Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System case dockets — Common Pleas, Magisterial District Judges, Commonwealth and Superior Courts via UJS Web Portal.
How to Search Pennsylvania Court Records (Start Here)
Pennsylvania court records are filed with the Prothonotary / Clerk of Courts. The Court of Common Pleas handles trial-level cases. Pennsylvania offers a statewide court search through UJS Portal, which covers most case types across all counties courts.
What this page covers: Pennsylvania state court case records — criminal, civil, family, and probate filings. What it does not cover: Federal court cases (those are on PACER) or sealed/juvenile records.
Where to start: Use UJS Portal for online case search. If you need documents beyond docket information, contact the Prothonotary / Clerk of Courts in the specific county where the case was filed.
Common mistake: UJS Portal covers state courts only. Federal cases filed in Pennsylvania (bankruptcy, federal criminal, federal civil) require PACER — a separate federal system.
Trial court of general jurisdiction
Court of Common Pleas (NOT "Superior Court")
Lowest trial court
Magisterial District Court (MDJ); Philadelphia Municipal Court in Phila.
Statewide case search
UJS Portal Case Search
Appellate court (intermediate)
Pennsylvania Superior Court & Commonwealth Court
Highest court
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Number of counties / districts
67 counties / 60 judicial districts
Federal courts
E.D. Pa., M.D. Pa., W.D. Pa. (via PACER)
How Pennsylvania Court Records Work — Deep Dive
Trial-court structure — Common Pleas, MDJs and Philadelphia Municipal Court
At the bottom of Pennsylvania's trial-court hierarchy sit the Magisterial District Courts (MDJs) — sometimes called "Magistrate" or "Magisterial District Judge" courts — handling preliminary arraignments, small civil claims (up to $12,000), summary offenses and landlord-tenant cases statewide except in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Municipal Court performs the equivalent role inside the city. Above the MDJs, the Court of Common Pleas is the trial court of general jurisdiction in every county [pacourts.us]. The Philadelphia Courts (First Judicial District) publish their own consolidated portal [courts.phila.gov].
How to search a Pennsylvania case
The UJS Portal Case Search is the official, free, statewide search tool — query by participant name, docket number, OTN, complaint/incident number, SID, or attorney. It includes Magisterial District Court, Common Pleas Criminal Division, Common Pleas Civil Division dockets and appellate matters. Some counties also publish their own portals (e.g., Centre County's Civil case search [civil.centrecountypa.gov]) for deeper local data.
Federal courts in Pennsylvania
Federal cases are filed in one of three U.S. district courts: the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania. The Middle District publishes its own case-info hub [pamd.uscourts.gov]; full dockets across all three districts are available through PACER. Statewide court statistics and aggregated data tables are published by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency [pa.gov].
Which Pennsylvania counties publish court dockets online
21 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties run their own online source for court dockets, based on what this directory indexes. Every other county is covered by the statewide systems listed above — click a county for its full records page.
Frequently Asked Questions: Pennsylvania Court Records
What's the trial court in Pennsylvania?▼
The Court of Common Pleas is Pennsylvania's trial court of general jurisdiction in every county. Below it sit the Magisterial District Courts (MDJs) for minor matters; Philadelphia uses the Philadelphia Municipal Court in that role [pacourts.us].
Is there a "Superior Court" in PA?▼
Yes — but it is an intermediate appellate court, not a trial court. The Pennsylvania Superior Court hears appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas. The Commonwealth Court handles state/government-related appeals. Do not confuse it with California-style trial-level Superior Courts.
How do I search a Pennsylvania court case for free?▼
Use the official UJS Portal Case Search — name, docket number or OTN. It covers MDJ, Common Pleas, and appellate court dockets statewide.
Where are Philadelphia court records?▼
Philadelphia's courts (First Judicial District) consolidate Common Pleas, Municipal and Traffic divisions and publish their own portal [courts.phila.gov]. Cases are also visible in the statewide UJS Portal.
Where do I find federal cases filed in Pennsylvania?▼
Use PACER for the Eastern, Middle (Harrisburg/Scranton) and Western (Pittsburgh) Districts of Pennsylvania. The M.D. Pa. case-info hub is a useful starting point [pamd.uscourts.gov].
