Pennsylvania Court Records Search

Pennsylvania Court Records & Case Lookup

Pennsylvania courts handle approximately 3 million cases every year across various categories. About 350,000 of these cases are criminal matters, including felonies and misdemeanors, while civil cases account for about 380,000. Traffic cases make up a significant portion of the matters filed in Pennsylvania's courts and account for nearly 64 percent of its annual caseload. On the other hand, domestic relations cases and juvenile matters collectively make up less than 13 percent of the new cases filed in Pennsylvania each year.

Pennsylvania court records are presumed to be public records under the state's Right-To-Know Law – this means that they can generally be viewed and copied by interested parties. Access to these records is provided in line with the Pennsylvania court system's Public records polices. It should be noted that these policies restrict access to certain information, such as juvenile records, sealed criminal case records, and details on abuse victims, to protect the privacy of the parties involved. Only specific authorized parties may view these restricted records.

Pennsylvania court records are generally maintained by county Prothonotaries and/or Clerk of Courts and may be accessed by contacting these custodians. In addition, the state provides a centralized platform (the Pennsylvania Judiciary Web Portal) that can be used to look up case information online.

State of Pennsylvania Court System

The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System is one of the oldest court systems in North America. This court system operates a pyramid-like structure divided into four levels. At the top is the Supreme Court, which has the final say on all legal matters filed in Pennsylvania. Next are the Superior and Commonwealth Courts. These are intermediate appellate courts – the Superior Court hears appeals on most criminal and civil matters, while the Commonwealth Court has appellate jurisdiction over matters involving state and local government agencies.

The third and fourth levels comprise the state's trial courts, namely the Courts of Common Pleas, followed by the Magisterial District and Municipal Courts (which are the lowest courts in the state's court system). These courts collectively handle the bulk of legal cases filed in the state. Most Pennsylvanians' interaction with the state's criminal justice system usually begins and ends with a trial court. Cases are typically heard before a judge (sometimes with a jury).

Pennsylvania Trial Courts

Pennsylvania's court system comprises two types of trial courts – general jurisdiction courts, which have broad authority to hear nearly all types of cases, and limited jurisdiction courts, which typically handle smaller (and less complex) cases:

The Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas

The Courts of Common Pleas are Pennsylvania's general jurisdiction trial courts. The Courts of Common Pleas can hear all types of criminal and civil cases; however, they typically only handle matters outside the jurisdiction of the lower courts. Pennsylvania's court system is divided into 60 judicial districts and each of these districts has at least one Court of Common Pleas. Decisions reached in these courts may be appealed to the Superior Court, but cases involving the death penalty or significant state statutes are directly appealed to the Supreme Court.

The Pennsylvania Magisterial District Courts

The magisterial district courts are limited jurisdiction trial courts that handle minor criminal and civil matters, such as summary offenses, small claims (of up to $12,000), and preliminary hearings for criminal cases. These magisterial district courts are the only courts in the Pennsylvania Unified Judiciary System where the presiding judges do not have to be lawyers, as long as they pass a qualifying examination.

The Philadelphia Municipal Court

The Philadelphia Municipal Court is one of two municipal courts in Pennsylvania. This court is a limited jurisdiction court tasked with processing all arrests that occur in Philadelphia County. The municipal court also handles summary offenses, misdemeanors, felony case preliminary hearings, landlord and tenant disputes, small claims of up to $12,000, real estate and school tax cases up to $15,000, and violations of vehicle laws in Philadelphia.

The Pittsburgh Municipal Court

The Pittsburgh Municipal Court is a limited jurisdiction court that handles traffic and non-traffic summary offenses, ordinance violations, and preliminary hearings for misdemeanors and felonies that occur within Pittsburgh city limits. In addition, this court has jurisdiction over preliminary hearings for all homicide cases in Allegheny County.

What are the Specialty Courts in Pennsylvania?

Philadelphia's specialty courts, sometimes referred to as problem-solving courts or treatment courts, are innovative courts in the state's judicial system that address specific types of behaviors linked to criminal and social problems. These courts provide alternatives to traditional jail sentencing through the supervised treatment and rehabilitation of carefully selected offenders. The main goal of Philadelphia's problem-solving courts is to address the underlying issue contributing to criminal behavior and ultimately reduce repeat offenses.

Since Philadelphia established its first adult drug court program in 1997, the state's court system has expanded to include several types of problem-solving courts, such as:

• Veterans Treatment Courts
• Drug Courts
• DUI Courts
• Juvenile Drug Courts
• Mental Health Courts

Pennsylvania State Court Records vs. Federal Court Records

Understanding the distinction between state court records and federal court records is important when looking up case information in Pennsylvania. State court records are generated from cases heard in Pennsylvania courts and contain details on proceedings and activities in the state's unified judicial system. These are different from federal court records, which are generated from the federal courts sited in Pennsylvania. These records cover cases involving federal crimes, interstate civil matters involving more than $75,000, bankruptcy cases, and matters concerning the U.S. Constitution.

There are currently four federal courts located in Pennsylvania:

• The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• The United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
• The United States District Courts for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (this circuit also covers Delaware, New Jersey, and the U.S. Virgin Islands)

Pennsylvania state and federal court records can both be accessed online, albeit via different platforms. Federal court records can be accessed via the U.S. judiciary's Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database, while Pennsylvania state court records are accessible via the state's Judiciary Web Portal.

What Are Public and Non-Public Court Records in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania court records are considered public records (per the state's Right-To-Know Law) and can generally be inspected and copied by interested members of the public. Notwithstanding this, some records are considered confidential and are either restricted from public disclosure or disclosed with certain information redacted. The table below provides an overview of public and confidential Pennsylvania court records:

How To Seal or Expunge Pennsylvania Court Records

Pennsylvania makes provisions for sealing and expunging court records, under certain conditions. Some records may be automatically sealed after a specified time limit (per PA 2018 Act 56, otherwise known as the state's Clean Slate Law), while others require filing a petition with the court holding the records. Sealing a record hides it from the public, preventing it from showing up on background checks; however, the record remains accessible to law enforcement and certain other governmental entities.

