Criminal History Records Check Maryland

Choose the Maryland check that the recipient needs

Maryland’s Criminal Justice Information System Central Repository is the starting point for a Maryland criminal-history check. Its records are not an unrestricted public name-search database: proper authorization is required to obtain another person’s information. Decide whether you need your own Individual Review, a Maryland-only report for an authorized organization, or a legally authorized state/FBI check before paying for fingerprints.

An employment or licensing request must come through the employer or licensing agency. Ask it for its authorization number and the required product; an approved private-employer petition provides Maryland history, not automatic FBI access. A court docket can help locate a case, but it does not replace the repository check or grant access to protected history.

Prepare an in-state fingerprint visit

Use an authorized Livescan provider. Maryland requires electronic submission for in-state employment and licensing applicants, except a bona-fide medical situation preventing Livescan. Bring government-issued photo identification, the requesting agency’s name and authorization number, and its Z-ORI number if required. Complete the linked Livescan pre-registration application before the visit. Keep the receipt and reference number.

The CJIS storefront offers walk-in service at 6776 Reisterstown Road, Suite 101, Baltimore, MD 21215. CJIS sites in Motor Vehicle Administration buildings require appointments. For ordinary applicant appointments or help choosing a location, call 410-764-4501 or 1-888-795-0011. Private providers set their own additional fingerprinting charges, so establish the full provider total before attending.

If you live outside Maryland

Request Maryland’s fingerprint card from CJIS using those telephone numbers or P.O. Box 32708, Pikesville, MD 21282-2708. Other states’ cards and FBI cards are not accepted for this route. Mail the completed Maryland card and fee to that post-office box; the published overnight destination is CJIS, 6776 Reisterstown Road, Suite 217, Baltimore, MD 21215-2346. The background-check page directs checks to CJIS Central Repository.

Separate confirmed state fees from the federal fee transition

The fingerprint-service table lists Maryland-only checks at $18 by mail or $38 with CJIS in-person fingerprinting. The Gold Seal state product is $19 or $39 respectively. The in-person figures already include the $20 CJIS service fee; do not add it a second time. Bring a payment card for an in-person visit: the page’s wording about accepting checks is inconsistent. Cash is not accepted.

As checked October 2, 2026, the same page displays $33 mail/$53 in person for authorized state/FBI checks, but also instructs readers to add $3 for the federal fee increase effective October 1. The older FAQ shows different federal totals. These publications do not establish an unambiguous final federal-inclusive charge. Have CJIS or your authorized provider confirm the current total before submitting that product.

Allow for delivery and follow up with the reference number

CJIS’s FAQ says most approved state applications produce mailed results within fewer than ten working days; its out-of-state card instructions instead give a 10–15-day response estimate after receipt. Neither is a guaranteed delivery deadline. Results are directed to the applicant and/or authorized agency, not to a private fingerprint vendor. Confirm who is supposed to receive your report.

Review an incorrect entry or obtain the actual court disposition

Only the subject or authorized requester may make status inquiries. Call CJIS with the reference number and retain the exact disputed entry if a record appears to belong to someone else. A D5 rejection means a new usable set of fingerprints is needed. For an order showing how a charge ended, request the disposition from the court that heard it; a repository response and a certified court order serve different purposes.