PA Court Records Search by Name: Free Pennsylvania Case & Docket Lookup
Looking for a Pennsylvania court case using someone’s name? Start with the official Unified Judicial System (UJS) Case Search. It provides free public docket searches for Pennsylvania appellate courts, criminal Courts of Common Pleas, Magisterial District Courts and Philadelphia Municipal Court.
The most important limitation: civil cases in Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas are not included in the statewide public case-search results. For a civil lawsuit, foreclosure, judgment or divorce, you will often need the relevant county court office instead.
Independent public-information guide • Updated October 2026 • Confirm case status, court dates and certified documents with the appropriate Pennsylvania court office.
Which Pennsylvania Court Records Can You Search by Name?
Pennsylvania does not have a single public search covering every civil, criminal, family and probate document in all 67 counties. The official UJS portal covers specific categories of docket information.
| Court or record | UJS public name search? | Best place to start |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Court of Common Pleas | Yes, for publicly available criminal docket sheets. | UJS Case Search — Common Pleas. |
| Magisterial District Court | Yes, including available civil, criminal, traffic, non-traffic and landlord-tenant cases. | UJS Case Search — Magisterial District. |
| Philadelphia Municipal Court | Yes, for categories available in the statewide docket search. | UJS Case Search — Philadelphia Municipal. |
| Supreme, Superior and Commonwealth Courts | Yes, for available appellate cases. | UJS Appellate case-search option. |
| Civil Court of Common Pleas | Not generally displayed in statewide UJS public Case Search. | County Prothonotary or county civil docket service. |
| Divorce, custody and other domestic relations files | Not a comprehensive statewide public civil/family search. | County family court or Prothonotary, subject to restrictions. |
| Estates, wills and Orphans’ Court records | Not a general statewide UJS probate-record name index. | County Register of Wills or Orphans’ Court Clerk. |
How to Search Pennsylvania Court Records by a Person’s Name
The official UJS Case Search screen includes Participant Last Name, Participant First Name, County, Court Type, Docket Type, Case Status and other search fields. Start with the simplest useful combination.
- Open Pennsylvania UJS Case Search. The public service is free. You do not need a secure account to view public docket sheets.
- Use the “Search By” menu. Choose Participant Name for a person rather than Docket Number.
- Choose the relevant court type. For a DUI, felony or other major criminal matter, start with Court of Common Pleas. For a summary citation, traffic offense, landlord-tenant claim or district-level dispute, start with Magisterial District Court.
- Enter Participant Last Name and First Name. Use the known legal spelling. If a name is common, consider using additional identifying information you already legitimately possess.
- Choose County. Select the county where the case was filed. Court notices typically identify it.
- Run the search. Review matching rows for the docket number, court, participants, filing date and other available details.
- Open the relevant docket sheet. Compare its party information and court events before assuming the case concerns the right person.
- Read the outcome and later entries. Look beyond the first charge or filing. A case may show dismissal, withdrawal, guilty plea, acquittal, conviction, appeal or a later change.
- Save or print the public docket when appropriate. The portal provides public docket viewing and printing, but a public printout is not necessarily an official certified copy.
What if you know only a last name?
Use the available name fields and narrow the result with a filing county, approximate filing period or category where supported. If your search returns many results, add one reliable fact at a time. Never assume a common-name result identifies a specific person.
Can you search a company or organization?
The UJS screen offers an Organization Name field for supported searches. It is particularly relevant when looking up eligible cases involving a business rather than a natural person. For civil Common Pleas cases, remember that county-level civil indexes may be required.
How to Search Pennsylvania Civil Court Records by Name
If you are researching a civil judgment, unpaid debt lawsuit, contract dispute, foreclosure, personal injury case or similar proceeding in a Court of Common Pleas, do not rely solely on the statewide criminal docket search.
Pennsylvania’s Courts of Common Pleas are organized into 60 judicial districts, covering 67 counties. County Prothonotaries usually serve as the civil records office, and court systems and search methods vary.
- Identify the county where the civil case was filed, such as Allegheny, Bucks, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery or another Pennsylvania county.
- Open the official Pennsylvania Prothonotaries Directory.
- Find the county’s official contact details.
- Use its official website or records office to locate the civil docket or public search system, where available.
- Search by person/business name or docket number.
- Compare the participants, civil claim, filing year, judgment information and later docket entries.
- Request available copies from the Prothonotary if the record is not remotely viewable.
Which office handles what?
Generally the civil Court of Common Pleas filings and docket office, including many civil judgments.
Generally handles criminal Common Pleas filing records and court-document requests.
Generally deals with wills, estates and related probate matters.
Maintains applicable Orphans’ Court matters such as estate disputes and protected proceedings, depending on jurisdiction.
Pennsylvania Criminal Records Search by Name: UJS vs. PATCH
People often search “PA criminal court records by name” for two different reasons: to read the proceedings in one court case, or to obtain an official background-check result. These require different systems.
Use it to find eligible publicly available criminal case dockets and follow a charge through hearings, filings and case disposition.
