Crime Numbers
The Maryland Department of State Police publishes annual crime reports for all the counties in the state. Its latest reports are for 2017. In that year, Frederick County recorded 5 murders, 47 rapes, 123 robberies, and 517 aggravated assaults. Recorded incidences of property crimes include 742 burglaries, 2,412 larcenies, and 104 motor vehicle thefts.
The five-year crime trend for Frederick County reveals that the murder rate remains the same in 2013 and 2017. However, reported cases of rape grew by 161.1%, a significant increment partly due to change in the definition of the crime. In the same period, the county recorded fewer robberies (12.8%), larceny-thefts (25.4%), motor vehicle thefts (30.7%), and arsons (42.9%).
Criminal Records
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office provides fingerprinting services for criminal background checks. It offers this service from Tuesday to Thursday, between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. A government-issued identification card must be presented at the Sheriff’s Office to initiate the check request. To request a background check in person, visit:
Frederick County Law Enforcement Center
110 Airport Drive East
Frederick, MD 21701
The Sheriff’s Office charges $20 for each fingerprinting. The fee for the state background check is $18, while a full background check for state and FBI costs $31.25. Individuals requesting fingerprinting and background checks can pay these fees with checks, money orders, and credit/debit cards. If paying by check or money order, make it payable to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office also provides incident and accident reports for events processed by its officers. To obtain, these reports, call the Sheriff’s Office at (301) 600-3929.
The Record Section of The Frederick Police Department also provides incident and accident reports to members of the public. It charges a $5 fee for each police report. Money order, cash, and check are accepted for payment. When paying with a check or money order, make it out to The City of Frederick. The Police Department accepts requests for police reports online and by mail.
To request incident reports online, visit the Frederick Police Department website and follow the instructions. Quick access to accident reports is also available online. To access the accident reports click Quick Access to Crash Reports and complete the order form.
To submit a request by mail, download and complete the incident request form from the Form Center on the Frederick Police Department website. Mail the completed request form and payment to the address below:
Record Section
The Frederick Police Department
100 West Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21701
The Sheriff’s Office provides a handy resource for finding registered sex offenders living in Fredrick County. Use this publicly available Offender Search tool to locate registered offenders name, email address, phone number, street address, and zip code.
The Adult Detention Center is the correctional facility in Frederick County. It is located at:
7300 Marcie’s Choice Lane
Frederick, MD 21704
Phone: (301) 600-2550
Fax: (301) 600-3066
The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services oversees the Adult Detention Center. To search for inmates currently incarcerated at the correctional center, use the Maryland Inmate Locator tool provided by the agency
Money can be deposited into inmate accounts at the kiosk located in the visitation lobby of the Adult Detention Center. Cash and credit/debit card are accepted at this location. Friends and family can also transfer money into the inmates’ accounts online via Smartdeposit.
Court Records
Frederick County has three courts: Circuit Court, District Court, and Orphan’s Court. The addresses and contact details of these courts are:
Frederick County Circuit Court
Frederick County Courthouse
100 W Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone: (301) 600-1976
Frederick County District Court
Frederick County Courthouse
100 W Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone: (301) 600-2000
Frederick County Orphans' Court
Frederick County Courthouse
100 W Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone: (301) 600-6565
Fax: (301) 600-6580
The Frederick County Circuit Court is the highest court in the county, followed by District and Orphans’ Court. Generally, the Circuit Court hears civil cases with more than $5,000 in dispute claims. While the District Court deals with civil cases involving amounts equal to or less than $5,000 in claims. The Orphan’s Court hears cases about wills and estate.
To access the records of Circuit and District courts, visit the Maryland Judiciary Case Search. Start searching for case documents by selecting the name of the county and the court that heard the case. To obtain copies of these records, visit or write the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court using the following contact information:
100 W. Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone: (301) 600-1976
The office opens to the public between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
To obtain the records of the Frederick County Orphans' Court, contact the court directly by visiting or calling its courthouse.
Vital Records
The Clerk of the Circuit Court maintains divorce records for Frederick County. Divorce records are publicly available in Maryland and anyone can request for these records. To obtain copies of divorce case documents and decrees, visit or submit a written request to the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the following address:
100 W. Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone: (301) 600-1976
The Clerk of Circuit Court in Frederick County provides copies of marriage records. Plain copies cost 50 cents per copy while a certified copy is $5.50. Checks and money orders are accepted for payment. To obtain a copy, complete the Marriage License Copy Request Form and mail it to:
Clerk of the Circuit Court for Frederick County
Attn: Records Department
100 West Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21701
The Frederick County Health Department issues birth and death certificates for events that occurred in the county. It provides this service to the public from Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The department charges $20 for a birth certificate and $18 for a death certificate. Each additional copy of a death certificate costs $20.
Citizens can request a birth certificate in-person or by mail. To request in-person, start by downloading and completing the Birth Certificate Application Form. Bring the completed application with a valid ID to:
350 Montevue Lane
Entrance A (Blue Flag)
Frederick, MD 21702
To order a birth record by mail, send the completed birth application form to the Maryland Department of Health Vital Records. Mail the completed application with a money order and a copy of a photo ID to:
Division of Vital Records
P.O. Box 68760
Baltimore, MD 21215-0036
The Maryland Department of Health Vital Records also provides certified copies of death certificates for Frederick County. Complete and submit an Application for Certified Copy of Maryland Death Record to the Vital Records address provided above. Include a copy of a valid government-issued ID card, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order for copy fees. The state’s Vital Records charges $10 for the first copy of a death record and $12 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time.
