This week, our family lawyers help one Marylander figure out how to find old CPS records from an investigation that wrapped up some 20 years ago.

The Question: How can I get CPS records from Maryland?

Getting old CPS records in Maryland

I need access to a report from 20 years ago probably from CPS, any ideas besides calling CPS?

The Answer: If you’re an involved party, then you have to call CPS for the records. If you’re a third-party, you better have a court order.

To more directly answer your question: No, there’s probably no way to get a CPS record without actually calling the Maryland CPS office. And, it’s much harder to do if you’re not one of the parties directly involved.

In order to have CPS release records regarding investigations, you’ll have the best luck if you were one of the people under investigation, either as the child directly involved 20+ years ago or as the parent.

If you’re a third-party — even if you’re married or related to someone involved, but not directly involved yourself — then you’ll basically need a court order to get CPS to release any records at all.

In general, CPS must release requested records if they’re subpoenaed or a judge otherwise orders it. Otherwise, you’re probably out of luck if you’re not directly involved.

That said, it may be easier to get CPS to deliver records depending on what you’re asking for. For example, it’s much more difficult to have CPS deliver actual investigative documents, rather than simply asking for some sort of summary report.

Best of luck! If you run into trouble on your own, then see about retaining a lawyer to do some investigative work for you.

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Our general disclaimer: We’re lawyers, but not necessarily your lawyer, and do not represent the individual who asked this question. We’re providing this information for general educational purposes based on the publicly available information provided by the anonymous Internet user. Any number of details may change how this individual’s attorney may pursue this legal situation, differently from how we suppose above. If you have a similar question, then you should consult with a lawyer about your specific situation to get a “real” response!