Howard County Sheriff's Office

Howard County Sheriff's Office has served Howard County, Maryland, since 1851, with a mission centered on enforcing court orders and keeping the Circuit Court secure. Uniformed deputies and non-sworn special police officers, who train in both corrections and law enforcement, staff the Circuit Courthouse, where every visitor passes a metal detector and bags go through an x-ray scanner; deputies secure courtrooms during trials, and knives, stun guns, Tasers, mace and recording equipment are barred. Other services include summons and warrant service, fugitive retrieval, prisoner transportation, landlord-tenant work and domestic violence assistance. The Domestic Violence Unit is the county's designated agency for collecting firearms surrendered under court orders, and it runs a background investigation before returning any firearm once a protective order expires. For civil process, the office serves Circuit Court and out-of-state papers for defendants living or employed in Howard County, at $60 per document, whether issued by a Maryland or an out-of-state court, payable by check or money order; papers need at least two weeks before expiration, and half the fee is refunded when service fails. The office has also earned national CALEA accreditation.