Pennsylvania Court Records Search by Name

Independent website notice: Public-Court-Records.us is an independent educational website. It is not Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, a county Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, Magisterial District Court, Philadelphia Municipal Court, PACER, Pennsylvania State Police, or any government agency. This guide explains official court-record access routes and does not provide legal advice, criminal-history reports, or consumer reports.

Pennsylvania Court Records Search by Name: The UJS Portal Does Not Search Every Pennsylvania Case

The official statewide starting point for many Pennsylvania court-record searches is the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal (UJS Web Portal). Its public Case Search is free and does not require an account to view public docket sheets.

But Pennsylvania has an important exception that changes how a statewide name search should be performed: civil cases filed in Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas are not returned as public docket sheets through the statewide UJS Case Search. Those civil records often require the county Prothonotary or county-specific civil court-record system instead.

That means the correct route depends first on whether the case is appellate, Common Pleas criminal, Common Pleas civil, Magisterial District Court, Philadelphia Municipal Court, or federal.

UJS Portal checked: August 30, 2026 Public Access Policy effective: January 1, 2022 Statewide Pennsylvania guide

The Pennsylvania routing problem: identify the court before searching the name

Pennsylvania’s Courts of Common Pleas are organized into 60 judicial districts and handle major civil and criminal cases. Beneath that level, Magisterial District Courts handle several categories of lower-level matters. Philadelphia uses the Philadelphia Municipal Court rather than the ordinary Magisterial District Court structure for many comparable matters.

At the appellate level, Pennsylvania has the Supreme Court, Superior Court, and Commonwealth Court. Federal litigation uses a completely separate federal system.

Pennsylvania Court Search Route Finder

Select the type of record

This tool does not search or collect a person’s name. It only identifies the correct official system.

Common Pleas criminal Common Pleas civil Magisterial District Philadelphia Municipal Appeal Court date Certified / paper copy Federal case

Use Pennsylvania UJS Case Search.

Select Participant Name unless you already know the docket number. Common Pleas public criminal docket sheets are included in the statewide system.

Open Official Pennsylvania UJS Case Search

Do not rely on UJS statewide Case Search for a Common Pleas civil lawsuit.

The public UJS search specifically warns that Common Pleas civil cases do not display in search results. Identify the filing county and use that county’s Prothonotary, Office of Judicial Records, or authorized civil docket system.

Find the Official County Prothonotary

Use UJS Case Search.

Magisterial District Court search coverage includes civil, criminal, traffic, non-traffic, and landlord/tenant docket types.

Open UJS Case Search

Use UJS Case Search for Philadelphia Municipal Court docket sheets.

The public UJS docket service includes Philadelphia Municipal Court records along with Common Pleas criminal, Magisterial District, and appellate docket sheets.

Select Appellate or Docket Number in UJS Case Search.

The statewide portal contains docket information for Pennsylvania’s Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth Courts. If you already have the appellate docket number, use it rather than a broad name search.

Use Public Calendar Schedule.

Public calendar information is available for criminal Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts. Civil Common Pleas calendar events and juvenile calendar events are not displayed through this public feature.

Identify the record custodian before ordering.

For Magisterial District Court paper records, contact that MDJ office directly. For Common Pleas civil records, contact the county Prothonotary or Office of Judicial Records. Criminal Common Pleas records generally route through the Clerk of Courts or equivalent county records office.

Use PACER.

Pennsylvania state-court portals do not contain federal cases. Determine whether the case belongs to the Eastern, Middle, or Western District of Pennsylvania, or use the PACER Case Locator when the federal court is unknown.

Open PACER

How to search Pennsylvania court records by participant name

Pennsylvania’s current UJS help materials recommend Participant Name when you do not know the docket number. The same official guidance also recommends a “less is more” approach rather than filling every available field.

