PA Criminal Court Records Search
Need to find a Pennsylvania criminal charge, court case, hearing, disposition, or docket sheet? You can search public Pennsylvania court docket information through the state’s official Unified Judicial System Web Portal—usually without creating an account or paying a search fee.
The part that confuses people is the court level. A criminal matter may begin in a Magisterial District Court, proceed to a Court of Common Pleas, or involve the Philadelphia Municipal Court. The same prosecution can therefore have more than one docket number. This guide explains how to find the right record and understand what you see.
Independent informational guide • Reviewed October 2026. This website is not the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System or a court clerk. Always confirm hearing dates, legal obligations, case status, copies, and record-access restrictions through the appropriate court.
Which Pennsylvania Criminal Court Has the Case?
Pennsylvania’s UJS portal covers several court levels. Searching the correct court type is important because a preliminary criminal case, felony prosecution, traffic citation, summary offense, or appeal may appear under different docket categories.
Search this court level for many criminal complaints, preliminary arraignments, preliminary hearings, traffic offenses, and non-traffic summary matters outside Philadelphia.
Common docket identifiers include MJ criminal, traffic, and non-traffic formats.
Courts of Common Pleas handle major criminal cases, including felonies and many misdemeanors, along with arraignments, motions, pleas, trials, sentencing, and post-sentence proceedings.
A criminal Common Pleas docket frequently contains a CP-…-CR-… identifier.
Philadelphia uses a Municipal Court system that differs from the Magisterial District Court structure used elsewhere in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia Municipal Court criminal dockets are available through the UJS portal.
Cases appealed from trial courts may appear in Pennsylvania’s Superior Court or Supreme Court. Search appellate docket information separately, using the appeal number if you have one.
How to Search PA Criminal Dockets by Name or Case Number
The Pennsylvania judiciary provides free public docket-sheet access through the UJS Web Portal. The Court’s official help instructions recommend beginning with minimal information rather than filling every search field at once.
Method A: Find a criminal case by person’s name
- Open the official UJS Case Search.
- Locate the Search By dropdown and choose Participant Name.
- Enter the participant’s Last Name and First Name in the corresponding fields.
- Select the Pennsylvania County where the case was filed if you know it. This may be the county shown on a summons or criminal complaint.
- Initially leave unnecessary fields blank. The official help system recommends a relatively broad search with first name, last name, and county.
- Click Search. Review the results and identify the correct court level and docket type.
- If the result list is long, use available filters or a docket-type selection to narrow it.
- Select Docket Sheet for the matching case, then review the case details, charges, entries, and current disposition.
Method B: Search using a docket number
- Open the same official Case Search.
- Select Docket Number under Search By.
- Enter the complete docket identifier shown on the court notice.
- Review the result and confirm that the court, county, parties, and case category match your document.
- Open the docket sheet to see filings, hearing activity, charges, payments where displayed, and case events.
Pennsylvania docket numbers are alphanumeric. Do not remove the court prefix or replace a Common Pleas number with a Magisterial District number unless the portal offers a specific number-building control.
CP-51-CR-0001234-2025
Illustrative format only. “CP” identifies Common Pleas; the middle components help identify the judicial district, docket type, sequence, and filing year.
MJ-12345-CR-0000123-2025
Illustrative format only. The MJ office identifier distinguishes a particular Magisterial District Court.
Search Pennsylvania Criminal Cases by OTN, Complaint, or Incident Number
A name is not always the clearest search key. Pennsylvania’s portal supports other identifiers including an Offense Tracking Number (OTN), complaint number, and incident number where available.
Using an Offense Tracking Number
- Find the OTN on an available criminal complaint, fingerprint-related record, or court document.
- Open the official UJS Case Search.
- Choose the appropriate search type or advanced-search option offering OTN.
- Enter the OTN accurately. The portal recognizes eight- or nine-character OTN formats, including a leading letter, numeric sequence, and suffix.
- Submit the search and examine matching docket results.
- Compare case identifiers, court level, participant name, filing county, and charges before deciding that you have found the correct record.
For example, the UJS interface illustrates OTN formats such as A 123456-1 or A 1234567-1. These are formatting examples, not real records being identified here.
What a Pennsylvania Criminal Docket Sheet Shows
A docket sheet is a chronological summary of the case. It is useful for seeing the charges filed, court activity, scheduled events, dispositions, and sentencing entries. It is not necessarily the full paper case file, and a docket entry describing a document does not guarantee that the document itself is publicly downloadable.