On the other hand, expungement means that the record is completely erased and destroyed. This process is typically limited to specific situations, including non-conviction records, summary convictions, juvenile records, and pardoned convictions.

Note that, even though most felony and misdemeanor records can be sealed, certain offenses are generally ineligible for the sealing process. These include:

• Violent offenses
• Offenses requiring registration as a sex offender
• Corruption of minors
• Cruelty to animals
• Offenses involving firearms

How To Seal Court Records in Pennsylvania

Court records in Pennsylvania can be sealed via two options: Clean Slate Automation and Limited Access Petitions:

• Clean Slate Automation Record Sealing: per the Pennsylvania Clean Slate Law, most criminal records are automatically sealed if certain requirements are met, which include:

  • The offense must be eligible for this process (violent offenses, child abuse cases, and sexual offenses typically are deemed ineligible for record sealing)
  • A minimum waiting period must have elapsed. This is 30 days for "not-guilty" and dropped charges, five years for summary convictions, seven years for misdemeanors, and 10 years for felonies
  • The person must not have any pending criminal charges or convictions during the waiting period
  • The person must have paid all restitution (as stipulated by the imposed sentence)

  This type of sealing does not require any action on the part of the person named on the record.

• Limited Access Petition Record Sealing: the key difference between this and the clean slate automation option is that the person named on the record has to file a petition with the Clerk of Courts in the county where the conviction occurred.

Once this petition is correctly filed (using the Petition for Order for Limited Access Form), the district attorney is notified within 10 days and has 30 days to file an objection. A hearing will be held if the DA objects to the petition; otherwise, it is usually granted (as long as the person meets all eligibility requirements). Once the petition is granted, criminal justice agencies that have the record(s) on file will be notified and instructed to limit public access to them.

How To Expunge Court Records in Pennsylvania

Record expungement in Pennsylvania is generally limited to non-conviction records (situations where the charges were dropped, withdrawn, "nolle prossed", or resulted in a "not guilty" verdict') and specific conviction records. These include:

• Summary convictions provided that the person has been arrest-free for at least five years (after the conviction) and has paid all court-stipulated fines and costs
• Conviction records of individuals who are at least 70 years old and have been arrest-free for at least 10 years after the completion of their sentence
• Conviction records of individuals who have been dead for at least three years
• Conviction records of individuals who have been granted an unconditional pardon by the governor
• Juvenile records involving non-sexual offenses

Eligible parties can get their record expunged by filing a petition with the court of jurisdiction. The Unified Judicial System provides access to expungement petition forms on its "For the Public" webpage. The petitioner must attach a current copy of their criminal history report to the petition – this report must be obtained from the Pennsylvania State Police no later than 60 days before filing the petition. Similar to the record sealing process, the district attorney is notified and given 30 – 60 days to either file a consent or objection to the petition or take no action. Depending on the DA's response, the court may either grant or deny the petition or schedule a hearing where both parties will be allowed the opportunity to present their case.

In situations where the DA objects and the petition is still granted, the order is stayed for 30 days to give them time to appeal. If (or when) an order for expungement is finally granted, all relevant criminal justice agencies and government entities are notified and instructed to expunge the record(s) in question.

How Do You Access State of Pennsylvania Court Records?

Pennsylvania court records are generally available to interested members of the public and can be accessed online via state-approved databases or in person by visiting the court that handled the case.

Online Access to Pennsylvania Court Records

Members of the public can view court case information in Pennsylvania at no cost using the Unified Judiciary System (UJS) Web Portal that the state provides for this purpose. Searches can be done via several parameters, including the names of the parties involved in the case, the date the case was filed, and the citation, complaint, docket, or incident number.

It should be noted that confidential/restricted records and information on civil cases from Courts of Common Pleas are typically not available via this portal. Notwithstanding this, some counties in Pennsylvania provide access to separate online platforms that can be used to search for civil cases filed in their respective jurisdictions. Links to these platforms are usually hosted on the county's official website.

In-Person Access to State of Pennsylvania Court Records

Official copies of Pennsylvania court records are managed locally by the Prothonotaries (for civil records) or Clerks of Courts (for criminal records) in the county where the case was filed. In some counties, these positions are held by the same individual.

Interested parties may inspect these records (and even obtain copies) in person by contacting the appropriate record custodian; in some cases, this may require the submission of a Request for Access Form. There is a 25-cent fee per page for copying Pennsylvania court records, and additional fees may apply depending on the nature and complexity of the request.

How To Request Judicial Administrative Records

Interested parties may access copies of judicial financial and administrative records in Pennsylvania by submitting a written request to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) at:

Requesters are not required to explain their reason or intended use for the records; however, the request must contain enough specific information to enable the record custodian to suitably identify the required record.

Responses are typically provided within 10 days. This response will either:

• Confirm that the written request has been officially received and provide an expected delivery date for the required records (usually within 30 business days)
• Fulfill the request or inform the requester that the record will be available after certain fees are paid
• Notify the requester that their request does not comply with the court system's Public Records policies and specifically identify the issues
• Notify the requester that the required records cannot be provided and state the reasons for the denial

How To Access Older and Archived Court Records in Pennsylvania

Older Pennsylvania court records are usually available at the original courthouse where the case was filed and can be accessed by submitting a formal request to the Prothonotary or Clerk of Court. Some older court records may also be accessed through the Pennsylvania State Archives and other public databases, though the availability of records via these options varies by county and case type.