Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 26, 2026.
College Park, Maryland, in Prince George's County, has about 35,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An arrest in the city leaves the same records whoever makes it: the arresting agency's report, the record of anyone held at the county jail, and, if the State's Attorney files charges, a case in the Circuit Court for Prince George's County. This guide says who keeps each one, what it costs and who may see it.
This guide covers who makes arrests, booking and the jail, finding an arrest, copies and common questions.
Related guides: College Park public records, Prince George's County arrest records, Maryland arrest records and Maryland inmate search.
Who Makes Arrests in College Park
The FBI lists no arrest reporting agency under the name of College Park. In Prince George's County the county agency that reports arrests is the Prince George's County Police Department.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Prince George's County: the University of Maryland at College Park, Bowie State University and Prince George's County Community College (campus police); the Prince George's County Maryland-National Capital Park Police (other); the Prince Georges County State Police (state police).
Booking: Where People Arrested in College Park Are Held
A person kept in custody after an arrest in College Park is held at the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest, apart from the short stay some city departments' own holding cells allow; a person cited and released at the scene is not booked at all. The jail's record of each person held, with the charges, is a public record of the arrest, and the court file takes over from there.
On an average day in 2024 the jail held about 1,020 people, up from about 890 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023, the last year with a capacity figure, was 1,525 beds, and it ran at 65 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
SearchSystems opened and checked the custody page of the Prince George's County Police Department at princegeorgescountymd.gov/staff-directory/public-safety/corrections... (page title: Inmate Locator | Prince George's County), phone 301-952-7164, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
That page is the place to look for someone who was booked recently; a person cited and released at the scene, or held only a few hours by a city department, will not be on it.
How to Find Out About an Arrest in College Park
An arrest in College Park can be traced in three places, depending on where the case stands: the custody page of the Prince George's County Police Department described above, for anyone booked into the county jail; the case index of the Circuit Court for Prince George's County, kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court, which shows whether charges were filed and the next court date; the State's Attorney, which decides whether an arrest becomes a charge (its page is at princegeorgescountymd.gov/county-government/states-attorney, phone 301-952-3500).
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county, at mdcourts.gov/non-mdec/pgpubliccases (page title: Public Cases Created by Prince George's County Courts | Maryland Courts), belongs to a lower court, not to the Circuit Court for Prince George's County.
Statewide, Maryland Judiciary Case Search is the free statewide case search of every Maryland court.
Maryland does not let the public search another person's statewide criminal history. The record kept by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Criminal Justice Information System goes to the person it belongs to and to employers and agencies the law authorizes; for everyone else the court's own case index is the public record of an arrest that led to a charge.
Getting a Copy of an Arrest Record in College Park
An arrest report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court or the jail. Under the Maryland Public Information Act the agency must answer within 30 days, with a denial due within 10 working days, and it may charge staff time after the first two hours, plus copying.
- An arrest by the College Park police: the police department's page SearchSystems verified at collegeparkmd.gov/209/Public-Safety-Emergency-Preparedness (page title: Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness | City of College Park, Maryland), phone 301-352-1200, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
- An arrest by the Prince George's County Police Department: ask its records unit, reached through the office at 301-952-7164.
- A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the State's Attorney, 301-952-3500, handles discovery for pending cases.
- The court file of a case that was filed: in the Circuit Court for Prince George's County it is kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county, at mdcourts.gov/non-mdec/pgpubliccases, is a lower court's.
- Any county record that is not posted: the county records request page SearchSystems verified is at princegeorgescountymd.gov (page title: MPIA and FOIA Requests | Prince George's County).
- Your own statewide record: a fingerprint-based request to the CJIS Central Repository.
The Prince George's County guide covers every agency in the county: Prince George's County arrest records.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out if someone is in jail in College Park?
Look on the custody page of the Prince George's County Police Department at princegeorgescountymd.gov, or call 301-952-7164. It covers people booked into the county jail.
Where are people arrested in College Park booked?
Those kept in custody go to the county jail, run by the Prince George's County Police Department; a person cited and released at the scene is not booked.
Are arrest records public in College Park?
The court files of criminal cases in the Circuit Court for Prince George's County are public and can be looked up through the court. The statewide criminal history kept by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Criminal Justice Information System is not public; you can get your own. The arrest report itself is released by the agency that made the arrest, under the Maryland Public Information Act.
How do I get a copy of an arrest report in College Park?
From the agency that made the arrest: the Prince George's County Police Department for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Maryland Public Information Act the answer is due within 30 days, with a denial due within 10 working days; the county records request page SearchSystems verified is at princegeorgescountymd.gov.
Is this the official College Park website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.