Search Charles County Traffic Ticket Records
Charles County traffic ticket records are processed at the District Court in La Plata. The court at 11 Washington Avenue handles all traffic citations from across the county. Searching Charles County traffic ticket records is free through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search portal, where you can look up cases by name or citation number. Charles County also runs an active speed camera program managed by the Sheriff's Office, which creates a separate set of records outside the court system. This guide covers court records, camera citations, payments, and how to get copies of traffic ticket records in Charles County.
Charles County Overview
Charles County Traffic Ticket Courts
The Charles County District Court in La Plata is the only court that processes traffic ticket cases in this county. It sits at 11 Washington Avenue. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The accounting department has a direct line at 301-934-5056 for questions about fines and balances. Hon. Kenneth A. Talley serves as the Administrative Judge. Markisha Gross is the Administrative Clerk who oversees daily court operations in Charles County.
| District Court |
11 Washington Avenue P.O. Box 3070 La Plata, MD 20646 Phone: 301-934-5110 Toll-Free: 1-800-941-3463 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Circuit Court |
200 Charles Street, La Plata, MD 20646 Phone: 301-932-3201 Clerk: Lisa Yates |
Appeals go to the Circuit Court at 200 Charles Street. Lisa Yates serves as Clerk. You must file your appeal within 30 days of the District Court decision. The Circuit Court gives you a completely new trial on your Charles County traffic ticket case.
Find Traffic Records in Charles County
Use the Maryland Judiciary Case Search to look up Charles County traffic ticket records online. It is free. No account needed. Accept the terms of use. Set Case Type to "Traffic" and Court System to "District Court Only." Enter a name or citation number. The results show the violation date, fine, case status, hearing dates, and the La Plata courthouse as the location. This covers officer-issued citations only. Camera tickets will not show up here.
You can walk into the La Plata courthouse to search records in person. The clerk pulls up cases at the counter. Call 301-934-5110 if you want to check on a case by phone. Have your citation number ready. The toll-free number is 1-800-941-3463. Use Form DR-490 from the Maryland Courts forms page to select how you want to respond to your ticket. Mail it within 30 days. Missing that deadline triggers a flag on your license under Maryland Transportation Code § 16-303.
Charles County Speed Camera Program
The Charles County Sheriff's Office runs a speed camera program across the county. These are civil citations, not criminal. They carry no points. They do not show up on the Maryland Judiciary Case Search. The CCSO automated enforcement page has details on camera locations and how the program works. Call 301-932-3519 for questions about speed camera tickets in Charles County.
Speed camera fines in Charles County depend on how far over the limit you were going. The scale starts at $40 for 12 to 15 mph over. It jumps to $70 for 16 to 19 over. Going 20 to 29 mph over costs $120. The $230 fine kicks in at 30 to 39 over. At 40 or more mph over the speed limit, the fine is $425. These are some of the steepest camera fines in Maryland, especially at the higher tiers.
You have three ways to pay a Charles County camera ticket. Mail a check or money order to the Charles County Treasurer's Office at P.O. Box 1660, Waldorf, MD 20604. Pay in person at 3670 Leonardtown Road Suite 105 in Waldorf or 200 Baltimore Street in La Plata. Or pay online at www.public.cite-web.com using your citation and PIN number. Phone payments are not accepted for camera tickets in Charles County. That is a common question, and the answer is no.
Note: Charles County camera citations carry no points and are not part of the court system, so they will not appear in Maryland Judiciary Case Search results.
Charles County Sheriff Records Access
The Charles County Sheriff's Office maintains its own records system separate from the courts. The CCSO handles accident reports, incident reports, and traffic enforcement documentation. Their main office is at 6915 Crain Highway in La Plata. Call the records section at 301-609-6404 for general requests. Traffic operations can be reached at 301-932-3062 or by emailing trafficoperations@ccso.us.
To request records from the Sheriff's Office, you fill out Public Records Request Form #331. The processing fee is $8.00. Only cashier's checks and money orders are accepted. No cash or personal checks. The first 10 pages cost $8.00 total. Each extra page after that is $0.50. If the search takes more than two hours, a research fee of $25.00 per hour starts at the third hour. Processing takes about 10 business days. Special requests can take up to 30 days. The Maryland Public Information Act under General Provisions § 4-101 governs what records you can get.
The CCSO also offers an online records request portal through NextRequest. You can submit, track, and receive records electronically. It is faster than the mail-in method for most Charles County traffic ticket records requests.
The NextRequest portal above lets you track the status of your request in real time. You get email updates when the CCSO processes your submission.
Pay Charles County Traffic Tickets
Court-issued traffic tickets in Charles County can be paid through the LexisNexis payment portal online. A convenience fee applies. Phone payments go through 1-800-492-2656. Mail a check or money order to the District Court Traffic Processing Center at P.O. Box 6676, Annapolis, MD 21401. You can also pay in person at the La Plata courthouse. Any District Court in Maryland will accept your payment too.
The 30-day window is firm. Pay, request a trial, or ask for a waiver hearing within that time. If you do not, the court sends word to the MVA. Your license gets flagged under § 16-303. DUI cases under § 21-902 and other must-appear charges require you to show up at the La Plata courthouse. You cannot pay those online. For fines of $150 or more, use Form DCA-131 to set up a payment plan with 10 monthly installments.
Speeding under § 21-801.1 adds points to your MVA record. One to two points depending on the speed. Reckless driving under § 21-901.1 is 6 points. The MVA tracks these separately from the Charles County court. Call (800) 950-1MVA for your full driving record.
Cities in Charles County
Charles County has several communities. Traffic cases from these areas all go through the La Plata District Court. Pick a city below for local details.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Charles County. Confirm which county your ticket was issued in before contacting any court. The jurisdiction on your citation tells you where to go.