Last reviewed:
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by Sam Rokni — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: all Pennsylvania court URLs verified against the official .gov / state-judiciary publisher on the review date. 2 primary .gov / .uscourts.gov sources cited below.
Pennsylvania Court Records — Key Numbers (2024)
Pennsylvania's UJS publishes Annual Caseload Statistics with county executive summaries; AOPC's 2024 report was issued Dec 17, 2025.
Unified Judicial System
Court system
Statewide
2024
Latest fiscal year
Official .gov data
.gov
Primary source
Never data brokers
Free
Public access
Most case records
June 04, 2026
Last reviewed
By SearchSystems editorial
What Pennsylvania court records actually cost
Pennsylvania's UJS portal is free, including printable docket sheets. Certified copies are billed by each clerk of courts, and expungement or limited-access petitions carry county filing fees — with Clean Slate sealing happening automatically at no cost for eligible records.
Exact amounts are set by each court's current fee schedule — check the official source before you order.
What Changed in 2026 — Pennsylvania Court Records
2026
Pennsylvania 2024 caseload report active
The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania publishes its current 2024 case filings, dispositions, and trends on the official statistics portal.
In Pennsylvania, civil and criminal trial cases sit in Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania trial courts. Appellate matters go to the state's appellate courts.
2
Step 2 — Use the state case-access portal
Start at https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch — the official public case-access for Pennsylvania.
3
Step 3 — Federal cases are separate
Federal cases involving Pennsylvania parties live on PACER (pacer.uscourts.gov), not the state system.
4
Step 4 — Sealed / expunged records
Records sealed or expunged under Pennsylvania law are NOT searchable on public portals. To verify, contact the originating court clerk directly.
Five Things People Get Wrong About Pennsylvania Court Records
MYTH"Pennsylvania court records are on PACER."
FACTPACER only has federal cases. Pennsylvania state court records live on www.pacourts.us.
MYTH"All Pennsylvania case files are free."
FACTPartly true. Searching and viewing dockets is usually free. Downloading full documents or certified copies often costs $1-$5 per item.
MYTH"Sealed = deleted in Pennsylvania."
FACTSealed records still exist — they're just hidden from public search. The court clerk and law enforcement can still access them.
MYTH"Third-party search sites are official."
FACTOnly www.pacourts.us and the linked official portals are authoritative for Pennsylvania.
MYTH"Same-day filings show online immediately."
FACTMost Pennsylvania courts have a 24-48 hour processing lag before new filings appear in public search.
Neither the Appellate Courts nor the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts assumes any liability · for inaccurate or delayed data, errors or omissions on the docket sheets.
Court case information for Pennsylvania. Attorneys of record appear on the docket, useful when you need to contact a party. For copies the site doesn't display, the clerk fills requests at a per-page rate.
The Housing Court Help Desk is tasked with assisting litigants involved in landlord/tenant appeals from magisterial district judge decisions in cases involving residential property. The residential Mortgage Foreclosure Program is a collaborative effort between public and private sector entities to address property foreclosures in Allegheny County.
Court case information for Pennsylvania. Coverage is deepest for recent decades and thins out further back — check the stated start dates. Dockets list every filing and hearing, usually enough to follow a case without ordering documents.
Official public records resource for Pennsylvania. Requests route faster when they cite exactly what this office says it holds. The information comes straight from the office that creates the record, not a reseller.
CHESTER COUNTY PUBLIC INFORMATION NETWORK ACCESS · THIS AGREEMENT, made by and between the COUNTY OF CHESTER (hereinafter "THE COUNTY") and the undersigned, (hereinafter "PURCHASER"): In and for the consideration, mutual promises and undertakings of THE COUNTY and the PURCHASER as set forth.
The Child Support Website has a new login system. All users must update their login credentials before they can log in to their account. Please click here to complete this one-time update. Please enter your Keystone Key login credential below:. WARNING! US GOVERNMENT SYSTEM and PENNSYLVANIA.
Historical Dauphin County, Pennsylvania civil court records covering filings from 1992 through October 31, 2001 only. For current Dauphin County court records (2001-present), use the Dauphin County CountySuite Public Access portal or the statewide UJS Web Portal.
