central Records
The Anne Arundel County Police Department (AACPD) is the main agency for county police records. Its Central Records Division handles requests for incident reports, arrest documents, and related law enforcement files. The division is located at 8495 Veterans Highway, Millersville, MD 21108. You can reach them by phone at (410) 222-8750 during normal business hours. If you visit in person, tablets are available on-site so you can submit a Public Information Request without needing to bring printed forms. That makes a walk-in visit fairly straightforward if you already know the case details you need.
You can also submit a request online or by mail. The department's online Public Information Request form is the most common method for people who don't live nearby. Whichever way you submit, the department will send an estimate of any fees before they process your request. They won't release records until the invoice is paid. Keep that timeline in mind if you need documents quickly.
The Anne Arundel County Police Central Records page has the request form and full instructions. The page below shows what the records portal looks like when you visit it.
The portal lists request options, explains what information to include, and links to fee-related guidance so you can plan before you submit.
If you don't have a case number, the department may still be able to locate a record. You'll need to give as much detail as possible: the date of the incident, the specific address or location where it happened, the type of incident, and the names of any people involved. The more precise you are, the better your chances of getting a match. The department can't guarantee they'll find anything without enough identifying information, but a thorough description often helps.
Maryland Judiciary Case Search for Anne Arundel Cases
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search is a free statewide tool that covers all Maryland courts, including those in Anne Arundel County. It shows criminal case filings, charges, case status, and scheduled hearing dates. The system is useful for finding whether a person has any open or closed court cases connected to an arrest, but it is not a substitute for official records. The site displays what's in the court system, not what's in police department files.
Since December 7, 2021, the search requires an exact name match. If you're unsure of the spelling, use a percent sign (%) as a wildcard at the end of the name. For example, typing "Smith%" will return results for Smith, Smithson, Smithfield, and similar. You can't place the wildcard at the beginning or in the middle of the name. A CAPTCHA is required to complete each search. The database does not display expunged or shielded records, so a clean result doesn't mean no arrests exist.
State Prison Records: DPSCS Inmate Locator
For people currently held in a Maryland state correctional facility, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) runs an online Inmate Locator. You can search by name and see the current facility, the committing county, sentence details, and parole or release dates. This covers state prison inmates only. It does not include people held in the Anne Arundel County Detention Center or any other county jail. It also does not include pretrial detainees awaiting trial at the local level. If someone was arrested in Anne Arundel County and sentenced to state prison, the DPSCS locator is the right place to check their current status.
Requesting Records Under the Maryland Public Information Act
Maryland's Public Information Act (PIA), found in General Provisions Title 4, gives people the right to request government records including police reports and arrest documents. When you submit a PIA request to the AACPD or another county agency, they have 10 working days to respond. That response doesn't have to include the records themselves. It can be a notice that they need more time, a denial, or a request for clarification. If they deny your request, they must explain which legal provision justifies the denial and how you can appeal.
The first two hours of staff search time are free. Beyond that, fees are set by the COMAR 29.01.02.13 fee schedule. If you are the person the record is about, you have broader rights than a third party. A person in interest can access certain records that might otherwise be withheld, including some that relate directly to their own case. That broader access doesn't override every exemption, but it does apply in many situations. The Maryland Attorney General's PIA Manual at oag.state.md.us/Opengov/pia.htm is a useful guide if you want to understand the full scope of your rights before submitting a request.
What Anne Arundel Arrest Records Contain
Arrest records and court records are not the same thing, and people often confuse them. An arrest record created by the AACPD typically documents the date and time of an arrest, the name and identifying details of the person arrested, the charges at the time of booking, and the arresting officer's information. It may include notes from the incident report. A court record, on the other hand, documents what happened after the arrest: the charges filed by the state's attorney, any plea, the court's findings, and the outcome of the case. Both types are often relevant when researching an individual's history, but they come from different agencies and you may need to request them separately.
Police records from the AACPD are requested through Central Records. Court records are accessed through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search or by contacting the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County in Annapolis. The two systems don't always align perfectly. An arrest may not lead to charges, charges may be dropped, and the court record won't necessarily reflect an arrest that never went to trial.
The AACPD records page describes the process and outlines what types of reports are available to the public.
Expunged and Shielded Records in Anne Arundel County
Maryland law allows people to petition for expungement of certain arrests and charges that didn't result in conviction, as well as some convictions under specific conditions. Once a record is expunged, it is removed from public view. The Maryland Judiciary Case Search will not show it. Police departments are also required to remove expunged records from their files. If you search and find nothing, it's possible the record exists but has been expunged or shielded from public access.
Shielding is a related process in Maryland that limits access to certain non-violent convictions after a waiting period. Shielded records are not visible to the general public but can be accessed by law enforcement and some other authorized parties. Neither expungement nor shielding eliminates a record entirely from all government systems. They restrict public access, which is different from deletion.
The Maryland State Police PIA request page provides guidance for those seeking MSP-held records, shown below.
MSP handles its own records only and does not have files from local agencies like the AACPD, so use this resource when your inquiry relates specifically to state police involvement.
The Maryland State Police Central Records office is at 1711 Belmont Ave, Baltimore, MD 21244. Their phone number is (410) 653-4246 and they are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They handle requests for MSP records only, not records from the county police department or other local agencies.
Cities in Anne Arundel County
Two major communities in Anne Arundel County have their own arrest records pages with local-specific information.
Other communities in Anne Arundel County, including Crofton, Odenton, and Pasadena, do not have separate pages but are served by the same AACPD Central Records Division listed above.
Nearby Maryland Counties
Anne Arundel County borders several other Maryland counties, each with its own law enforcement and records processes.