Find Washington County Police Blotter
Washington County police blotter records are handled by the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the Hagerstown Police Department, and several smaller municipal departments across western Maryland. The county seat is Hagerstown. You can search for court cases tied to police blotter entries through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search at no cost, request accident reports online through the CrashDocs portal, or submit a written PIA request to the sheriff's office or Hagerstown PD to get copies of incident reports and arrest records.
Washington County Police Blotter Overview
Washington County Police Blotter Search
The Washington County Sheriff's Office is at 500 Western Maryland Parkway, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Call 240-313-2100 for the main line or 301-393-4951 for the records division. They are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The sheriff's office handles patrol for unincorporated areas and provides county-wide judicial services, civil process, and backup for municipal departments.
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search is the best free tool for finding court cases from Washington County. You can search by name, case number, or date. It covers both circuit and district court records. Select "Washington" as the county to get targeted results. The system shows charges, hearing dates, and outcomes. It does not show the full police report, but gives you a clear look at what came from the arrest or citation.
The City of Hagerstown website links to the police department and other city services.
Use this site to find the Hagerstown Police Department's contact information and PIA request form.
Hagerstown Police Department Records
The Hagerstown Police Department is at 50 N Burhans Blvd, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Main phone is 301-790-3700. Records division is at 301-393-4951. Fax is 301-733-5513. They have a PIA request form you can download from their website at the document center.
The form asks for your name, phone number, address, city, state, zip, email, and a description of the records you want. You sign the form and date it. Submit your completed form by email to piarequest@hagerstownmd.org, in person at police headquarters, or by mail. For specific records questions, contact Tamra Gossard at tgossard@hagerstownpd.org for police reports and accident requests.
Hagerstown PD has a useful detail for accident reports. If you were involved in the accident, you can get the report emailed or pick it up in person at no cost. Other police reports cost $5 for the first 20 pages. Pages beyond 20 are $0.25 each. Payment options include cash, check, money order, or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover) with a $1.50 transaction fee.
Note: Hagerstown PD accepts credit cards for records fees, but adds a $1.50 transaction fee on top of the record cost.
Online Accident Reports
The CrashDocs portal is an online tool for accessing accident reports from Washington County agencies that participate in the system. You can search by report number, last name, or date of the crash. Not every agency uses CrashDocs, but it is worth checking if you need an accident report quickly.
Enter the report number or your last name on CrashDocs to search for Washington County crash reports.
The MSP crash data dashboards also have downloadable datasets from 2015 to present. These cover all of Maryland, but you can filter by county. The data is useful for research and analysis, though it does not include the full narrative from each crash report.
Municipal Police Departments
Washington County has several municipal police departments beyond Hagerstown. Each handles police blotter records for incidents within their town limits. The Boonsboro Police Department is at 241 Potomac St., Boonsboro, MD 21713, phone 301-432-6838. Clear Spring Police is at 146 Cumberland St., Clear Spring, MD 21722, phone 301-842-2252. Hancock Police is at 126 W. High Street, Hancock, MD 21750, phone 1-800-792-8501. Smithsburg Police is at 21 West Water St, Smithsburg, MD 21783, phone 240-313-4345.
Several smaller towns including Williamsport, Sharpsburg, Funkstown, and Keedysville do not have their own police departments. The Washington County Sheriff's Office provides police services for those areas. If an incident happened in one of those towns, contact the sheriff's office for the report.
Washington County Police Blotter Contents
Arrest records from Washington County include personal information like name, age, and physical description. They list the charges, booking number, date and time, and arrest location. Court information includes case numbers, bail amounts, and bond details. Public records also include court proceedings, charging documents, sentencing information, docket entries, and judgments.
Some records are restricted. Juvenile records are confidential. Sealed and expunged records are not available. Ongoing investigation records may be withheld. Records containing personal identifiers like Social Security numbers or financial information are redacted before release. The agency must cite the legal basis for any denial or redaction in writing.
Note: Washington County reported 2,249 crimes in 2020, a rate of 1,490.1 per 100,000 residents, covering offenses from larceny to aggravated assault.
Washington County Police Blotter Fees
Fees vary a bit across agencies in Washington County. The sheriff's office charges $5 for accident reports. Hagerstown PD charges $5 for police reports (first 20 pages) and $0.25 for each page after that. Accident reports from Hagerstown PD are free if you were involved and pick them up or get them emailed. Mailing fees are paid by the requestor when applicable.
Checks should be made payable to Washington County Sheriff's Office or Hagerstown Police Department, depending on which agency you are requesting from. The Hagerstown PD accepts Visa, Mastercard, and Discover with a $1.50 fee. The Washington County Narcotics Task Force (WCNTF) publishes information about drug trends and enforcement actions in the county.
The WCNTF site provides information on drug trends and law enforcement efforts in the county.
Washington County Court Records
The Circuit Court for Washington County is at 24 Summit Ave., Hagerstown, MD 21740. Phone is 301-733-8660. Email clerk@washcoclerk.com for questions. Hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The District Court Commissioners Office is at 500 Western Maryland Parkway, Hagerstown, phone 240-313-2840. The circuit court at 95 West Washington Street handles bond hearings and major criminal cases.
Washington County also has a Police Accountability Board that handles complaints about police conduct. Complaints can be filed online, by phone at 301-790-3700, or in person at Hagerstown Police headquarters. The Washington County Government website has links to county services and departments.
Nearby Counties
Looking for police blotter records in a nearby area? Check these neighboring counties.