Howard County Criminal Statistics
According to the annual Crime in Maryland Uniform Crime Report by the Maryland Department of State Police, Howard County recorded a net total of 6,284 index crime offenses in 2017, signaling a 0.4% increase in index crime rate within a 12-month span. As per the report, property crimes accounted for 87.7% of the total reported crimes, while violent crimes constituted 12.3% of the reports made to county law enforcement agencies.
While the frequency of offenses such as larceny and breaking and entering declined slightly, reports of motor vehicle theft increased from 306 in 2016 to 357 in 2017, aggravated assault from 447 to 498 reported incidents and rape from 66 to 70 incidents. On the other hand, reports of robbery held steady with no changes worthy of note, while murder declined by 16% between 2016 and 2017.
Howard County Criminal Records
The Howard County Sheriff's Office offers county residents a broad range of law enforcement services including crime documentation and record management. However, the Maryland Department of Public Safety serves as the primary custodian of statewide criminal history information and is tasked with processing requests for criminal records. Thus, all Howard County criminal record requests may be directed to the Department.
How to Get Criminal Records
Criminal record requests are processed by the Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the Maryland DPS. The division provides statewide arrest and disposition information as well as misdemeanor and felony charges which are deemed non-confidential in compliance with state law.
Criminal records may be requested by obtaining a fingerprint card from the requesting employer or licensing agency. Along with the card, the subject of the record should retrieve the authorization number of the employer or the licensing agency and schedule a fingerprinting appointment with any of the fingerprint vendors recommended by the DPS or with the Howard County Sheriff's Office at (410) 313-4168. The fingerprinted card should then be submitted along with a cheque or money order payment of $18 to
CJIS-Central Repository
6776 Reisterstown Road,
Suite 102
P.O. Box 32708
Baltimore MD 21215
How to Find Sex Offender Information
All information regarding sex offenders resident in Howard County is maintained on the States Comphrensive Registered Sex Offender Website. Interested county residents may view offender locations and compliance status by searching the Registry by name, address, higher institution, and zip code. Offenders may also be searched by the type and gravity of their past offenses and their proximity to specific locations within the county. Howard County residents may also opt to receive sex offender related updates by subscribing to any of the available notification resources on the site.
Where and How to Get Inmate and Jail Information
Queries relating to the Howard County jail and its resident detainees can be directed to the Howard County Department of Corrections. The department is tasked with overseeing the affairs of the correctional facilities as well as managing inmates and disseminating inmate-related information. For a Howard County Inmate Search, inquirers will be required to provide information to facilitate the query.
General jail information such as inmate housing, programs, visitation guidelines, and inmate welfare details can be obtained using any of the navigation links available on the Corrections Information Page. However, inmate-specific inquiries including queries relating to a detainee's primary charge, bond conditions, court dates, prospective release date, and unique inmate ID can be obtained by querying the Corrections Department Staff at:
Howard County Department of Corrections
7301 Waterloo Road
Jessup, MD 20794
(410) 313-5200
Howard County Court Records
Where and How to Get Court Records
The Howard County Clerk of the Circuit Court maintains records of civil, criminal and juvenile cases heard within its jurisdiction. The office also manages liens and judgments as well as miscellaneous records pertaining to the legal rights and ownership of land and real property.
Records which have been deemed non-confidential can be obtained by interested members of the public in compliance with state laws.
To request a Howard County Court record, interested persons may make in-person queries to the office or send a written request via mail. Requestors will be required to provide information regarding the record of interest such as the names of the victim, witness, defendant and the litigant involved as well as the case file number of the record and the date on which the case was filed.
Both in-person and mail requests may be made to:
Howard County Circuit Court Clerk
8360 Court Avenue
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: (410) 313-2111
Location of all Courts In County
Listed below are the addresses and contact information of all the courthouses in Howard County, Maryland:
Howard County Circuit Court
Howard County Courthouse
8360 Court Ave,
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: (410) 313-2111
Howard County District Court
District Court/Multi-Service Center
3451 Courthouse Dr,
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: (410) 480-7700
Howard County Orphans' Court
Howard County Courthouse
8360 Court Ave,
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: (410) 313-2133
Fax: (410) 313-3409
Howard County Vital Records
Statewide vital records are maintained and issued by the Maryland Vital Statistics Administration which serves as Maryland custodian of birth, death, marriage and divorce record. At the county level, this service is provided by the Howard County Health Department which is the local repository of records of vital events that occurred within county limits. Thus, Howard county vital records may be obtained at state or county levels.
