Guide
Maryland Missing Children at a Glance
When a child goes missing in Maryland, the report goes to the county police, the county sheriff or the Maryland State Police, and the case is coordinated by the Maryland Center for Missing and Unidentified Persons inside the State Police, which is the state clearinghouse and the agency that issues AMBER Alerts. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which is headquartered in Virginia just across the Potomac, can post the case nationally with the family's or the police's permission. There is no waiting period, and Maryland law requires the child to be entered into the FBI's national database at once.
Most of Maryland's population is served by county police departments rather than sheriffs, so in Baltimore County, Montgomery, Prince George's, Anne Arundel and Howard the county police take the report, while Baltimore City has its own police department.
Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.
Guide
Maryland Statewide Missing Children Search
- NCMEC missing child searchNational search of missing child posters
- Missing children from Maryland, NCMECNCMEC case search for children missing from Maryland
- Maryland State Clearinghouse for Missing ChildrenMissing Children Hotline
- Maryland Amber Plan
- What To Do If Your Child Is MissingMissing Children Assistance
- Maryland Center for Missing and Unidentified Persons, Maryland State PoliceState Police center for missing and unidentified persons in Maryland.
Guide
How AMBER Alerts work in Maryland
The Maryland State Police activates the AMBER Alert at the request of the investigating agency when a child under 18 has been abducted, the child is believed to be in danger of serious harm or death, and there is enough information about the child, the suspect or a vehicle to broadcast. The alert reaches radio and television through the Emergency Alert System, phones through the wireless emergency alert system, and the electronic signs run by the State Highway Administration and the Maryland Transportation Authority on the Beltway and the interstates. Because Maryland borders Washington DC, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, alerts are routinely shared across those lines.
Guide
Maryland missing children clearinghouse and how to report
The Maryland Center for Missing and Unidentified Persons keeps the statewide file of missing children and adults and of unidentified remains, posts case information online, coordinates with the National Center and NamUs, and helps local agencies with long term cases. Make the report to the county or city police or the sheriff and write down the case number. Confirm the entry into the National Crime Information Center, then call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which can assign a case manager. The State Police handles reports directly in the counties it patrols.
Guide
Other Maryland alerts and where the records go
Maryland's Silver Alert covers missing seniors and adults with cognitive impairment who are believed to be driving, and the State Police can also send public information bulletins for endangered missing children who do not meet the AMBER criteria. Case records stay with the investigating agency. The Maryland Public Information Act makes basic facts about a report public but allows investigative files to be withheld while a case is open, and juvenile records are confidential. For a case that stays open, the investigating agency can enter it in NamUs, the national missing persons database, where entries are reviewed and published with the agency's approval and can then be searched by anyone in Maryland.
Guide
Federal & National Authoritative Sources
Straight answers
Maryland Missing Children, questions
Who do I call about a missing child in Maryland?
The county police in the large suburban counties, the city police in Baltimore and other cities, the sheriff in smaller counties, or the Maryland State Police. In Maryland, there is no waiting period, and the child is entered into the FBI's national database at once.
Who issues AMBER Alerts in Maryland?
The Maryland State Police through the Maryland Center for Missing and Unidentified Persons, at the request of the investigating agency, when a child under 18 has been abducted and is in danger.
Is the missing person file public in Maryland?
The basic report is public under the Maryland Public Information Act, but the investigative file can be withheld while the case is open, and juvenile records are confidential. The state clearinghouse and NamUs post the public case listings.