Find Prince George's County Police Records
Prince George's County police records are managed by the county police department at its Palmer Park headquarters. The department serves one of Maryland's most populated counties with a full records division that handles incident reports, crash files, and arrest logs. You can get police records from Prince George's County by mail, in person, or through online tools like BuyCrash for accident reports. Under the Maryland Public Information Act, anyone has the right to request these records. The process is simple once you know where to go and what to ask for in Prince George's County.
Prince George's County Police Records Overview
Prince George's County Police Records Search
The Prince George's County Police Department runs its main office at 7600 Barlowe Road in Palmer Park, MD 20785. Chief Malik Aziz leads the department. The general phone line is (301) 772-4425, and the records section can be reached at (301) 772-4911. This is the first place to call when you need police records from Prince George's County.
The records division handles all types of police files. Incident reports, arrest records, crash reports, and CAD data are all stored here. Body camera footage and 911 recordings are also available, though these take more time to process. Each report from Prince George's County costs $10. If you need photos tied to a case, those come on a CD for $20. The fees are set by the department and apply to all requests.
For accident reports in Prince George's County, the BuyCrash platform is one of the fastest ways to get what you need. It lets you search for and buy crash reports from law enforcement agencies across Maryland. You can also call the automated phone line at (301) 772-4425 and press option 1 to check on accident reports.
BuyCrash pulls reports directly from law enforcement systems. You search by case number, name, or date of the crash. The site handles payment and delivery online. It is a third-party tool, but the reports come from the same files the police department holds. Prince George's County residents use this service often for insurance claims and legal needs.
Requesting Police Records in Prince George's County
The Maryland Public Information Act at §4-101 gives you the legal right to ask for police records from any government agency in the state. Prince George's County follows the same rules. You file a written request, and the department must respond within 10 working days. Full delivery of records is due within 30 days under the MPIA. You do not have to explain why you want the records.
You can submit your request in a few ways. The Records Management Division accepts walk-in requests at the Palmer Park office. Mail works too. Send your written request to the Prince George's County Police Department, Records Management Division, 7600 Barlowe Road, Palmer Park, MD 20785. Include as much detail as you can. Dates, names, and case numbers help the staff pull the right files. A vague request may slow things down or lead to extra search fees after the first two free hours of staff time.
For public information requests that go beyond standard police reports, the county has a separate PIA request page through its law office. This covers broader government records, not just police files. Use it when you need records from other Prince George's County departments or when your request involves multiple agencies.
Note: Copies of police records in Prince George's County cost $0.25 per page for standard documents beyond the flat report fee.
Court Records and Police Cases
Police records and court records overlap in Prince George's County but come from different offices. When a police case leads to criminal charges, the court takes over. The Maryland Judiciary Case Search is a free tool that lets you look up criminal, civil, and traffic cases from Prince George's County courts. It covers both the Circuit Court and the District Court. Search by name, case number, or filing date to find what you need.
The case search tool shows case status, charges, hearing dates, and outcomes. It does not show the full police report. For that, you still need to contact the police department directly. Think of it this way: the police report tells you what happened at the scene, and the court record tells you what happened in the courtroom. Both are public records in most cases, but you get them from different places in Prince George's County.
Police Accountability Records
Anton's Law changed how Prince George's County handles police disciplinary records. Since October 2021, records tied to misconduct investigations are no longer treated as sealed personnel files under Public Safety Article §3-101. Agencies in Maryland may now choose to release these records. Prince George's County set up a Police Accountability Board as part of this reform. The board reviews complaints and recommends action on misconduct cases.
Body camera footage rules also tightened under this law. Officers in Prince George's County must follow strict policies on when cameras run and how footage is stored. If you want body camera video from a specific incident, you can file a request through the records division. The county will review it under the MPIA and let you know the cost and timeline.
Expungement of Police Records
If you have a police record in Prince George's County that you want removed, Maryland law offers two paths. Expungement under Criminal Procedure Article §10-101 wipes the record clean. It applies to cases where charges were dropped, you were found not guilty, or you finished a diversion program. Once expunged, the record is gone from public searches.
Shielding under §10-306 is a second option. It seals certain older misdemeanor convictions from public view but does not erase them. Law enforcement in Prince George's County can still access shielded records. Both options have waiting periods and eligibility rules that depend on your specific case.
State Resources for Prince George's County
Beyond the local police department, Prince George's County residents can tap into several state tools. The Maryland Sex Offender Registry lets you search for registered offenders by name, zip code, or county. The Maryland State Police Central Records Division in Baltimore handles crash reports from state troopers at $4 each. And the CJIS Central Repository runs fingerprint-based criminal history checks for $38.
These state tools fill in gaps that local police records may not cover. If a state trooper responded to a crash on a highway in Prince George's County, the report sits with state police, not the county department. Knowing which agency holds the record saves time.
Cities in Prince George's County
Prince George's County includes several large communities. Police records for these areas are handled by the county police department. Click a city below for more detail on local access.
Other areas like Upper Marlboro and Hyattsville fall within Prince George's County but do not have separate city pages on this site. The county police department handles records for all of these locations.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Prince George's and also maintain their own police records.