Caroline County Police Records

Caroline County police records are held by the Sheriff's Office in Denton, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. This small, rural county plays a significant role in the state's police records history. Anton's Law, which changed how all Maryland agencies handle police disciplinary files, was named after a young man who died during a police encounter here in 2018. You can search for Caroline County police records by contacting the sheriff's office in person, by mail, or by phone. Court cases from the county are available for free through the state's online search tool.

Caroline County Sheriff's Office Records

The Caroline County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county. Sheriff Donald L. Baker, Jr. leads the department from 9305 Double Hills Road in Denton, MD 21629. The main phone number is (410) 479-2515. The fax number is (410) 479-3956. You can email the sheriff at dbaker@carolinemd.org. Chief Deputy J. Henning can be reached at jhenning@carolinemd.org or by calling (410) 479-4120.

Caroline County is a small jurisdiction on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The sheriff's office handles most law enforcement for the county, including creating and storing police records. If you need an incident report, arrest file, or other police record from Caroline County, the sheriff's office is where you start. They do not have an online portal for records requests like some larger Maryland counties do. That means most requests go through mail, phone, or in-person visits.

The Caroline County Sheriff's Office website is shown below.

This homepage provides information about the department and its services in Caroline County.

Getting Police Records in Caroline County

To get police records from Caroline County, submit a written request to the sheriff's office. You can visit in person at 9305 Double Hills Road in Denton. You can also mail your request to the same address. Phone requests can be made at (410) 479-2515 or (410) 479-4120. There is no dedicated online form for Caroline County police records at this time, which means the process is more traditional than what you find in larger Maryland counties.

A standard police report costs $10 in Caroline County. Criminal history checks require fingerprinting and cost $18 plus the fingerprinting fee. Those criminal history checks go through the Maryland Department of Public Safety, not through the sheriff's office directly. The standard response time is 30 days under the MPIA at §4-203. For simple requests, you may get records faster, but the county has up to 30 days by law.

Caroline County is the county where Anton Black, a 19-year-old, died during a police encounter in Greensboro in September 2018. That event led directly to the passage of Anton's Law, which changed how police disciplinary records are classified across all of Maryland. Under Public Safety Article §3-101, records tied to misconduct investigations are no longer treated as sealed personnel files. Agencies in Caroline County and statewide may now release them at their discretion.

Types of Caroline County Police Records

The sheriff's office in Caroline County creates and stores several types of police records. Standard police reports cover incidents that officers respond to. Arrest records show who was taken into custody and what charges were filed. Warrant information is also available through the department. The sheriff's office maintains a most wanted list on their website as well.

Accident reports from Caroline County are available from the sheriff's office or through the Maryland State Police. Sex offender registry information for the county can be found on the Maryland Sex Offender Registry. The Caroline County government website has additional information about police services in the area.

• Police incident reports
• Arrest and booking records
• Warrant information
• Accident reports
• Sex offender registry data

Police Records Access Rights in Caroline County

The Maryland Public Information Act at §4-101 gives you the right to request police records from Caroline County without giving a reason. The county must respond within 10 working days and provide records within 30 days. Fee waivers may be available if you cannot afford the costs or if your request serves the public interest. The MPIA at §4-206 covers fee waivers and cost limits for all Maryland agencies, including those in Caroline County.

The connection between Caroline County and Anton's Law runs deep. The law was named after Anton Black, who lived in Greensboro. His death during a police encounter in 2018 pushed the Maryland legislature to pass the Police Accountability Act over the governor's veto. The law created Police Accountability Boards in every county, including Caroline. It also expanded body camera rules and reclassified misconduct records so the public could potentially access them. For a small county, Caroline's impact on police records access across Maryland has been enormous.

If you have old police records in Caroline County, expungement under Criminal Procedure Article §10-101 may be an option. Charges that were dismissed or resulted in a not guilty verdict can often be erased. Shielding under §10-306 is another tool for sealing certain misdemeanor convictions from public view.

Search Caroline County Records Online

The Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers all courts in Caroline County. You can search by name, case number, or filing date. It is free. The tool shows case details but not full document images. Juvenile and expunged records do not appear. For actual police reports from Caroline County, you need to contact the sheriff's office directly.

Criminal history checks go through the CJIS Central Repository in Baltimore for $38. That system pulls from a statewide database that includes records from the Caroline County Sheriff's Office and every other law enforcement agency in Maryland. The Maryland Sex Offender Registry is another free tool that covers Caroline County. You can search by name, zip code, or county and sign up for email alerts about changes.

Nearby Counties

Caroline County borders several other Maryland counties on the Eastern Shore. These pages cover police records in nearby areas.