Quick Overview
- Maryland is unusual in having two distinct post-conviction relief mechanisms that serve different purposes and cover different categories of records.
- Eligibility analysis in Maryland requires determining whether you are seeking expungement of a non-conviction record or shielding of a conviction record.
- Maryland's expungement and shielding processes address the government records - but the online ecosystem operates independently and is not updated by court orders.
On this page 4 sections
Maryland's Two-Track System: Expungement vs. Shielding
Maryland is unusual in having two distinct post-conviction relief mechanisms that serve different purposes and cover different categories of records. Understanding the distinction is critical to understanding what will actually happen to your court record - and why your online footprint may persist even after legal relief is granted. For more information, visit the Maryland Courts.
Expungement - Md. Code Crim. Proc. § 10-101 et seq.
Maryland expungement physically removes records from court files, law enforcement records, and other criminal justice agency files. After expungement, the records are not merely restricted - they are destroyed. Expungement is available for: Learn more about expungement vs. record sealing on our blog.
- Acquittals and charges that resulted in a finding of not guilty
- Cases that were dismissed, nolle prossed, or stetted (charges placed on the inactive docket)
- Cases where probation before judgment was granted and the waiting period has elapsed
- Convictions for acts that are no longer crimes under Maryland law
Shielding - Maryland Second Chance Act
Maryland's Second Chance Act (codified primarily at Md. Code Crim. Proc. § 10-301 et seq.) provides a different form of relief - shielding - which restricts public access to certain conviction records without destroying them. Shielded records remain accessible to law enforcement, criminal justice agencies, and certain regulated industries (healthcare, education, financial services), but are removed from the Maryland Judiciary Case Search public portal.
The Second Chance Act has been expanded through subsequent legislation to cover a broader range of non-violent misdemeanor convictions. As of 2026, shielding eligibility extends to many misdemeanor drug possession offenses, certain theft offenses, and other non-violent misdemeanors after a three-year waiting period. Learn more about court record removal on our blog.
| Relief Type | Legal Authority | Destroys Record? | Seals from Public? | Google Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expungement (non-conviction) | Md. C.C.P. § 10-104 | Yes | Yes | None automatically |
| Expungement (PBJ) | Md. C.C.P. § 10-105 | Yes (after wait) | Yes | None automatically |
| Shielding (conviction) | Second Chance Act | No - restricts access | Public portal only | None automatically |
| Third-party aggregators | Opt-out / CCPA | No legal mechanism | Case-by-case opt-out | Removable with effort |
Eligibility for Expungement and Shielding in Maryland
Eligibility analysis in Maryland requires determining whether you are seeking expungement of a non-conviction record or shielding of a conviction record. For more information, visit the Maryland General Assembly.
Non-Conviction Expungement Eligibility
Cases that resulted in acquittal, dismissal, or nolle prosequi are eligible for expungement immediately (for acquittals) or after a three-year waiting period (for dismissals and nolle prosequi in certain circumstances). Cases placed on the "stet" docket - inactive charges that were not prosecuted - are eligible after three years. Probation before judgment (PBJ) is eligible for expungement after completing probation and any additional waiting period. Learn more about background check reports on our blog.
Conviction Shielding Eligibility - Second Chance Act
To be eligible for shielding under Maryland's Second Chance Act, the conviction must:
- Be for a misdemeanor offense listed as eligible under the statute (not all misdemeanors qualify)
- Have a sentence completion date at least three years in the past
- Not involve a crime of violence, sex offense, or offense involving a child or vulnerable adult
- Have no pending criminal charges or subsequent convictions
Maryland's electronic court system - the Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) platform - has been rolling out across counties. Not all counties are on MDEC, and casesearch.courts.state.md.us is the unified public-facing portal. After expungement or shielding, the case should no longer appear in Case Search searches. However, processing delays and inter-system communication gaps mean the record may persist on the portal for 30 to 90 days after the order is signed. Third-party sites that indexed the Case Search portal before your order was entered are unaffected.
Why Maryland Court Records Persist Online After Expungement or Shielding
Maryland's expungement and shielding processes address the government records - but the online ecosystem operates independently and is not updated by court orders.
casesearch.courts.state.md.us
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal is the primary public-access database for Maryland court records. After expungement or shielding, the case should be restricted from public view on this portal. However, the restriction must be processed by the court clerk and synchronized with the MDEC system - this takes time. Data brokers that scraped Case Search before your order was entered have already indexed the data.
Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC)
MDEC is Maryland's unified electronic filing and case management system. As counties transition to MDEC, public access to court records may shift between portals. After expungement or shielding, records should be restricted in both the legacy Case Search system and the MDEC public portal. If you notice the record appearing in one system but not the other after your order, contact the clerk of court to flag the discrepancy.
CourtListener and Legal Aggregators
CourtListener indexes Maryland appellate court opinions from the Maryland Court of Special Appeals and Maryland Court of Appeals. If your case reached the appellate level, the published opinion may remain indexed regardless of any trial court expungement or shielding order. Appellate opinions are part of the public legal record.
Data Broker Sites
Commercial data brokers compile criminal history profiles from Case Search and other public sources. These profiles are not updated when Maryland courts process expungements or shielding orders. Each data broker must be individually contacted with an opt-out request, and documentation of the court order is typically required.
Maryland's Case Search portal is one of the most accessible state court search systems in the country - it allows anyone to search by name and view case history. This accessibility means data brokers have indexed Maryland records extensively. After expungement or shielding, we routinely find that dozens of data broker profiles remain active for Maryland residents. Each must be individually addressed; there is no shortcut to comprehensive removal.
How to Remove Maryland Court Records from Google and Data Broker Sites
After obtaining expungement or shielding, the following steps address the online dimension of your record. This requires systematic effort across each source independently.
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1
Obtain certified copies of the expungement or shielding order
Request certified copies from the court that issued the order. Maryland expungement orders are issued by the court of original jurisdiction. You will need certified copies for data broker opt-out submissions and for documentation when requesting Google de-indexing. -
2
Confirm casesearch.courts.state.md.us has restricted the case
Search the Maryland Case Search portal directly for your name. If the case still appears 30 to 60 days after your expungement or shielding order was signed, contact the clerk of the originating court. They can escalate the processing issue with the Maryland Judiciary's IT systems. -
3
Submit opt-out requests to data brokers
Submit opt-out requests to Spokeo, BeenVerified, Intelius, TruthFinder, PeopleFinder, Whitepages, and all other aggregators showing your record. Include your certified expungement or shielding order as documentation. Re-check all sites at 90-day intervals. See our detailed guide on removing court records from Spokeo and similar platforms. -
4
Audit all URLs showing your record in Google
Search Google for your name combined with county name, charge type, and year. Document every URL. Include casesearch.courts.state.md.us cached pages, data broker profiles, CourtListener, Justia, news archives, and any mugshot sites. This list is your removal work queue. -
5
Use Google's Personal Information Removal Tool
Once source pages have been removed or restricted, submit Google Personal Information Removal Tool requests for URLs referencing the expunged or shielded record. For pages that remain cached but have already been removed at the source, use the outdated content removal tool at removals.google.com. -
6
Contact news publishers and legal aggregators directly
If news coverage (Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, local outlets) or legal aggregators (Justia, CourtListener) are surfacing your record, contact them directly with documentation of your expungement or shielding order and a formal removal request. Responses vary - some publishers have updated policies for old minor records; others require persistent follow-up.
Even after successful removal, new sources can pick up your record and re-publish it. Our monitoring service tracks your name across 200+ platforms and alerts you the moment a new result appears - so you can address it before it gains search visibility.
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