Access St. Mary's County Warrants

St. Mary's County warrant records are handled by the Sheriff's Office and the courts in Leonardtown, in southern Maryland. The sheriff runs a Warrant Unit that you can reach at extension 1920. The county also has a 24/7 Commissioner's Office at the District Court, which means warrant inquiries can be made at any hour of the day or night. You can search for St. Mary's County warrant records through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search tool or by calling the Sheriff's Office. Both the Circuit Court and District Court in Leonardtown issue and maintain warrant records for the county.

St. Mary's County Sheriff Warrant Unit

The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office is based at 23150 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown. The main phone number is 301-475-8000. For records, call 301-475-4200 extension 1910. To reach the Warrant Unit directly, use extension 1920. The Warrant Unit handles the service and tracking of all active warrants in St. Mary's County, including arrest warrants, bench warrants, and fugitive warrants.

St. Mary's County calls itself home to "The First Sheriff" in the United States, a nod to the county's deep law enforcement history. That history aside, the modern warrant operation works much like any other Maryland county. Deputies from the Warrant Unit serve warrants throughout the county and coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions when a suspect crosses into Calvert or Charles County. All warrants get entered into the METERS system for statewide law enforcement access, and extraditable warrants go into NCIC for nationwide visibility.

The District Court Commissioner's Office in St. Mary's County operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Commissioners handle initial warrant approvals outside regular court hours. If a deputy needs an arrest warrant at midnight, a commissioner can review the probable cause and issue it. You can also call the commissioner's office at any time to check on the status of a warrant in St. Mary's County.

Searching St. Mary's County Warrant Records

Start with Maryland Judiciary Case Search. It is free. Pick "St. Mary's" from the county dropdown. Set the case type to Criminal. Enter the person's name using the % wildcard after the first letter of the last name for a broader search. Click through to any case results and check the Document Information section for warrant-related entries like "Warrant Issued" or "Bench Warrant Issued."

Case Search shows limited information for St. Mary's County warrant records. The online tool gives you a summary view of the case, not the full file. For complete details, you need to visit the courthouse in person or submit a records request. The Circuit Court for St. Mary's County is at 41605 Courthouse Drive in Leonardtown (301-475-4565). The District Court is at 23110 Leonard Hall Drive (301-880-2700). Both courts can provide copies of warrant records at $0.50 per page.

The St. Mary's County records search page is a third-party resource that gathers warrant search information for the county.

Warrant Types in St. Mary's County

St. Mary's County courts issue several types of warrants. Arrest warrants are the most common. Maryland Rule 4-212 sets the standard. A judge signs the warrant when probable cause exists. It must list the suspect's name and the charges. Arrest warrants in St. Mary's County stay active with no time limit until served or recalled by the court.

Bench warrants come next. These are issued under Maryland Rule 4-347 when someone fails to appear for a hearing in St. Mary's County. A bench warrant leads to arrest on sight. Search warrants follow a different set of rules. Criminal Procedure § 1-203 requires probable cause, a judge's signature, and a description of the place to be searched. Search warrants in St. Mary's County are valid for 15 days only. Other types of warrants handled in St. Mary's County include:

• Body attachments for civil court no-shows
• Fugitive warrants for suspects wanted elsewhere
• Capias warrants for unpaid court fines or restitution

Who Issues Warrants in St. Mary's County

Three types of judicial officers can issue warrants in St. Mary's County. Circuit Court judges handle felony cases and issue arrest warrants for serious crimes. District Court judges cover misdemeanor cases and bench warrants for missed hearings. District Court Commissioners are the third group. They work around the clock in St. Mary's County. When law enforcement brings probable cause to a commissioner at 3 AM, that commissioner has the authority to review the case and issue a warrant right then and there.

This 24/7 commissioner setup matters for warrant records in St. Mary's County. It means warrants can be issued at any time, not just during normal court hours. It also means warrant records are created at all hours. The commissioner's decision gets documented and enters the court system. Once the warrant is served, it becomes part of the public record in St. Mary's County. Under Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 2-607, the Circuit Court Clerk maintains records of all warrants that pass through the court.

St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office

The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office website provides contact details for the Warrant Unit and other divisions that handle warrant records in the county.

The site covers the full range of sheriff's office services in St. Mary's County, including warrant service, records requests, and general law enforcement contacts for the Leonardtown headquarters.

Getting St. Mary's County Warrant Records

To request copies of warrant records in St. Mary's County, contact the Circuit Court Clerk at 41605 Courthouse Drive in Leonardtown or the Sheriff's Office records division at 301-475-4200 extension 1910. Bring a case number if you have one. Copy fees are $0.50 per page. Certified copies add $5.00.

You can also file a formal request under the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA §§ 4-101 through 4-601). Put it in writing and include a clear description of the warrant records you need. Send it to the PIA representative at the relevant office. St. Mary's County agencies must respond within 10 business days. The first two hours of search time are usually free. After that, extra time costs $50 per hour. The Attorney General's MPIA resource page explains the full process for submitting records requests to any Maryland agency. Historical warrant records from St. Mary's County may also be on file at the Maryland State Archives.

Nearby Counties

St. Mary's County sits in southern Maryland next to two other counties. Warrant records from these neighbors can be searched through Case Search: