Chester County
Established in 1682, Chester County is located in southeastern Pennsylvania and named after Chester City in England. It has a population of 536,474 residents, making it the seventh most populous county in Pennsylvania. The county occupies a land area of about 751 square miles, and its county seat is the West Chester Borough.
The Chester County court system comprises the Court of Common Pleas, Orphans' Court, and Magisterial District Courts. The Court of Common Pleas has general jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases that are outside the authority of other county courts. It handles all felony-related cases and civil lawsuits involving contract breaches, personal injury, and other monetary claims. The apex court also handles appeals from the Magisterial District Courts. Chester County's Orphans' Court, a division of the Court of Common Pleas, typically resolves all probate and some domestic relations cases. The Magisterial District Courts in Chester County have limited jurisdiction over minor criminal and civil cases. These include pretrial hearings, third-degree misdemeanors, landlord-tenant disputes, DUI cases, and civil violations.
The Clerk of Courts in Chester County maintains court records containing information on how cases are processed through the judicial system. According to Pennsylvania laws, the Court Clerk should make the following court records accessible to the public:
- Probate court records
- Small claims court records
- Family law records
- Criminal court records
- Civil records
Each of these court documents contains initial complaints, charges, defendants/plaintiffs' names, petitions, evidence, court transcripts, orders, and judgments. Sealed court records and other confidential court records containing juvenile and adoption cases are not publicly accessible in Chester County. Record searchers can request copies of court records by contacting the Court Clerk at:
Clerk of Courts
201 W. Market St, Suite 1400
West Chester, PA 19380
Phone: (610) 344-6135
Obtaining copies of court records in Chester County costs $1 for the first page and $0.25 for additional copies. Certified copies cost $5 per document. Anyone can access Chester County court records online free of charge via the Pennsylvania Case Search portal. Users can search the portal by providing the date of filings, docket numbers, complaint numbers, citation numbers, or attorneys' names.