| Field or entry | Meaning | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Docket Number | Unique identifier assigned by the court. | Save it for record requests and future searches. |
| OTN | Offense tracking identifier associated with criminal charging information. | Helpful when tracing a case between court levels. |
| Case Caption | Usually Commonwealth of Pennsylvania versus a defendant. | Confirm identity with other case details. |
| Charges | Offenses alleged in the proceeding. | Read each count and its disposition separately; a charge does not prove guilt. |
| Filing Date | Date the case or filing entered the court system. | Distinguish similarly named cases. |
| Case Status | Administrative or procedural status of the matter. | Check recent entries to determine what has occurred. |
| Disposition | Outcome of a charge, stage, or proceeding. | Check guilty, not guilty, dismissed, withdrawn, or other outcomes rather than relying on the original charge. |
| Sentence | Court-imposed consequences after an applicable disposition. | Read the precise sentencing entry and count involved. |
| Calendar Events | Scheduled hearings, arraignments, conferences, or other court activity. | Confirm directly with the court when attendance is required. |
| Financial Information | Displayed costs, payments, or balances when available. | Verify payment obligations through the court or PAePay. |
Why a Criminal Case May Have an MDJ and Common Pleas Docket
Many Pennsylvania criminal cases begin before a Magisterial District Judge. More serious charges may proceed to the Court of Common Pleas after preliminary proceedings. Philadelphia uses its own Municipal Court structure for initial stages of many criminal matters.
This is a simplified example of a common pathway, not a promise that every Pennsylvania criminal matter follows the same steps.
How to trace the case when a preliminary docket ends
- Open the existing MJ or Philadelphia Municipal docket sheet.
- Review the latest entries for indications of a preliminary hearing, waiver, dismissal, transfer, or further proceedings.
- Look for an associated Common Pleas docket number or OTN.
- Return to UJS Case Search and search that later identifier.
- Review Common Pleas entries for arraignment, motions, pleas, trial activity, sentencing, and post-sentence developments.
- If the connection is unclear, ask the criminal Clerk of Courts in the filing county to verify the docket relationship.
How to Check PA Criminal Court Dates, Hearings, and Calendars
Pennsylvania’s UJS portal offers public calendar information for Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts. This can help identify scheduled hearings, trials, arraignments, conferences, and other events.
- Open the official Case Information page.
- Find Calendars and select Public Calendar Schedule, or access the calendar search through UJS Case Search.
- Choose the appropriate court, county, office, judge, or available search filter.
- Enter the relevant event date range if the search form requests it.
- Submit the search and compare the calendar entry with the criminal docket.
- Note the date, time, location, courtroom, event type, and associated case number where displayed.
- Confirm directly with the court before travel or when a hearing deadline is important.
No Criminal Docket Found? Try This Pennsylvania-Specific Checklist
A missing docket does not necessarily mean a case never existed. The wrong county, a court-level mismatch, a different name variation, an older filing, or a restricted record can explain why a search produces no match.
| Problem | Possible reason | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Name search fails | Misspelling, middle initial, alias, or overly restrictive filters. | Use Participant Name with first name, last name, and county; remove unnecessary filters. |
| Wrong court type | Searching Common Pleas for a case still pending before an MDJ, or vice versa. | Review the original court notice for MJ, CP, or MC identifiers. |
| Case moved courts | The proceeding may have advanced beyond preliminary court. | Find the later CP docket or search by OTN. |
| Philadelphia case not found | Philadelphia Municipal Court uses different docket types from most counties. | Select the Philadelphia Municipal Court search category. |
| Older docket missing | Historical coverage and migration vary by court and period. | Contact the filing court’s clerk for paper or archival records. |
| Recent filing missing | New entries may not immediately appear in the statewide public portal. | Confirm with the clerk if time-sensitive. |
| Clean Slate or sealed case | Public display is restricted. | Use authorized court procedures, not alternative public search methods. |
| Federal criminal case | The Pennsylvania UJS portal does not provide federal criminal dockets. | Search the appropriate federal court through PACER. |
How to Get Pennsylvania Criminal Court Records and Certified Copies
A public docket sheet is a case index and activity record. It does not necessarily provide every charging document, motion, judicial order, transcript, sentencing order, or certified record. For those materials, the court or custodian maintaining the case file is generally the correct source.
Prepare these details before contacting the court
For a Court of Common Pleas criminal case
- Open the official Courts of Common Pleas directory.
- Select the county associated with the case.
- Find the county’s Clerk of Courts contact information.
- Provide the docket number, party name, and specific document title.
- Ask whether the record may be inspected or copied, whether certification is available, and what fees or request requirements apply.
- Follow the clerk’s official process for in-person, mail, or other authorized requests.
For a Magisterial District Court record
The Pennsylvania Judiciary directs people requesting paper case records maintained by a Magisterial District Court to contact that office directly. For complicated requests, the office may require a written records-request form.
- Find the MJ court identifier from the docket.
- Use the judiciary’s Court Case Information guidance to identify the correct court and records route.
- Contact the assigned Magisterial District Court.
- Ask about the requested record, inspection or copy availability, possible fees, and identification or authorization requirements where applicable.
If you need an official correction to erroneous web docket data, the judiciary provides a request process for a party or the party’s attorney to submit to the court where the case was filed.
PA Court Docket Search vs. Pennsylvania State Police PATCH
A court docket search and a Pennsylvania criminal-history background check answer different questions. This matters when the record is being used for employment, licensing, volunteer work, adoption, or verification of personal criminal history.
Shows available court case activity, charges, dispositions, hearing information, and docket entries within covered Pennsylvania courts.
Public search: free.
Use it for: finding and examining a particular court case.
Searches criminal-history information maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository, subject to applicable release criteria.
Standard individual check: $22, with separate rules for other request categories.