Where and How to Get Divorce Records
The Howard County Clerk of the Circuit Court maintains records of divorces that were granted by the county court. Interested persons may obtain these records by sending a written request via mail or making in-person requests to the office. The requesting party will be required to provide information regarding the divorce, including the full names of the spouses, the case file number of the record, as well as the approximate date of filing the record.
All divorce record requests may be made to:
Howard County Circuit Court Clerk
8360 Court Avenue
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: (410) 313-2111
Where and How to Get Marriage Records
Records of marriages licensed by the county courthouse are maintained by the Marriage License Department of the Circuit Court Clerk's Office. Interested persons may request these records using the Application for Certified Copy of Marriage License. The form must legibly state the names of the spouses (including any maiden names), the date of the marriage and the license number of the marriage. The signed and notarized application must then be accompanied by a cheque or money order payment of $5.50 and delivered via mail or in-person to:
Marriage License Department
6095 Marshalee Drive
Suite 120
Elkridge, MD 21075
Where and How to Get Birth and Death Records
The Howard County Department of Health processes requests for records of births and deaths which occurred within county limits. As per state laws, these records can only be obtained by the registrant(s), the immediate family member of the subject, legally authorized persons - and in the case of death records, Funeral Directors.
To obtain a record, interested persons may query the department via mail or in person. The requesting party will be required to provide information regarding the record including the name of the subject, the date, and place of the event, a document to prove eligibility, and a payment of $25 for birth certificates and $30 for death certificates. Both in-person and mail requests may be made to:
Health Department Administrative Offices
8930 Stanford Blvd.
Columbia, MD 21045
Phone: (410) 313-6300
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
Are Property Records Open to the Public in Howard County?
In compliance with the Maryland Public Information Act, property records in the state are public records. As such, property records in Howard County are available for the members of the public to view and retrieve. Interested persons may access Howard County property records by contacting the record custodian.
Where and How to Find Property Records in Howard County
Howard County property records are maintained by the Land Records Department of the Office of Clerk of the Circuit Court. The department is responsible for making sure that physical property records are well indexed and warehoused for persons that wish to retrieve or inspect them. Online copies of property records are maintained by the Maryland Department of Assessment and Taxation. Inquiries regarding physical copies or online copies of property records can be directed to the following offices:
Circuit Court for Howard County
6095 Marshalee Drive
Suite 120
Elkridge, MD 21075
Phone: (410) 313-5850
Department of Finance
The George Howard Building
3430 Court House Drive
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: (410) 313-2195
Department of Assessments and Taxation
301 W. Preston Street, Room 801
Baltimore, MD 21201-2395
Phone: (410) 767-1184
Phone: (888) 246-5941
Phone: (800) 735-2258
Email: sdat.411@maryland.gov
How to Look Up Howard County Property Records
The Department of Assessment and Taxation maintains an online property search portal for accessing property records online. The plat portal can be searched by county and contains digital image references for land surveys, subdivisions, and condominium plats.
Physical copies of Howard County property records can be retrieved from the Circuit Court for Howard County, the court offices are located at:
Circuit Court for Howard County
6095 Marshalee Drive
Suite 120
Elkridge, MD 21075
Phone: (410) 313-5850
General Information
Phone: (410) 313-2111
Toll-Free (in Maryland)
Phone: (888) 313-0197
Land Records & License Department
Phone: (410) 313-5850
Location of Howard County Property Assessors
Department of Finance
The George Howard Building
3430 Court House Drive
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: (410) 313-2195
Department of Assessments and Taxation
301 W. Preston Street, Room 801
Baltimore, MD 21201-2395
Phone: (410) 767-1184
Phone: (888) 246-5941
Phone: (800) 735-2258
Email: sdat.411@maryland.gov
