Guide
Maryland Expungement Research Resources
Maryland courts expunge police and court records on a petition under Criminal Procedure Section 10-105 and related sections. The official Maryland sources are listed below.
- Maryland Courts, Expungement (Adult)Court self help page on adult expungement
- Criminal Procedure Section 10-105Petition for expungement of police and court records
- DPSCS, ExpungementsThe process starts in court, not at the Central Repository
This directory is for informational and research use only. Expungement eligibility, waiting periods, filing fees, notice rules, and the effect on background checks can differ significantly depending on the state, offense level, case outcome, and later law changes.
Guide
Sealing a divorce or civil file in Maryland
Maryland shields the money forms in a divorce file by rule and leaves the rest to a petition. Rule 16-904(a) presumes judicial records open. Rule 16-914 lists what the custodian must deny: under (l), a financial statement filed under the family law rules, the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet filed under Rule 9-206 and the Joint Statement of Marital and Non-Marital Property filed under Rule 9-207, and under (j), an individual's federal, state or local income tax return. Those are withheld without any order. The judgment, agreements and property orders are not on the list and stay public.
To seal or limit inspection of anything else, a party files a petition under Rule 16-934 on form CC-DC-053, Petition to Seal or Otherwise Limit Inspection of a Case Record. The petitioner must identify specifically which documents or parts should be sealed and state specific facts showing why, and may ask for a temporary order where immediate, substantial and irreparable harm would result while the petition is pending. The form is at mdcourts.gov.
Guide
Research Notes
- Start with the court and the originating agency. Expungement or sealing requests are often handled through the court that heard the case, sometimes with supporting records from police, prosecutors, or corrections agencies.
- Terminology differs by state. Some jurisdictions use terms such as sealing, set-aside, vacatur, dismissal relief, or nondisclosure instead of expungement.
- Verify current law. Eligibility rules can change through legislation or court decisions, so always confirm the current process before relying on older instructions or third-party summaries.
- Understand downstream effects. Even after record relief, treatment of court, police, private-background check, and federal records may differ depending on the system involved.
By state