Published on 3/17/2026, 12:00:00 AM

New Maryland Case Search Tool: What You Need to Know

If you’ve tried looking up a Maryland court case recently and noticed things look different, you’re not alone. The Maryland Judiciary has retired both the old Case Search tool and the MDEC (Maryland Electronic Courts) portal, combining them into one updated system. Attorney Max Frizalone made the video above walking through how the new tool works.

Whether you’re checking on your own case, looking up a court date, or just trying to understand what’s happening with a criminal matter, here’s a breakdown of the new system and how to get the most out of it.

What Changed?

Maryland used to have two separate systems for looking up court records. The original Case Search tool covered District Court and some Circuit Court records. The MDEC portal handled electronic filings for Circuit Courts that had adopted the newer system. Having two systems was confusing, and people often weren’t sure which one to use.

Now, both have been merged into a single tool at casesearch.courts.state.md.us. One search covers everything.

How to Search for a Case

You can search by name or by case number. If you have the case number, that’s the fastest route. Just plug it in and the system pulls up the record directly.

For name searches, enter the person’s last name and (optionally) their first name. The system defaults to exact name matching, which means if you type “Smith” it will only return results for people whose last name is exactly “Smith,” not “Smithson” or “Smithfield.”

This is where the wildcard search becomes important.

Using the % Wildcard for Partial Searches

The % symbol acts as a wildcard in the new Case Search. It tells the system to match any characters that follow.

Here’s how it works:

• Last name only, exact: Searching Smith returns only results for the last name “Smith”
• Last name with wildcard: Searching Sm% returns Smith, Smyth, Smiley, Smallwood, and anything else starting with “Sm”
• First name with wildcard: You can also use % on the first name field. Searching last name Smith with first name J% returns John Smith, James Smith, Jennifer Smith, etc.
• Minimum requirement: You need at least the first character of the last name before the %. You cannot place % at the beginning or in the middle of a name.

Quick Examples

Last Name Field	First Name Field	What It Returns
Smith		Exact matches for “Smith” only
Smith%		Smith, Smithson, Smithfield, etc.
Sm%		Any last name starting with “Sm”
Johnson	R%	Any “Johnson” with a first name starting with “R”
J%		Any last name starting with “J” (broad search)

A few things to keep in mind:

• The % only works at the end of the text you enter. You cannot put it at the beginning (like %son) or in the middle (like Sm%th).
• Broader searches (like a single letter plus %) return more results and may take longer to load.
• If you’re not finding someone, try using % in case the name is spelled slightly differently than you expect.

What Records Are Available?

The new system pulls in records from both District Court and Circuit Court. According to the Maryland Courts FAQ, here’s roughly how far back the data goes:

• Criminal records: As far back as the late 1980s in some counties (Baltimore County criminal records go back to June 1984)
• Civil records: Generally from the late 1990s in District Court, and earlier in some Circuit Courts (Montgomery County civil records go back to 1978)
• Traffic records: Both active and closed records for moving violations and serious offenses. Closed traffic records that aren’t serious offenses roll off after 36 months.
• Appellate cases: Supreme Court of Maryland cases from term year 2015, Appellate Court of Maryland cases from term year 2016

Using Case Search on Your Phone

If you’re pulling up Case Search on your phone, do yourself a favor and rotate your device to landscape mode. The new site is still pretty rough on mobile. Tables and case details can get cut off or crammed together on a smaller screen. The Judiciary is still working on the tool, and the mobile responsiveness hasn’t caught up yet. Turning your phone sideways gives you more room to read case records without constantly scrolling left and right.

CAPTCHA Verification

One thing you’ll notice right away is the CAPTCHA. The Maryland Judiciary added this to prevent automated scraping of court records. You’ll need to verify you’re a real person before the system lets you search. It’s a minor inconvenience, but it helps protect the integrity of the records.

Understanding Event Codes

When you pull up a case, you’ll see an event history with abbreviations like DOCI, INIT, CMIT, and BOND. These are shorthand codes that clerks use to log what’s happened in a case. For example:

• DOCI = Document issued (like a statement of charges)
• INIT = Initial appearance
• CMIT = Defendant committed (held in custody)
• RELS = Defendant released
• BOND = Bond posted

The codes can vary by jurisdiction. The Maryland Courts website has full lists of criminal event codes, civil event codes, and traffic event codes.

A Warning About Background Checks

The Maryland Judiciary is clear about this: the information on Case Search should not be used for performing background checks. The system is a public records tool, not a background screening service. It doesn’t capture every detail of a case, and records can be incomplete, delayed, or subject to expungement. If you’re an employer or landlord, using Case Search as a substitute for a proper background check can lead to inaccurate conclusions and potential legal issues.

What If You See a Record You Want Removed?

If you have a case on the new Case Search that you believe should be expunged or shielded, you may have options. Maryland’s expungement laws allow certain charges to be removed from public records. The Expungement Reform Act of 2025 expanded eligibility and shortened waiting periods for many offenses.

If you have questions about a record showing up on Case Search, or if you’re dealing with a criminal matter in Maryland, feel free to contact us for a free consultation.