Maryland Criminal Record Search

Prepare a Maryland request

• Identify the purpose: Personal review and regulated employment/licensing are not the same request.
• Get the required authorization: Use the requesting agency information when the official process calls for it.
• Use the CJIS fingerprint route: Select an authorized provider from the DPSCS Fingerprint Services page, bring government-issued photo ID and the Livescan pre-registration application. Employment/licensing requests need the agency name and authorization number; a government recipient may also require a Z-ORI.
• Keep the response with its scope: Do not turn a Maryland result into an all-jurisdiction claim.

For a state-only check, DPSCS lists $18 for mail-in processing and $38 for in-person processing, with the $20 CJIS fingerprint service fee included in the in-person figure. A private provider may charge its own additional service fee. For checks including a federal component, DPSCS announces an October 1, 2026 change from $12 to $15 and says to add $3 to its existing schedule; confirm your category’s current total with CJIS or the provider rather than adding the service fee twice.

The official payment instructions conflict: the fingerprint page’s preparation instructions reject checks and money orders at the Central Repository, while its fee text and the FAQ allow checks at a CJIS storefront, and the FAQ’s individual-review answer mentions a money order. Card payment is consistently listed for in-person service. Before mailing a request or relying on a check, confirm the accepted method and total for your location and request with CJIS at 410-764-4501 or 888-795-0011.