ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland Judiciary will introduce the new Maryland Judiciary Case Search & Record Portal on January 9, 2026, consolidating the current Maryland Case Search and Maryland Judiciary Record Search into a single redesigned platform.
The change aims to enhance user experience through modern technology while maintaining existing access levels for public and authorized users. Public users will retain the same information on case records as provided by the longstanding Maryland Case Search, which offers summaries including case numbers, parties involved, dates, charges, and dispositions for District Court and Circuit Court cases statewide. Attorneys and authorized case parties will continue to receive enhanced access comparable to the current Maryland Judiciary Record Search, encompassing detailed case information and document images as governed by Maryland Rule 20-109.
The announcement, issued December 19, 2025, by the Administrative Office of the Courts, emphasizes the Judiciary’s commitment to effective and responsible technology use. This update follows the completion of statewide implementation of the Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) case management system on May 6, 2024, which digitized filing and viewing processes in circuit and district courts.
Current systems operate separately: Maryland Case Search at casesearch.courts.state.md.us delivers public summaries of case records from District and Circuit Courts, including criminal, civil, and traffic matters, with data varying by jurisdiction based on when automated systems were deployed. The Maryland Judiciary Record Search, accessible via mdecportal.courts.state.md.us/MDODYSSEYPORTAL, requires registration for attorneys and parties to view full documents and detailed entries, incorporating CAPTCHA security to prevent automated access.
The new portal integrates these functions, streamlining navigation for all users. No changes to access restrictions or data availability are indicated; public records remain governed by Maryland Rules on Access to Court Records (Rules 16-901 through 16-912), which balance transparency with protections for sensitive information such as juvenile, adoption, or shielded cases. For example, certain criminal dispositions like acquittals or nolle prosequi may require in-person courthouse review, and some failure-to-pay-rent cases are automatically shielded under recent laws.
Residents in Southern Maryland counties—Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and Anne Arundel—frequently use these tools for tracking civil disputes, traffic citations, family law matters, or criminal proceedings in local circuit and district courts. The consolidated portal supports this by providing a unified interface, potentially reducing the need to switch between sites. Users in areas like Prince Frederick, La Plata, Leonardtown, and Annapolis can continue searching for case status without new registration requirements for public access, though attorneys must follow existing portal protocols.
A frequently asked questions sheet is available online for more details on the transition, though specific changes beyond integration and redesign are not detailed in the announcement.
The Maryland Judiciary provides public access to case information under strict rules to ensure accuracy and privacy. Case Search data represents summaries from official files, not the complete record; full documents for authorized users come via the integrated system post-launch. This aligns with broader efforts to modernize court services following MDEC rollout, which standardized electronic processes across the state.
Background on Maryland’s court record access traces to rules updated in 2017, emphasizing public availability of non-confidential case details while safeguarding protected information. The transition to the new portal builds on this framework, supporting efficient research for legal professionals, self-represented litigants, journalists, and the general public in Southern Maryland communities.