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.
St. Mary's County, Maryland, has about 116,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Circuit Court for St. Mary's 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: St. Mary's County public records, St. Mary's County arrest records, St. Mary's County warrants, St. Mary's County inmate search, St. Mary's County criminal records, Maryland arrest records and Maryland inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from St. Mary's County
In St. Mary's County, the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County 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 St. Mary's County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.state.md.us/clerks/stmarys/records (page title: Records | Maryland Courts), phone 301-475-7844, 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 St. Mary's County
The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office reported 1,792 arrests to the FBI for 2025; the State's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County or the District Court of Maryland.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at stmaryscountymd.gov/sao (page title: Office of the State's Attorney | St. Mary's County, MD), phone (301) 475-4200, 41605, Monday through Friday from 8:30AM - 4:30PM., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
The court file is one record with several readers: a criminal case from the arrest to the sentence, a divorce from the petition to the judgment, a traffic ticket from the citation to the conviction the court reports to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, and an eviction or a lien on land.
The other St. Mary's County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: St. Mary's County criminal records, St. Mary's County divorce records, St. Mary's County traffic tickets, St. Mary's County DUI and St. Mary's County property records.
Cities in St. Mary's County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County or the District Court of Maryland.
The one city in the county is Leonardtown.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in St. Mary's County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.state.md.us/clerks/stmarys/records, phone 301-475-7844. Statewide, Maryland Judiciary Case Search is the free statewide case search of every Maryland court.
Which court hears felonies in St. Mary's County?
The Circuit Court for St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's 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.