1. Open the official UJS Case Search. The portal is operated by Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System.
2. Open the Search By dropdown.
3. Select Participant Name.
4. Enter Participant Last Name.
5. Enter Participant First Name.
6. Select the county where the case was filed if you know it. Pennsylvania’s own quick-reference guide recommends first name, last name, and county as a practical minimal search.
7. Initially leave unnecessary advanced fields blank. Too many filters can exclude the case you are trying to locate.
8. Select Search.
9. Review the Court System column. This helps distinguish a Magisterial District Court matter from Common Pleas or another court level.
10. Open the Docket Sheet button for the correct result.
11. Verify identity before relying on the docket. Compare docket number, court, county, filing date, case caption, party role, and other lawful identifiers.

Search by name with minimum criteria first

If the first Pennsylvania name search fails

The UJS help center provides a specific troubleshooting sequence rather than telling users that a blank result means no case exists.

1. Click Clear and start a new search.
2. Confirm Participant Name is selected.
3. Re-enter the participant’s last name.
4. Re-enter the first name.
5. Try the person’s full legal name or an alternative spelling where appropriate.
6. If the name is common, add Date of Birth only if you lawfully know it and only on the official UJS portal.
7. Select the filing county when known.
8. Leave other fields blank and search again.
9. If necessary, add the correct Docket Type.
10. If there is still no result, determine whether the case belongs to a category UJS intentionally does not display.

Magisterial District Court docket types you may see

Common Pleas public docket types in statewide search

The biggest Pennsylvania content gap: Common Pleas civil records are not in the statewide public search

This point is essential for the keyword pennsylvania court records search by name.

The UJS Case Search itself warns that civil cases in Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas do not display in public search results even when the correct search information is entered.

That includes many lawsuits people commonly expect to find in a statewide search, such as major contract disputes, tort cases, many family-related civil filings, and other Common Pleas civil matters.

Why the Prothonotary matters

Pennsylvania uses a court-office structure that differs from many states. For civil matters, the relevant records office is commonly called the Prothonotary or, in some counties, an equivalent Office of Judicial Records.

The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System maintains an official directory of county Prothonotaries. Use that directory to identify the records office for the county where the lawsuit was filed.

1. Determine the Pennsylvania county where the civil case was filed.
2. Open the official Pennsylvania Prothonotary directory.
3. Select or locate that county.
4. Open the county’s official civil-records website if the Prothonotary provides an online search link.
5. Verify whether the county system supports party-name searching.
6. Check whether registration or payment is required before assuming the system is free.
7. If the case is older or unavailable online, contact the Prothonotary’s records office directly.

Criminal Common Pleas records: UJS vs the county Clerk of Courts

For Common Pleas criminal docket searching, the statewide UJS portal is the practical first stop.

But the official record itself is maintained through the court’s records infrastructure, and county-level Clerks of Courts perform key recordkeeping functions. If you need a paper record, certification, a record that is not visible online, or correction of an official record, the filing county’s Clerk of Courts or equivalent office may be necessary.

What Pennsylvania UJS public Case Search actually covers

Public UJS search is free and does not require an account

Pennsylvania’s current UJS public docket guide states that an account is not required to view public docket sheets.

The portal also states that searching and reviewing information in public web docket sheets is a free public service.

PAeDocket: Pennsylvania’s official mobile option

Pennsylvania also provides PAeDocket, a free mobile application for quickly searching public court cases and docket information.

The UJS identifies search options including:

• case number;
• participant name;
• organization name;
• offense tracking number;
• police incident number;
• complaint number; and
• state identification number where supported.

PAeDocket can be convenient for a quick mobile check, while the full UJS Web Portal is generally better when you need detailed filtering, docket reports, calendar searching, or printable information.

Searching by organization or business name

The Pennsylvania portal supports organization-based search criteria in relevant contexts. For civil-commercial research, however, remember the statewide Common Pleas civil limitation.

For major civil litigation, identify the county and use the county Prothonotary’s civil case search where available.

Docket number search is better when you already know the case

A docket number is more precise than a participant-name search because it identifies a particular case rather than a group of people or organizations.

Pennsylvania’s own UJS quick-reference material specifically recommends a Docket Number search for appellate cases.

What Pennsylvania docket numbers can reveal

Different court systems use different formats. Examples can identify the court system, county or district, docket type, sequence, and filing year.

