Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Charles County, Maryland, has about 174,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Circuit Court for Charles County and the District Court of Maryland, and the file of each case, kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Charles County public records, Charles County arrest records, Charles County warrants, Charles County inmate search, Charles County criminal records, Maryland arrest records and Maryland inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Charles County
Court cases from Charles County are filed in the Circuit Court for Charles County, which hears felonies, civil cases over $30,000, divorces, juvenile matters and appeals from the District Court.
Below it, the District Court of Maryland takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, landlord-tenant cases and civil claims up to $30,000.
Divorces go to the Circuit Court, and the file stays with the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Maryland Public Information Act.
Looking Up a Case from Charles County
For Charles County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at courts.state.md.us/courtsdirectory/charles (page title: Charles County | Maryland Courts), phone 301-932-3201, 200 Charles Street La Plata, MD 20646, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Statewide, Maryland Judiciary Case Search is the free statewide case search of every Maryland court.
The Maryland court page SearchSystems verified is at casesearch.courts.state.md.us.
What Reaches the Court from Charles County
Together, the two agencies in Charles County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,596 arrests to the FBI that year; the State's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Circuit Court for Charles County or the District Court of Maryland.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at ccsao.us/the-office/executive-team (page title: Meet Our Attorneys | CCSAO), 200 Charles St., La Plata, MD 20646, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Charles County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Charles County criminal records, Charles County divorce records, Charles County traffic tickets, Charles County DUI and Charles County property records.
Cities in Charles County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Circuit Court for Charles County or the District Court of Maryland.
The cities and towns in the county are La Plata, Indian Head and Port Tobacco Village.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Charles County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.state.md.us/courtsdirectory/charles, phone 301-932-3201. Statewide, Maryland Judiciary Case Search is the free statewide case search of every Maryland court.
Which court hears felonies in Charles County?
The Circuit Court for Charles County, which hears felonies, civil cases over $30,000, divorces, juvenile matters and appeals from the District Court. The District Court of Maryland takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, landlord-tenant cases and civil claims up to $30,000.
Who keeps the court records in Charles County?
The Clerk of the Circuit Court. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Maryland?
Yes: Maryland Judiciary Case Search, the free statewide case search of every Maryland court.
Is this the official Charles County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.