Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime 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). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Charles County depends on where the incident happened: the Charles County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Maryland Public Information Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, how many reports, what the law requires 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.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Charles County
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
In Charles County that is the Charles County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
The FBI's list also places the Charles County State Police in Charles County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Charles County Sheriff's Office
The Charles County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 449 violent and 1,550 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,482 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 301-609-6249. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at ccso.us/about (page title: About | Charles County Sheriff's Office), phone 301-609-6249, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Charles County
The one city the FBI lists in Charles County with a reporting agency of its own:
- La Plata: 18 violent and 156 property crimes reported for 2025; 114 arrests reported for 2025.
A city on that list is reported separately whether the officers are the city's own or the sheriff's under contract; the FBI's list does not say which.
How Many Reports: Charles County in 2025
The two agencies in Charles County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 467 violent and 1,706 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
Together, the two agencies in Charles County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,596 arrests to the FBI that year, and each arrest is a report of its own.
What the Maryland Public Information Act Requires
The Maryland Public Information Act sets the rules: an answer within 30 days, with a denial due within 10 working days, at a charge of staff time after the first two hours, plus copying, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the State's Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Charles County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Charles County Sheriff's Office 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.
How long does an agency in Charles County have to answer?
Under the Maryland Public Information Act, within 30 days, with a denial due within 10 working days. It may charge staff time after the first two hours, plus copying.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Charles County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Charles County State Police in Charles County.
How do I get a report from the Charles County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 301-609-6249. Under the Maryland Public Information Act the answer is due within 30 days, with a denial due within 10 working days.
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.