Search for probate or marriage records. The Sheriff's Office conducts judicial sales of real and personal property in addition to other assigned duties. View information relating to sheriff's sales or mortgage foreclosure surplus. The Treasurer's Office performs a range of duties including receipt of county taxes, investing county receipts, collecting hotel room rental tax, and issuing hunting, fishing, dog, bingo, and small games of chance licenses and permits.
Office directory for Pennsylvania. Directories like this exist because the right office varies by county — confirm before you mail anything. Phone first: five minutes with the right clerk saves a misdirected records request.
October 24, 2025, 9:30AM Civil Miscellaneous Hon. J. Brian Johnson Courtroom 2A, 2nd Floor Lehigh County Courthouse. October 27, 2025, 9:30AM Civil Miscellaneous Hon. Thomas A. Capehart Courtroom 5C, 5th Floor Lehigh County Courthouse
File a praecipe for judgment, using our form, a dated copy of the 10-day notice, and a Pennsylvania Rule 236 form. If the debtor is an individual, you must file a notarized affidavit of nonmilitary service. File an original and a copy for each debtor, with a Rule 236 form on top.
Probate court records for Pennsylvania — estates, wills, and guardianships. Estate files show wills admitted, executors appointed, and how property passed. Genealogists rely on these files — a will can name three generations in one page.
Court case information for Pennsylvania. Fee waivers and forms usually live on the same court site. Case numbers speed searches considerably, but party names work.
It is important that procedural rules be consolidated in one volume for use by those who appear before the Court. This compilation is intended to benefit Northampton County attorneys, attorneys from other counties, and the public.
Court case information for Pennsylvania. Fee waivers and forms usually live on the same court site. Civil, criminal, probate, and traffic divisions may index separately — check each if a search runs dry.
Beginning January 3, 2023 the electronic filing of these case types is mandatory: Judgments (NO) Mechanics Liens (ML) Municipal Tax Liens (MT) Additional non-family Civil Suit (SU) filings to include: Appeals to Commonwealth and Superior Court, Arbitration Appeals, Subpoenas, Writ of Scire Facias, Writ of Revival. Civil e-filing exceptions are listed below. Family Court e-filing is not available. Prothonotary Clerks do not accept or reject any electronically filed documents while the office is closed (after 4:30 pm, weekends, holidays, weather emergency, etc).
Official public records resource for Pennsylvania. Official pages like this outlast the third-party copies that scrape them. Hours, fees, and request forms live here and stay current.
Court case information for Pennsylvania. Case numbers speed searches considerably, but party names work. Coverage is deepest for recent decades and thins out further back — check the stated start dates.
The Recorder of Deeds office is required to record any document that is presented into their office when all required data is properly executed and payment is received with said document · The LANDEX Record Alert System monitors all VERIFIED documents recorded in the Recorder of Deeds office.
Any person requiring an official docket must obtain it from the Prothonotary of Philadelphia County on the second floor of City Hall, Room 282. The information contained within the Civil Docket Report database is recorded based upon: (a) documents actually filed with the Philadelphia Prothonotary's.
The following page contains several real-time updated listings of court events. Listings are grouped by court event and/or court program type. Once a list type is selected, there may be additional options to return more specific results in the subsequent category selections · Once a list is.
Table of Contents (Click on a desired topic) · The First Judicial District (FJD) Civil Docket Access Help Desk will assist you in finding the information you require through the Internet. This site will provide the basic steps for conducting a search. Essentially, you'll type key words in.
Pay your Philadelphia Traffic Citation online. For Parking tickets please visit www.ujsportal.pacourts.us. The eFiling system allows case documents, such as pleadings, motions, and petitions, to be filed with the court using a computer and Internet connection. With our online system see if you qualify for jury service, ask for postponements, excuse/disqualification, and proof of service. Pay fines, costs, and restitution to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Common Pleas and Magisterial District courts.
Court case information for Pennsylvania. Civil, criminal, probate, and traffic divisions may index separately — check each if a search runs dry. Coverage is deepest for recent decades and thins out further back — check the stated start dates.
Consistent with the provisions of the Case Records Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, case records and dockets concerning incapacity proceedings, incapacitated persons and minors are NOT available remotely
The Philadelphia Traffic Division Listing Report contains basic listing information concerning Traffic Court citations ("moving violations" or "traffic tickets"). The information provided by the First Judicial District through this Internet service has been reproduced from the Traffic Division's.
