St. Mary's County Traffic Ticket Records
St. Mary's County traffic ticket records are filed and stored at the District Court in Leonardtown. This court serves all of St. Mary's County, from Lexington Park to California to Great Mills. You can search traffic ticket records for free through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search site using a name or case number. The county has one District Court and one Circuit Court, both in Leonardtown. St. Mary's County does not participate in the MDOR online resolution program, so most traffic tickets here need to be handled by mail, phone, or in person at the courthouse. Finding your citation details and court date takes just a few minutes online.
St. Mary's County Overview
St. Mary's County Traffic Courts
The St. Mary's County District Court sits at 23110 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown. This is where all traffic ticket cases are heard. The court is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. You can call the court at 301-880-7700 or use the toll-free line at 1-800-943-0091. Staff can help with questions about your case, court dates, and how to respond to a citation. The District Court handles all traffic violations, misdemeanors, and civil cases up to $30,000 in St. Mary's County.
The Circuit Court is at 41605 Courthouse Drive in Leonardtown. Call 301-475-7844 to reach the clerk. If you lose a traffic case at the District Court level, you can appeal to the Circuit Court. Appeals must be filed within 30 days of the District Court ruling. The Circuit Court also handles more serious traffic offenses that get charged as criminal cases, such as DUI under Maryland Transportation Code § 21-902 and driving on a suspended license under § 16-303.
| District Court |
23110 Leonard Hall Drive Leonardtown, MD 20650 Phone: 301-880-2700 Toll-Free: 1-800-943-0091 |
|---|---|
| Circuit Court |
41605 Courthouse Drive Leonardtown, MD 20650 Phone: 301-475-7844 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
Search Traffic Ticket Records in St. Mary's County
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search is a free tool for looking up traffic ticket records in St. Mary's County. Go to the site. Accept the terms. Set the Case Type to "Traffic" and the Court System to "District Court Only." Enter a name or citation number. The results will show your fine amount, violation date, case status, and hearing date. You do not need an account to use it. The system covers all District Court cases across Maryland, so make sure you check that the case location says St. Mary's County.
You can also visit the courthouse on Leonard Hall Drive to look up records in person. The clerk's office can pull up your case and print documents. Plain copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies run $5.00 each. The first two hours of search time are free if staff need to dig into older files. After that, fees range from $25 to $50 per hour. The Maryland Public Information Act under General Provisions § 4-101 gives you the right to request these records.
The Maryland Judiciary traffic citation page has details on how the traffic court process works statewide, including forms and deadlines that apply in St. Mary's County.
Case Search results for St. Mary's County will list the Leonardtown court as the location. Each record shows the charge, the officer who wrote the ticket, and any scheduled court dates. Closed cases display the final outcome and any fines that were paid or are still owed.
Pay St. Mary's County Traffic Tickets
There are a few ways to pay a traffic ticket in St. Mary's County. The easiest option is online through the Maryland Courts payment portal. A convenience fee applies. You can also call 1-800-492-2656 to pay by phone with a credit card. Mail a check or money order to the District Court Traffic Processing Center at P.O. Box 6676, Annapolis, MD 21401. Or walk into the Leonardtown courthouse and pay at the clerk's window.
The 30-day rule matters. You must respond to your traffic ticket within 30 days of the date it was issued. That means paying the fine, requesting a trial, or asking for a waiver hearing. If you miss that window, the MVA gets notified. They can suspend your license under § 16-303. Getting it back means paying a reinstatement fee on top of the original fine. Some violations in St. Mary's County are must-appear, meaning you cannot just pay online. DUI, reckless driving under § 21-901.1, and driving while suspended all require a court date.
Note: St. Mary's County does not participate in MDOR, so you cannot resolve traffic tickets through the online resolution system.
Traffic Ticket Points in St. Mary's County
Points from traffic tickets in St. Mary's County go on your driving record at the MVA. The District Court does not track points. The MVA does. Speeding under § 21-801.1 adds 1 to 2 points depending on how far over the limit you were. Running a red light is 2 points. Reckless driving under § 21-901.1 carries 6 points. At 8 to 11 points, the MVA can suspend your license. Hit 12 and they revoke it.
You can check your point total by contacting the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. A driving record request costs $12. The MVA tracks all traffic convictions from every county in Maryland. If you get a ticket in St. Mary's County but live in another part of the state, the points still go on your record the same way. Points stay on your record for two years from the violation date.
Some drivers in St. Mary's County choose to take a driver improvement course to reduce points. The MVA accepts approved courses for a 3-point credit once every three years. This can help if you are close to the suspension threshold. The court may also offer probation before judgment on certain traffic offenses, which avoids points entirely but still shows up in your traffic ticket records.
Get Traffic Records in St. Mary's County
Official copies of traffic ticket records from St. Mary's County come from the District Court clerk in Leonardtown. Walk in or send a written request. You will need the case number or enough identifying details for staff to locate the file. The Maryland Courts forms page has the paperwork you may need, including Form DR-490 for responding to a citation you lost.
For accident reports tied to traffic tickets in St. Mary's County, contact the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office or the Maryland State Police. Reports cost around $10 each. These are separate from the court record but can be useful if you need to build a case for your defense or for an insurance claim.
Note: Accident reports are not available through Case Search and must be requested from law enforcement directly.
Nearby Counties
These counties border St. Mary's County. Make sure you know which county your ticket was issued in before contacting the court. The wrong courthouse cannot process your case.