York County
Created from parts of Lancaster County in 1749, York County lies in the south-central region of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. An estimated 464,640 people reside in York County, which is bordered to the east by the Susquehanna River and to the south by the Mason-Dixon line. York City is the county seat.
York County operates a trial court system that comprises a court of common pleas and magisterial district courts. The York County Court of Common Pleas, which is a general jurisdiction court, has three divisions, namely:
- The Court of Common Pleas - Clerk of Court (Criminal) Division
- The Court of Common Pleas - Prothonotary (Civil) Division
- The York County Orphans' Court
The Court of Common Pleas hears felonies, lesser-included crimes, general civil claims without financial caps, domestic relations suits, juvenile matters, adoptions, some administrative agency appeals, and certain arbitration reviews. Its Orphans' Court Division also handles wills and trusts, estates and adoptions, and guardianships and parental rights termination.
Magisterial District Courts in York County exercise limited civil and criminal jurisdiction over cases relating to summary offenses, most initial hearings, some DUIs, third-degree misdemeanors, and ordinance violations. Other Magisterial District Court cases include certain landlord/tenant disputes and some general civil claims subject to financial caps. They, however, lack civil jurisdiction over actions filed by or against the State.
York County court records refer to all the official records compiled and maintained by the court clerks concerning criminal and civil case proceedings. These records typically include docket sheets, charging documents, case transcripts, pleadings, orders, and judgments. York County maintains various court case records covering civil, criminal, juvenile, domestic relations, and probate case proceedings, and they include:
- Family law records
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Juvenile court records
- Probate records
The York County Clerk of Courts/Prothonotary is the official custodian of court records, including Common Pleas Court records. Pennsylvania's Right-To-Know Law (RTKL) designates court records as open records and grants interested persons the right to access non-exempt court records upon request. Free online access to court records is available through the state's case search service. Records seekers can also obtain court records by visiting the clerks of the specific courthouses where their case proceedings were held.
