Pennsylvania Court Records
How Pennsylvania's courts are organized, where their records are kept and how to search them.
Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System offers one of the best free online sources of criminal court records in the country. The UJS Web Portal lets anyone search criminal docket sheets from every Court of Common Pleas and magisterial district court, along with appellate cases.
Civil, family and estate records are a different story. They are kept by county offices (the prothonotary, clerk of courts and register of wills), and online access varies by county.
The UJS Web Portal also offers court calendars, statewide docket sheets for criminal cases filed since the early 2000s, and secure document access for parties. Civil cases are searched through each county's prothonotary, and many larger counties, such as Allegheny, Philadelphia and Montgomery, run their own online systems.
How Pennsylvania's courts are organized
Pennsylvania has two intermediate appellate courts with different jobs.
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The oldest appellate court in the nation. Seven justices hear appeals they choose to review and some direct appeals.
Superior Court
Hears most civil and criminal appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas.
Commonwealth Court
Hears cases involving state and local government and regulatory agencies.
Courts of Common Pleas
The general jurisdiction trial courts, in 60 judicial districts. They hear civil, criminal, family, orphans' court (estates) and juvenile cases.
Minor courts
Magisterial district courts hear traffic, minor criminal cases, landlord-tenant and small civil claims. Philadelphia Municipal Court serves the city of Philadelphia.
Searching Pennsylvania court records online
The UJS Web Portal is the place to start for criminal and appellate cases.
- UJS Web Portal case searchFree search of criminal docket sheets from Common Pleas and magisterial district courts, plus appellate cases.
- Unified Judicial System of PennsylvaniaOpinions, court directories, forms and self-help.
Getting records from the clerk's office
In each county, the prothonotary keeps civil case records, the clerk of courts keeps criminal case records, and the register of wills and orphans' court clerk keeps estate and adoption records. Copies and certified copies are available for set fees.
Deeds are kept by the county recorder of deeds.
Pennsylvania's county row offices divide records in a way that can surprise newcomers: the prothonotary handles civil cases and judgments, the clerk of courts handles criminal cases, the register of wills keeps wills and estates, and the orphans' court clerk keeps adoptions, guardianships and incapacity cases. Philadelphia runs its own Office of Judicial Records.
- Pennsylvania court directoryInformation about the Courts of Common Pleas in every county.
What is public, and what is not
The Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System governs what is available. Most records are open, but juvenile, adoption, mental health and some family records are confidential.
Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law automatically seals many older misdemeanor convictions and non-conviction records, and people can petition for sealing of others. Expungement is available in limited situations. Sealed records are hidden from the public.
The Unified Judicial System's Public Access Policy limits what can be seen online and requires filers to use confidential information forms for Social Security numbers, financial account numbers and other sensitive details. Juvenile, adoption and many family records are confidential.
- PALawHelp: Clearing your recordFree information on expungement and record sealing.
Older and archived records
Historical court records are held by county offices and by the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg.
Pennsylvania's historical court records, including colonial and early county court files, are held by county offices and the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg.
- Pennsylvania State ArchivesHistorical state and county records.
Criminal history and background records
A court file tells you what happened in one case in one court. A criminal history record (often called a rap sheet) pulls together arrests, charges and outcomes reported from across the state, so it is a different product kept by a different agency.
The Pennsylvania State Police keeps the state's criminal history records and sells public name-based searches through PATCH.
- PATCHPennsylvania Access to Criminal History: public, name-based record checks for a fee.
- Pennsylvania Megan's Law websitePublic search of registered sexual offenders.
- PA Department of Corrections inmate locatorFind people in Pennsylvania state custody.
Federal court records in Pennsylvania
Federal cases, including federal crimes, bankruptcies, and lawsuits over federal law or between citizens of different states, are not filed in Pennsylvania's state courts. Pennsylvania is divided into 3 federal judicial districts, and each has its own clerk's office:
Federal case files are searched through PACER, the federal judiciary's records system. PACER charges a small fee per page, but you pay nothing if your charges stay under the quarterly fee-waiver threshold, court opinions are free, and every federal courthouse has public terminals you can use at no cost. Many PACER documents have also been copied into the free RECAP Archive on CourtListener. Appeals from Pennsylvania's federal courts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Tips for a faster search
- Pennsylvania criminal docket numbers look like CP-51-CR-0001234-2024, where CP means Common Pleas and 51 is the county code (Philadelphia).
- For civil cases, go to the county prothonotary's website.
- Sealed records will not appear on the UJS portal.
- Magisterial district court cases (traffic, minor offenses, small claims) also appear on the UJS portal, with docket numbers starting with MJ.
- Have the full names of the parties, the county and a rough date range ready. A case number is the fastest way in if you have one.
- Online indexes are not the official record. If a decision depends on it, get a copy (or a certified copy) from the clerk's office that holds the file.
Legal help and law libraries
Clerks and law librarians can explain how to find a record, but they cannot give legal advice. These organizations can point you in the right direction:
- PALawHelpFree legal information and links to legal aid.
- State Library of PennsylvaniaPublic law collections in Harrisburg.
This guide is general information about public records, not legal advice. Court websites, fees and rules change, so confirm details with the court before you rely on them. Civics-Online.org is not affiliated with any court or government agency.