Search criminal docket sheetsUse it when you need a Pennsylvania criminal history background check for purposes such as employment, licensing, volunteering or other qualifying needs.
Open official PATCHHow to request a PATCH criminal-history check
- Open Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History.
- Select Submit a New Record Check or the appropriate volunteer service.
- Enter the requester and subject information required by the State Police.
- Review the fee and credit-card checkout information before submitting.
- Save the control number for status tracking.
- Print or save the completed “No Record” or “Record” result through the official system.
- If a result is marked Under Review, use the PATCH status function rather than assuming a criminal record exists.
Official fee and eligibility explanation: Pennsylvania State Police — Request a Criminal History Background Check.
Find PA Traffic Tickets, Magisterial District Court Cases & Landlord-Tenant Records by Name
Magisterial District Courts are especially important when searching for a traffic ticket, summary criminal citation, landlord-tenant complaint or smaller civil dispute. Their public dockets are included in the UJS portal.
- Open UJS Case Search.
- Choose a participant-name search or docket-number search.
- Select Magisterial District Court.
- Choose the county and enter the participant name.
- For a traffic citation, use the citation number if you have it, preserving the dash shown on the citation.
- Open the matching docket and verify the citation, offense, filing date and outcome.
- For paper records, contact the correct Magisterial District Court office directly.
Paying a PA traffic ticket or court costs
PAePay is a separate official payment service. It supports approved court obligations, including eligible traffic tickets, fines, costs and restitution, in participating court offices.
- Open official PAePay.
- Search by docket number, person, citation or another supported identifier.
- Choose the proper court type and county.
- Check the exact case and eligible amount before adding it to the cart.
- Use the secure payment screen and save the confirmation.
- If your case does not support PAePay, contact the court for another authorized method.
Philadelphia Court Records Search by Name
Philadelphia’s court organization differs from much of Pennsylvania. Its Municipal Court handles certain criminal, traffic, civil and landlord-tenant proceedings, while its Court of Common Pleas handles other major criminal, civil, family and related matters.
| Philadelphia case | Starting point | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal criminal / summary | UJS Case Search — Philadelphia Municipal Court | Subject to public access and case type. |
| Philadelphia traffic division | Appropriate Philadelphia Traffic Division category | Keep ticket or citation identifiers. |
| Common Pleas criminal | UJS Case Search — Common Pleas | Not all case content is remotely public. |
| Common Pleas civil | Philadelphia’s local civil records system / Prothonotary resources | Not a general statewide UJS civil Common Pleas name search. |
A Philadelphia Municipal Court docket number may begin with MC-51, while a Common Pleas criminal docket number generally begins with CP. This can help you choose the appropriate search category.
Search Pennsylvania Appellate Court Cases by Name
The UJS public case-search service includes appellate docket information from Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court, Superior Court and Commonwealth Court.
- Open official UJS Case Search.
- Select the Appellate search option or Docket Number.
- Use the supported participant name, organization name, appellate court, docket type or other available search filters.
- Compare appellate case title, docket number, filing year and originating lower court.
- Open the public appellate docket to review available entries.
- If you need the original trial proceedings, identify the lower-court docket number and search that court separately.
What Do PA Court Docket Numbers Beginning CP, MJ or MC-51 Mean?
The official UJS search explains common docket prefixes. Recognizing the prefix helps distinguish different court levels.
| Prefix or format | Typical court | Example |
|---|---|---|
| CP | Court of Common Pleas | CP-25-CR-0009999-2017 |
| MJ | Magisterial District Court | MJ-51301-TR-0009999-2017 |
| MC-51 | Philadelphia Municipal Court | MC-51-SU-0009999-2017 |
| Number + letters + year | Appellate case | 4000 WDA 2017 |
These are the judiciary’s example formats, not actual cases supplied by this website. The letters and numbers must be interpreted in the context of the court and case type.
Search using a docket number
- Copy the complete docket number from the original court paperwork.
- Open the UJS Case Search screen.
- Choose the Docket Number search option.
- Enter the docket number in the supported field.
- Confirm the court type and county where necessary.
- Open the matching docket sheet and inspect the case details.
How to Read a Pennsylvania Court Docket Sheet
A Pennsylvania public docket sheet can include general case information, case participants, docket entries, scheduled events and financial information. The amount of detail varies by court and case category.
PA Court Records Search by Name Shows No Results: What Now?
The judiciary provides official troubleshooting for cases that cannot be located. Use this sequence rather than paying a commercial search website or making unsupported assumptions.
- Click Clear on the UJS Case Search screen.
- Select Participant Name again.
- Enter only the person’s last and first name.
- Select the correct court type.
- Choose the filing county.
- Leave other filters blank initially and search again.
- If nothing matches, check alternate legal spellings and, where appropriate, add a known date of birth or other supported identifying detail.
- If the search still fails, confirm whether the matter is a civil Common Pleas case, which is outside the usual statewide public civil case coverage.
