Washington County
Washington County was formed in 1781 from territories owned by Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The county has about 857 square miles of land in southwestern Pennsylvania and has a population of 209,631 residents. The county and its government seat, Washington, are named after George Washington.
Washington County has three trial courts, including the Court of Common Pleas, Magisterial District Courts, and Orphans' Court. The Court of Common Pleas has general jurisdiction over civil and criminal proceedings beyond other courts in Washington County. It handles all felony-related trials and civil lawsuits involving contract breaches, personal injury, and other monetary disputes. The apex court has appellate jurisdiction over appeals from the Magisterial District Courts.
The Washington County Orphans' Court is a division of the Common Pleas Court. It resolves probate matters such as estate administrations, disputed wills, adoptions, and guardianship issues. On the other hand, the Magisterial District Courts in Washington County have limited jurisdiction over less severe criminal and civil cases. These courts conduct felony preliminary hearings and handle misdemeanors, eviction disputes, DUI cases, and civil violations.
Washington County public court records consist of legal documents created at the local courthouses during court proceedings. These documents contain court orders, affidavits, dispositions, transcripts, court calendars, case filings, and dockets. Examples of Washington County court records, classified by case types, include the following:
- Civil records
- Criminal court records
- Probate records
- Property records
- Juvenile records
- Mental health records
- Family law records
- Adoption court records
All these records are publicly accessible except juvenile, mental health, adoption, and other confidential court records. In Washington County, the Clerk of Courts keeps criminal court records, while the Prothonotary maintains all non-criminal court records. Individuals can get public court documents by contacting any of the record custodians via mail or phone. They can also visit the courthouse to make in-person requests:
Washington County Courthouse
1 South Main Street
Washington, PA 15301
Phone: (724) 228-6787 (Clerk of Courts)
Phone: (724) 228-6770 (Prothonotary's Office)
Court records copies in Washington County cost $0.50 per page and $6 per certified copy. Anyone can access Washington County court records online free of charge via the Civil Case Lookup or Pennsylvania Case Search portal. Online users can search both platforms by providing filing dates, docket numbers, citation numbers, complaint numbers, or attorneys' names.
