Frequently Asked Questions
The Office of the
Criminal matters:
The State’s Attorney’s Office for
Pending court cases:
The office is not connected with the court system and cannot provide information on pending court cases. For further information, you may contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court at
Code of the Public Local Laws of
Our office maintains and provides copies of the Code of the Public Local Laws ($20.00 for the 1991 Code and binder, $5.00 for the 1994 supplement, $5.00 for the 1997 supplement, the most recent version in published form and $5.00 for mailing). A copy is also available at the Washington County Free Library,
Board of Education:
Our office does not provide representation to the Board of Education. You may contact the Board of Education at
Legal advice on private issues:
Citizens needing legal advice on private issues should retain a private attorney.
Check the local Yellow Pages for informative listings by name and by area
of practice. You may also obtain directories of attorneys by name, office
location, and practice area on the directory of members of the Maryland
State Bar Association or on one of the national legal directories, Findlaw or Martindale.com.
Legal Information Brochures:
The Maryland State Bar Association offers a series of twenty-four easy-to-read guides designed to inform the public about common legal problems. These brochures are free to the members of the public, who may download them from the following link or order up to 100 copies.
Legal services for the indigent:
These services may be obtained from the Legal Aid Bureau, Inc., telephone: (301) 694-7414 (civil matters) or the Office of the Public Defender, 100 West Franklin Street, Hagerstown, Maryland 21740, telephone: 301-791-4735 (criminal matters).
Police matters:
While the office often provides legal services to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, any matters involving the Sheriff's Office should be communicated directly to the Office at the general number,
District Court Commissioner:
The County Commissioners have no relationship to the District Court Commissioners, who are judicial officers authorized to issue statements of criminal charges and perform other judicial functions for the District Court of Maryland. The District Court Commissioners can be reached at
Consumer complaints about services rendered or purchases of faulty items:
These complaints are handled by the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Maryland Attorney General, which has a local office at
Complaints from homeowners:
Homeowners with complaints about licensed contractors or with general questions about a home improvement contractor performing repair, replacement, remodeling or modernization of home or property may contact the Maryland Home Improvement Commission at
Permits and Inspections Department:
The Office of Permits and Inspections will address any questions concerning zoning classifications; issuance of building and other permits and code enforcement. Telephone:
Planning and Community Development Department:
The Office of the Planning and Community Development accepts applications for rezoning of property and subdivision and site plan approval. Telephone:
Engineering Department:
The Engineering Department handles grading permits and stormwater management issues. Telephone: 240-313-2400.
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