- Contact the correct county court office if the record is historical, restricted or otherwise not available remotely.
| Why a case may be missing | Explanation | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong court category | You searched Common Pleas for a Magisterial District traffic or landlord-tenant case. | Select the correct court type. |
| Wrong county | The proceeding was filed elsewhere. | Check the original citation, summons or filing. |
| Name variation | Spelling, suffix or other name difference. | Retry with verified variants and fewer filters. |
| Civil Common Pleas | Not part of the ordinary statewide public Common Pleas criminal name search. | Use the county Prothonotary. |
| Expunged, sealed or Clean Slate | Public search cannot display restricted case information. | Use authorized court procedures; do not attempt to bypass restrictions. |
| Juvenile case | Additional legal confidentiality protections may apply. | Contact the appropriate office about lawful access. |
| Recent filing | Online entries can lag behind the court office. | Confirm directly if an appearance or deadline matters. |
| Older or destroyed paper record | Retention and records-disposition policies can affect older case availability. | Ask the court of record whether it retains the file. |
How to Request Pennsylvania Court Records and Certified Documents
A docket printout can help you identify a case, but requests for official filings, certified orders or historical paper files should be directed to the court office that maintains the record.
- Find the appropriate case through the UJS docket system or county civil records office.
- Identify the exact court handling the file.
- For Common Pleas civil records, find the county Prothonotary.
- For criminal Common Pleas records, contact the relevant county Clerk of Courts.
- For Magisterial District records, contact the court office directly.
- For wills and estates, locate the Register of Wills or Orphans’ Court Clerk.
- Ask how to inspect the document or order a certified copy and confirm fees before payment.
Read official Pennsylvania court case records guidance and review the judicial public access policies.
What Pennsylvania Court Records Are Restricted From Public Name Search?
Public judicial records are governed by Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System case-record access policy and other legal requirements. Not every filed document is public, and not every public document is available online.
Generally excluded from public UJS Case Search after applicable expungement.
Access is limited by court order or applicable law.
Qualifying restricted records are not displayed to ordinary public search users.
Special confidentiality provisions can limit public access.
Certain documents and sensitive information are withheld or redacted under court rules.
Some documents may be inspectable only through an authorized court-office process.
The governing statewide public-access case records policy currently listed by the judiciary has an effective date of January 1, 2022. County court rules may also apply.
Official Pennsylvania Court Search Links & Help
These judiciary and Commonwealth-operated resources support the processes and distinctions described in this guide.
10 FAQs About Pennsylvania Court Records Search by Name
1. How can I search Pennsylvania court records by name for free?
Open the Pennsylvania UJS Case Search, select Participant Name, choose the correct court type and enter the participant’s last and first name. Add the county where the case was filed and review matching docket sheets. Public UJS docket searches are free and do not require a secure account.
2. Does Pennsylvania have a statewide court case search by name?
Yes, for specific categories. The UJS portal includes public appellate, criminal Common Pleas, Magisterial District Court and Philadelphia Municipal Court docket information. It does not provide a comprehensive statewide public search for civil Common Pleas cases.
3. Can I search Pennsylvania criminal court records using someone’s name?
Yes. Public criminal Courts of Common Pleas dockets and other supported criminal and summary court records can be searched by participant name through the UJS portal. A matching docket does not substitute for a Pennsylvania State Police criminal-history background check.
4. How do I find Pennsylvania civil lawsuits or judgments by name?
For a civil Court of Common Pleas case, identify the filing county and locate the county Prothonotary through the Pennsylvania Judiciary’s official directory. Then use the county’s civil record search or request assistance from its civil records office.
5. Can I find Pennsylvania traffic tickets and landlord-tenant cases by name?
Yes. The UJS portal includes publicly available Magisterial District Court traffic, non-traffic, civil, criminal and landlord-tenant docket information. Select Magisterial District Court and search with the participant name, county or relevant docket or citation number.
6. Why can’t I find a person or court case in the PA UJS search?
Possible reasons include selecting the wrong court type or county, a name spelling mismatch, a civil Common Pleas case outside statewide public coverage, delayed docket updates, an older unavailable record, or a case restricted by sealing, expungement, Clean Slate or juvenile confidentiality rules.
7. What do CP, MJ and MC-51 mean in Pennsylvania docket numbers?
CP identifies Courts of Common Pleas case numbers, MJ identifies Magisterial District Court case numbers, and MC-51 identifies Philadelphia Municipal Court case numbers. The full number normally includes other identifiers such as a court designation, case sequence and year.
8. Can I search sealed, expunged or Clean Slate cases by name?
No. The UJS Help Center states that cases classified as sealed, expunged or limited access under Clean Slate are not visible to the general public through Case Search. Questions about authorized access should be directed to the appropriate court.
9. Is a Pennsylvania court docket the same as a PATCH background check?
No. A docket sheet shows publicly available case activity from courts covered by the UJS system. PATCH is the official Pennsylvania State Police criminal-history background-check system, using a separate repository and applicable fees and restrictions.
10. How do I get a certified copy of a Pennsylvania court record?
Contact the court office that maintains the case. For civil Common Pleas records, that is commonly the county Prothonotary; for criminal Common Pleas cases, the county Clerk of Courts; and for Magisterial District Court paper records, the relevant district court office. Provide the docket number, parties and required document and confirm certification fees.