Sheriff Offices Across Maryland: 23 Counties Plus Baltimore City

Maryland has 23 counties and one independent city, Baltimore, and each of those 24 jurisdictions elects its own sheriff. The state constitution creates the office, and voters pick a sheriff every four years in the same cycle as the governor. There is no statewide sheriff's agency. Instead, 24 separate offices answer to local voters, and their duties vary more than most residents expect.

Deputies must meet statewide standards. The Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission sets certification and training requirements for law enforcement officers, including sheriff's deputies. Sheriffs also coordinate through the Maryland Sheriffs' Association, yet each office is directed and funded locally. A rule that applies in Frederick County may not apply in Garrett County, so always check with the office that covers your address.

Names differ across our listings: Sheriff's Office, Sheriff's Department, or a combined sheriff and jail entry. The label rarely changes the work. What matters is whether your county relies on its sheriff for patrol or on a separate county police department.

Metro Counties and Rural Counties Use Their Sheriffs Differently

The biggest split in Maryland is between counties where the sheriff is the main police force and counties where it is not. In Baltimore County, Howard, Anne Arundel, Montgomery and Prince George's, separate county police departments handle patrol and most 911 response. Sheriffs there focus on the courts: courthouse security, serving legal papers and carrying out court orders.

The Prince George's County Sheriff's Office, at 5303 Chrysler Way in Upper Marlboro, is a typical example (301-780-8600). Howard County splits its sheriff's work across two sites: the main office at 9250 Bendix Road in Columbia (410-313-4202) and a Domestic Violence Enforcement office at 3565 Ellicott Mills Drive in Ellicott City (410-313-4209). Anne Arundel County's sheriff is at 7 Church Circle in Annapolis (410-222-1271), and Montgomery County's is at 50 Maryland Avenue in Rockville (240-777-7000).

Baltimore City is legally separate from Baltimore County. The Baltimore City Sheriffs Department, at 100 North Calvert Street (410-396-1155), handles court-related work for the city's courts. A case filed in a city courthouse goes to the city sheriff, not a county one.

Across much of the rest of the state, the sheriff is also the primary police agency. The Charles County Sheriffs Department shows this clearly, with District 1 at 6855 Crain Highway in La Plata (301-932-2222) and District 2 at 4401 Indian Head Highway in Indian Head (301-743-2222). Harford County uses a precinct model too: headquarters at 45 South Main Street in Bel Air (410-836-5400), a Southern Precinct at 1010 Gateway Drive in Edgewood (410-612-1717), and a Northern Precinct at 3726 Norrisville Road in Jarrettsville (410-692-7880).

Queen Anne's County runs its office from 505 Railroad Avenue in Centreville, with a Kent Narrows Station at 425 Piney Narrows Road in Chester. Both use 410-758-0770. The second station places deputies near the Kent Narrows area, a busy stretch of waterfront and US 50 traffic.

Western Maryland, the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland: What Changes by Region

Distance shapes service in the western counties. The Allegany County Sheriffs Office is at 708 Furnace Street in Cumberland (301-777-1585). In Garrett County, the sheriff's department and county jail share a listing at 311 East Alder Street in Oakland (301-334-1911). Washington County's office and detention center are at 500 Western Maryland Parkway in Hagerstown (240-313-2100), and Frederick County's sheriff is at 110 Airport Drive East in Frederick (301-600-1046). Mountain weather can slow winter travel, so phone before you drive.

On the Eastern Shore, small county seats anchor each office. The Dorchester County sheriff and jail are at 829 Fieldcrest Road in Cambridge (410-228-4141). Caroline County combines its sheriff's department and detention center at 101 Gay Street in Denton (410-479-2515). Talbot County's department is at 115 West Dover Street in Easton (410-822-1020), Kent County's office is at 104 Vickers Drive in Chestertown (410-778-2279), Wicomico County's is at 401 West Naylor Mill Road in Salisbury (410-548-4891), and Cecil County's is at 107 Chesapeake Boulevard in Elkton (410-996-5500).

In Southern Maryland, the Calvert County Sheriffs Office is at 30 Church Street in Prince Frederick (301-855-1194). The St. Mary's County Sheriffs Office is at 23150 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown (301-475-4200). Both counties are largely peninsulas, so these offices are the main local law enforcement contact for residents.

What a Maryland Sheriff Handles: Court Papers, Evictions and Protective Orders

Whatever the county, most residents deal with a sheriff for a handful of court-driven tasks:

Evictions deserve a clear explanation, because the sheriff's role is often misunderstood. A landlord must first win a case in the District Court of Maryland. If the judge grants a warrant of restitution, the sheriff's office schedules and carries out the eviction. Deputies do not decide who is right, and they cannot cancel a court order. If you need more time or believe the process was wrong, talk to the court clerk or a legal aid group before the eviction date, not at the door.

Protective orders follow a similar path. A person seeking protection from an abusive family or household member files with a court clerk. When courts are closed, a District Court commissioner can issue an interim order. Peace orders cover harassment and similar conduct outside those relationships. In either case, enforcement generally depends on the other person being served, and that is often the sheriff's job. Howard County lists a dedicated Domestic Violence Enforcement office in Ellicott City, a sign of how much of this work a metro sheriff carries. In an emergency, call 911.

Some requests do not belong with the sheriff at all. Handgun qualification licenses and wear-and-carry permits go through the Maryland State Police Licensing Division, not the county sheriff. Incident reports and other public records are requested under the Maryland Public Information Act. Send a written request to the office that holds the record, and expect the custodian to charge only reasonable fees.

Before You Visit a Sheriff's Office in Maryland

A short phone call saves a wasted trip, especially in counties with several stations. Start with the paper in your hand. A summons, writ or warrant lists the court and a case number. Match it to the county where the case was filed, then call that county's sheriff using the number in the listings. Ask whether the office takes walk-ins, what hours it keeps, and whether your service happens at headquarters or at a district station.

