Find Arrest Records in Harford County

Harford County arrest records are available through the Harford County Sheriff's Office, which uses a GovQuest online portal for most records requests, and through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search for court records linked to arrests. The Sheriff's Office covers law enforcement across the county from its headquarters in Bel Air, with two precincts serving the northern and southern parts of the county. This page covers the request process, current fee schedules, key contacts, and the rules that apply to each type of record.

Harford County Sheriff's Office

The Harford County Sheriff's Office is headquartered at 45 S. Main St., Bel Air, MD 21014. The county is served by two precincts in addition to the main headquarters. The Northern Precinct can be reached at 410-692-7880. The Southern Precinct is at 410-612-1717. For emergencies, always call 911. Do not use social media to report crimes or request help. The Sheriff's Office maintains active social media accounts under the handle @harfordsheriffsoffice on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, but those channels are not monitored 24 hours a day and are not a substitute for emergency contact.

For anonymous tips about criminal activity, Harford County partners with Metro Crime Stoppers and Harford Crime Solvers. If you have information about a crime or a wanted person, those are the right channels for anonymous reporting. The Sheriff's Office strongly advises against attempting to apprehend wanted persons on your own. If you see someone who is wanted, call the appropriate law enforcement line and do not intervene directly.

Harford County GovQuest Records Portal

The Harford County Sheriff's Office uses the GovQuest platform for public records requests. The portal is available at records.govquest.com/harford-county-sheriff/publicportal. Through GovQuest you can request incident reports, CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) reports, calls-for-service data, crash reconstruction reports, photographs, body camera footage, in-car video, and other video records. You do not need an account to browse, but creating a free account lets you track your request status, communicate with records staff, and pay fees online.

For crash reports specifically, those are not handled through GovQuest. Standard crash reports are available at secure.crashdocs.org/md-harfordcounty. Crash reports are generally available 5 to 10 business days after the incident. If you try to request a standard crash report through GovQuest, staff will redirect you to that separate system, so it is faster to go there directly from the start.

Harford County Arrest Records and the Case Search

The Maryland Judiciary Case Search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us covers court records for all Maryland courts, including Harford County District and Circuit Court. The tool is free and does not require registration. You will need to complete a CAPTCHA before each search session. Since December 7, 2021, searches require an exact name. Use a percent sign (%) as a wildcard character if you want partial name results.

The case search shows criminal filings, charging documents, case dispositions, and sentencing records for adult cases. Expunged and shielded records do not appear. Juvenile cases are not accessible through this system. For most adult criminal and arrest-related court records in Harford County, the case search is the fastest and least expensive starting point before submitting a formal records request.

The screenshot below shows the Maryland Judiciary Case Search interface, which is the main free statewide tool for court records linked to Harford County arrests.

Start your search there before moving to a formal MPIA request to save time and potential fees.

Harford County PIA Fee Schedule

As of January 1, 2026, the Harford County Sheriff's Office uses the following fee schedule for records requests. Requests submitted through the GovQuest portal carry a $10 fee per item. Requests submitted through other methods, such as fax, email, or in person, carry a $15 fee per item. The higher fee for non-GovQuest submissions reflects the additional processing work involved, so using the portal directly is both faster and cheaper when GovQuest is an option.

Staff search time is free for the first two hours, as required under the Maryland Public Information Act. After two free hours, the rate is $35 per hour. Printing and mailing adds $0.25 per page. If you request records on physical media, a CD, DVD, or thumb drive adds $20 to the total. An additional processing fee applies for online payments through the portal. All fees must be paid before records are released.

Video requests follow a slightly different process. The agency will send you an estimate for approval before processing begins. You pay a deposit upfront. The balance is due after the video has been processed and is ready. If you do not pay within 30 days of being notified, the request is closed and the deposit is forfeited. Plan ahead if you are requesting body camera or in-car video footage, as processing can take time and the timeline starts only after your deposit clears.

Misconduct records carry a higher hourly rate. Because records involving officer misconduct must be searched, reviewed, and prepared by Office of Professional Standards staff, the rate runs between $64.75 and $99.07 per hour depending on the staff member involved. That is significantly higher than the standard $35/hour rate, so factor that in when planning a misconduct-related request.

How to Submit a Harford County Records Request

For most records, GovQuest is the preferred method. Go to records.govquest.com/harford-county-sheriff/publicportal, create a free account, and submit your request online. The system handles notifications and payments automatically.

Law enforcement agencies and military personnel requesting records checks must use a separate process. Those requests go by fax to 410-638-7513 or by email to records@harfordsheriff.org. A signed authorization release form is required. That process is not available through GovQuest and is not open to general public requests, so if you are not a law enforcement or military contact, use the standard GovQuest or MPIA process instead.

For in-person or mail submissions, the mailing address is: Harford County Sheriff's Office, ATTN: PIA Liaison, Michelle Hanks, P.O. Box 150, Bel Air, MD 21014. You can also call the PIA Liaison, Michelle Hanks, at 443-409-3403 or send an email to hanksm@harfordsheriff.org. The response timeline under the MPIA is notification within 10 working days and completion within 30 days. The Sheriff's Office website at harfordsheriff.org/services/pia has the full fee schedule and submission instructions.

Inmate Locator and State Resources

For persons held in Harford County's detention facilities, contact the Sheriff's Office directly. For persons transferred to state prisons, use the DPSCS Inmate Locator at dpscs.state.md.us/inmate/inmateQuery.jsp. That tool covers state correctional facilities only. It does not show county jail or pretrial detainees. If you cannot locate someone through either system, a formal records request through GovQuest or a direct call to the Sheriff's Office is the next step.

Maryland State Police handles statewide background checks and MSP-specific incident records. MSP Central Records is at 1711 Belmont Ave, Baltimore, MD 21244. Phone: (410) 653-4246. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. MSP covers only MSP records, not county sheriff or local police records. For Harford County sheriff records, GovQuest and the MPIA process described above are your channels.

• GovQuest Portal: records.govquest.com
• Harford County Sheriff: harfordsheriff.org
• PIA Page: harfordsheriff.org/services/pia
• PIA Liaison Michelle Hanks: 443-409-3403 / hanksm@harfordsheriff.org
• Northern Precinct: 410-692-7880
• Southern Precinct: 410-612-1717
• Crash Reports: crashdocs.org/md-harfordcounty
• Maryland Judiciary Case Search: casesearch.courts.state.md.us

The AG's PIA manual at oag.state.md.us/Opengov/pia.htm is a useful reference if you have questions about what you are entitled to request and what agencies can lawfully withhold.

Cities in Harford County

Bel Air South is the largest qualifying community in Harford County and has its own records page.

Nearby Maryland Counties

Harford County borders Cecil, Baltimore County, and Carroll County. Each has its own sheriff and court system for arrest records.