Court records in Prince George's County, Maryland, are maintained by the offices of the Circuit Court and District Court and are accessible through online tools, official court portals, and directly at the court clerk's office. PrinceGeorgesCourt.us can help find publicly available information about court cases in this county. Additionally, you can use the Case Search on the Maryland Courts portal, contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court, or visit the Maryland State Archives for access to archival documents.
Prince George's Court System Overview
Prince George's County is served by two main court levels of the state of Maryland: Circuit Court and District Court. The Circuit Court is a court of general jurisdiction where jury trials are held, serious criminal cases, large civil claims, family cases, and real estate matters are considered. The District Court handles less serious criminal cases, traffic violations, and civil claims with a limited amount. Prince George's is part of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of the state of Maryland.
Circuit Court of Prince George's County is located in Upper Marlboro:
Courts Serving Prince George's
Residents of the county are served by several courts at the state and federal levels.
Maryland State Courts
Federal Courts
Bankruptcy cases for county residents are handled by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland in Greenbelt.
What Types of Cases Prince George's Courts Hear
Courts in Prince George's County hear a wide range of cases. The Circuit Court handles serious criminal offenses (felonies), significant civil claims, family law, divorce, guardianship, probate matters, and appeals from the District Court. The District Court deals with minor offenses (misdemeanors), traffic violations, civil claims up to $30,000, small claims up to $5,000, and DUI.
- Serious crimes (felonies) and major criminal cases
- Minor offenses (misdemeanors) and infractions
- Civil claims of various scales
- Small claims
- Family law: divorce, custody, alimony
- Probate matters, guardianship
- Juvenile cases
- Traffic violations and DUI
- Protective orders
District Court Cases in Prince George's
The District Court in Prince George's is a court of limited jurisdiction. Here, a judge alone (without a jury) hears minor criminal cases, traffic violations, and civil claims where the dispute amount does not exceed $30,000. If a defendant in a serious crime is entitled to a preliminary hearing, the District Court conducts the preliminary hearing and transfers the case to the Circuit Court.
Appeals from District Court decisions are filed with the Circuit Court as de novo — meaning the case is heard anew. The District Court judge also hears petitions for peace orders and some cases regarding probation violations.
Magistrate Court Cases in Prince George's
In the Maryland system, magistrates (commissioners) at the District Court perform limited functions: setting bail, issuing arrest and search warrants, and hearing some initial petitions outside court hours. They are not a separate court.
The District Court hears:
- Misdemeanors and infractions
- Preliminary hearings in felony cases
- Civil claims up to $30,000
- Small claims up to $5,000
- Traffic violations and DUI
For small claims in Maryland, the limit is $5,000. Civil cases with amounts over $30,000 are filed directly with the Circuit Court. In a large county like Prince George's, cases are distributed among several District Court judges depending on the type and volume of workload.
Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Matters in Prince George's
Family Law
Divorce, custody, alimony, protective orders, paternity establishment, and termination of parental rights are handled by the Circuit Court. Verification of divorces that occurred after January 1, 1992, is carried out by the Division of Vital Records of the Maryland Department of Health. Archival divorce records are stored at the Maryland State Archives as part of equity records.
Probate Matters
Probate matters, appointment of guardians and estate administrators are handled by the Register of Wills for Prince George's County. The Orphans' Court of the county oversees the execution of wills and estate administration. Probate case searches are available through the online Estate Search system.
Juvenile Cases
Juvenile cases (juvenile delinquency, child in need of assistance — CINA) are heard by the Circuit Court. These records are confidential under Maryland law and are not available for public search.
How Cases Move Through the Prince George's Court System
- Case Initiation: a criminal complaint, civil lawsuit, or petition is filed with the appropriate court. Criminal cases usually start with an arrest or summons.
- Judge Assignment: the court clerk's office assigns the case to a specific judge.
- Initial Hearings: in criminal cases — arraignment (charge presentation); in civil cases — scheduling conference.
- Pre-Trial Phase: filing motions, exchanging evidence (discovery), plea negotiations in criminal cases.
- Trial: jury trial or bench trial, reaching a settlement, or default judgment.
- Post-Judgment: sentencing, filing an appeal, enforcing the court's decision.
In the Circuit Court, cases can last from several months to a year or more. The District Court usually operates faster — many cases are resolved in one or two sessions.
Court Administration, Local Rules, and Public Access in Prince George's
The administration of the Circuit Court is carried out by the Administrative Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in conjunction with the Trial Court Administrator. For the District Court, administrative leadership is provided by the Chief Judge of the District Court of Maryland.
Local court rules for the Prince George's County Circuit Court are published on the county page on the Maryland Courts portal. Public access to court records is governed by Maryland Rules 16-900 et seq.
Regarding public access:
- Most court records in Maryland are public, but certain categories (juvenile cases, sealed records, some family cases) have restricted access.
- Electronic case search is available through the Case Search system on the Maryland Courts portal.
- To obtain certified copies of documents, contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court directly.
Hearings in Prince George's can be attended in person. Some types of sessions are held remotely — check the possibility of online participation with the court clerk's office or on the Maryland Courts website.
Court Records and Related Court Resources in Prince George's
- Case Search: Maryland Judiciary Case Search allows searching for District Court and Circuit Court cases by party name or case number.
- Land Records: each county in Maryland has a Department of Land Records at the Circuit Court clerk's office. Here, deeds, mortgages, and other real estate documents are stored.
- Property Search: SDAT Real Property Data Search provides information on property assessment and ownership in Prince George's County. Property tax data is available through the PG County Property Tax Inquiry.
- Probate Cases: Estate Search on the Register of Wills website allows searching for probate proceedings information.
- Archival Records: Maryland State Archives stores government records of Prince George's County in electronic, microfilm, and original formats, including plats and equity records.
- Criminal History: criminal history checks are conducted by the Central Records Division of the Maryland State Police for a set fee.
- Inmate Locator: Incarcerated Individual Locator on the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services website allows finding the location of individuals under state custody.
- Forms and Self-Help Resources: the Maryland Courts portal offers court forms and instructions for self-represented litigants.