Bring a government photo ID, every document tied to the matter and the case number. Ask in advance whether any fee applies and how it can be paid. Offices inside or beside a courthouse use security screening, so leave prohibited items in the car and allow extra time.

Keep emergencies separate. Call 911 for anything urgent rather than an office line. Questions about visiting or contacting someone in jail go to the detention center, which sets its own rules. In Dorchester, Caroline, Washington and Garrett counties, that center appears with the sheriff's listing.

Because sheriffs are elected, a complaint about service can go up the chain of command to the sheriff directly. If that fails, county voters have the final say at the next election.

Sheriff offices in Maryland are independently elected county agencies responsible for law enforcement, jail operations, and civil process service. Each county in Maryland elects its own sheriff, who serves as the chief law enforcement officer for that county's unincorporated areas.

Sheriff locations are available in 31 cities across Maryland. They are spread across 23 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of sheriff office listings include Cambridge, Upper Marlboro, Baltimore, reflecting the population centers where multiple sub-offices or specialty divisions may be located.

Maryland residents should note that sheriff offices handle civil law enforcement functions — such as serving eviction notices and foreclosure papers — in addition to criminal law enforcement, so the sheriff office is often the correct point of contact for civil legal matters at the county level.

Sheriff by Counties

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If you are a Maryland resident looking to obtain a concealed carry permit, request a background check clearance letter, or serve legal documents through official channels, your county sheriff office is the starting point — contact them directly to confirm required documentation and current processing times.

Browse Sheriff by county across Maryland to find the nearest location.

Matching Your Maryland Address to the Right Sheriff

Maryland's county lines do not always match the city name on your mailing address. Columbia and Edgewood, for example, are unincorporated communities, so their sheriff's offices fall under Howard County and Harford County rather than a city government. Chester sits on Kent Island, which is part of Queen Anne's County, so the Queen Anne's County sheriff covers that area, not an Anne Arundel office across the Bay Bridge.

County seats are the best starting point for court-related business. Upper Marlboro, Annapolis, La Plata, Bel Air, Centreville, Chestertown, Cumberland, Cambridge, Denton, Easton, Elkton, Ellicott City, Frederick, Hagerstown, Leonardtown, Oakland, Prince Frederick, Rockville and Salisbury are all county seats with sheriff listings nearby, and each county's circuit court sits in its seat.

Some listings serve narrow purposes. The Howard County Domestic Violence Enforcement office handles one type of case, while the Dorchester, Caroline, Washington and Garrett listings combine the sheriff and the jail. A combined listing means one phone number may reach both functions, so say clearly whether you need court papers, patrol or the detention center.

Sheriff races appear on the ballot in gubernatorial election years, the same years Marylanders choose a governor. Your local board of elections publishes the candidate list before each election. When you call any office, give your county and your case number first. Staff can then tell you whether the work falls to the sheriff, the clerk of court, the county police or the State's Attorney.

Sheriff Questions Maryland Residents Ask

Each of Maryland's 23 counties and Baltimore City elects a sheriff to a four-year term, so the state has 24 sheriffs in total. The office comes from the state constitution, which is why it does not depend on a county executive or council appointment. Sheriffs appear on the ballot in gubernatorial election years. Our directory shows 36 listings because several sheriffs operate more than one location, such as district stations, precincts, a domestic violence unit and combined jail entries. Those extra listings still belong to the same elected sheriff's office.

It depends on the county. Baltimore County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County and Prince George's County have county police departments that take most patrol calls, while their sheriffs concentrate on courts and legal papers. In Charles, Harford, Queen Anne's, Calvert, St. Mary's, Frederick and Washington counties, among others, the sheriff's office is a main law enforcement agency. The Maryland State Police also assist, particularly in rural areas. If you are in danger, dial 911 and let the dispatcher send the right agency rather than calling an office number from a directory.

The county or city sheriff carries out residential evictions, but only after the District Court of Maryland has entered a judgment and issued a warrant of restitution. A landlord must go through the court first and cannot lawfully skip that step by changing the locks. Once the warrant is issued, the sheriff's office schedules the eviction date, and tenants should call that office or check any notice posted at the home for details. A tenant who needs more time should contact the court clerk or a legal aid organization right away, because deputies cannot change what the judge ordered.

After a judge or commissioner issues a protective or peace order, a copy has to reach the person it restricts. In many Maryland counties the sheriff's office handles that delivery. The petitioner can help by giving the court accurate details such as the respondent's home address and workplace, which gives deputies a better chance of finding that person quickly. Howard County lists a Domestic Violence Enforcement office at 3565 Ellicott Mills Drive in Ellicott City for this kind of work. Ask the court clerk how service is handled in your county, and call 911 if the respondent violates the order.

No. In Maryland, handgun qualification licenses and wear-and-carry permits are handled by the Maryland State Police Licensing Division rather than by county sheriffs. Applicants generally complete an application, submit fingerprints and finish any required training first. Sheriff's offices can answer general questions about local law enforcement, but they will refer you to the State Police for licensing. If a protective order requires you to surrender firearms, the sheriff's office may be involved in that process, so ask the issuing court exactly what the order requires and by when.

Several do. Charles County has District 1 in La Plata and District 2 in Indian Head. Harford County has headquarters in Bel Air plus a Southern Precinct in Edgewood and a Northern Precinct in Jarrettsville. Queen Anne's County has its main office in Centreville and a Kent Narrows Station in Chester. Howard County lists a main office in Columbia and a Domestic Violence Enforcement office in Ellicott City. Before driving to a district station or precinct, call to confirm it handles the service you need, since not every station may accept court papers or walk-in requests.