Use it for: official Pennsylvania criminal-history checks.
How to request a PATCH criminal-history check
- Open the official Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History website.
- Select Submit a New Record Check for an ordinary online request, or the appropriate volunteer request option.
- Read the request and payment instructions, then enter the required requester and subject details.
- Submit the request and retain the control number.
- Review the response status. A Request Under Review status does not by itself mean a person has a record.
- Use the status-check option to retrieve and print the certificate when available.
A PATCH check covers Pennsylvania law-enforcement criminal-history records, not a nationwide FBI search. Do not confuse it with a federal criminal-history check.
How to Check and Pay PA Criminal Court Costs, Fines, or Restitution
Pennsylvania offers PAePay for qualifying court financial obligations. It is a payment service, not a replacement for the UJS docket search. A case may appear in the docket system without being eligible for online payment.
- First locate the case through UJS Case Search and record the docket number.
- Open official PAePay Traffic Ticket or Court Costs.
- Choose the available search method, such as docket number or participant information.
- Confirm the correct court, county, case, and eligible obligation.
- Review the amount, payment restrictions, and processing fee before checkout.
- Pay only if the obligation and payment route are correct, then save the payment confirmation.
Traffic warning: the official PAePay instructions state that paying a traffic citation through the online process involves entering a guilty plea. If you intend to contest a citation, do not use the payment process without understanding that consequence.
Local Search Tips for Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Other PA Counties
Pennsylvania has 67 counties but organizes its Courts of Common Pleas into 60 judicial districts. Local differences can affect which clerk maintains records, the available court divisions, and how case files or certified copies are requested.
Use Philadelphia Municipal Court docket options when searching municipal criminal matters. An MC identifier is not the same as a statewide Magisterial District Court identifier.
Distinguish an Allegheny County Common Pleas criminal matter from an earlier Magisterial District Court proceeding. Retain the original docket and OTN when tracing the case.
Most counties use Magisterial District Courts for preliminary and summary matters and Common Pleas for major criminal prosecutions. Start with the county printed on the court document.
Federal criminal matters filed in the Eastern, Middle, or Western District of Pennsylvania are separate from state UJS criminal records. Search federal court records through PACER.
For federal records, use PACER Find a Federal Case. Federal docket access may require registration and applicable fees.
Verified Pennsylvania Criminal Court Record Resources
The following primary sources support the procedures described above. The UJS Web Portal is the primary source for public court docket searches. The other resources cover help, public access, copies, payments, and formal criminal-history checks.
PA Criminal Court Dockets: 10 FAQs
1. How can I search Pennsylvania criminal court records online for free?
Open the official Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Case Search at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch. Search using the participant name, docket number, or another available identifier. Select the matching case and open its public docket sheet. Public docket searches do not require an account or a search fee.
2. Can I search PA criminal court dockets by a person’s name?
Yes. Choose Participant Name in the UJS Case Search, enter the person’s first and last name, and select the filing county if known. Begin with minimal search criteria, then narrow results by docket type, court, or other available filters.
3. What is the difference between an MJ docket and a CP criminal docket?
An MJ docket generally identifies a Magisterial District Court matter, often involving preliminary criminal proceedings or summary offenses. A CP criminal docket identifies a case in a Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. A prosecution can have both numbers if it progresses from the preliminary court to Common Pleas.
4. Can I search a Pennsylvania criminal case with an OTN?
Yes. The UJS Case Search supports searching with an Offense Tracking Number, or OTN. Enter the OTN in the appropriate search field, then confirm the resulting case by participant, county, charges, and docket number.
5. How do I check criminal charges and dispositions in Pennsylvania?
Find the correct docket sheet in the UJS portal and review the charges and disposition information. Check each count separately because a charge may have been dismissed, withdrawn, amended, or resolved differently from other charges in the same case. A filed charge is not proof of conviction.
6. Can I see Pennsylvania criminal hearing dates online?
Yes. The UJS portal provides public calendar information for Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts. Search by the available court, county, case, or date filters, then confirm important hearing information directly with the court because events may be changed.
7. Why is a criminal case missing from the PA docket search?
The search may use the wrong county, name, docket type, or court level. A case may also be recently filed, historically unavailable, sealed, expunged, or limited-access under Clean Slate law. Try fewer search criteria and contact the filing court if necessary.
8. Are Pennsylvania expunged or Clean Slate cases visible to the public?
No. The judiciary states that sealed, expunged, and Clean Slate limited-access cases are not visible through public UJS Case Search. Authorized access to restricted records is governed by applicable laws and court procedures.
9. Is the PA court docket search the same as a criminal background check?
No. The public UJS docket system is for examining available court case information. Official Pennsylvania criminal-history background checks are provided by the Pennsylvania State Police through PATCH. The standard individual background-check fee is $22, subject to current published rules.
10. Where can I request an official or certified copy of a PA criminal court record?
For Common Pleas criminal cases, contact the Clerk of Courts in the county where the case was filed. For a Magisterial District Court case, contact that court office directly. Provide the docket number, case name, requested document, and whether you need an ordinary or certified copy. Fees and procedures depend on the record and court.