Do not remove characters or reformat a docket number based on another state’s rules. Enter the Pennsylvania docket number using the format accepted by the UJS portal.

OTN search: useful in Pennsylvania criminal cases

For criminal matters, the UJS portal can search using an Offense Tracking Number (OTN).

The current Case Search interface describes an OTN as an eight- or nine-character identifier and provides examples such as:

A 123456-1 or A 1234567-1

The UJS portal states that an OTN may be entered with or without its space and dash.

Pennsylvania docket sheet ≠ every document in the court file

The UJS describes a docket sheet as a detailed statement of actions and filings in a court case.

Depending on the case, a public docket sheet can show:

• general case information;
• calendar events and court dates;
• financial information such as paid or unpaid court costs;
• a chronological list of filings and docket entries;
• case caption and participant information; and
• disposition-related information where publicly available.

But a docket sheet is not the same as:

Pennsylvania remote-access rules protect certain records and information

Pennsylvania’s statewide Case Records Public Access Policy took effect January 1, 2022 and establishes rules for public access while protecting sensitive or confidential material.

The policy specifically limits remote public access to several categories.

Why a Pennsylvania case may be missing even when your name is correct

The UJS help center specifically identifies several categories that may not appear even when the search information is correct.

Magisterial District Court records can disappear after record destruction

Pennsylvania’s UJS Case Search contains a particularly useful historical-record warning for Magisterial District Court cases.

Since April 1, 2012, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts has applied a protocol under which the public web docket sheet is no longer accessible when the official paper case record has been, or should have been, destroyed according to the applicable retention and disposition schedule.

Older Magisterial District Court workflow

1. Estimate the filing year.
2. Identify the county.
3. If possible, identify the Magisterial District Court number.
4. Search UJS using Participant Name or Docket Number.
5. If no result appears, contact the correct Magisterial District Court office.
6. Ask whether the official record was retained, transferred, or destroyed under the retention schedule.
7. If a paper record remains, ask about inspection and copying procedures.

How to find the correct Magisterial District Court office

If you know the district court number, Pennsylvania’s help center recommends searching the official court directory by District Court rather than county alone.

1. Open the Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court directory.
2. Change the search field from County to District Court when that option is available.
3. Enter the district number, such as a format similar to 51-3-01.
4. Select Search.
5. Select Show Details.
6. Confirm the office phone number and address before requesting a paper record or visiting.

Pennsylvania court calendar search has its own limitations

The public UJS Calendar Schedule provides access to case events scheduled in:

• criminal Courts of Common Pleas;
• Magisterial District Courts; and
• applicable Philadelphia Municipal Court information.

Calendar events can include hearings, trials, arraignments, and conferences.

Pennsylvania’s current calendar guide says that when a result has no Event Type, Event Status, or Event Date, there is no upcoming event displayed for that case.

How to find an upcoming court event

1. Open UJS Case Search.
2. Select Participant Name.
3. Enter the participant’s first and last name.
4. Select the filing county if known.
5. Select Search.
6. Open the Calendar Events tab in the results.
7. Review Event Type, Event Status, Event Date, and location information.
8. For an appearance that is imminent, verify the information again with the docket or court because calendars can change.

How to read a Pennsylvania docket sheet responsibly

Charge, arrest, and conviction are different records

Identity verification is mandatory in a Pennsylvania name search

A common name can produce multiple docket sheets from multiple counties and court levels.

• Compare full first and last name.
• Check middle name or initial if displayed.
• Check suffix.
• Confirm county.
• Confirm court system.
• Confirm docket number.
• Compare filing date.
• Check party role.
• Review attorney information when useful.
• Use date-of-birth information only when lawfully available and appropriate.
• If material uncertainty remains, do not claim the result belongs to that person.

Participant roles do not all mean the same thing

How to request a Pennsylvania court record

The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System publishes a statewide Request a Record form under its public-records forms collection.

The instructions are important: submit the request to the court in which the case is being heard or where the case record is maintained.

Record request workflow

1. Find the case or determine the court where it was filed.
2. Save the complete docket number.
3. Identify the exact document you need.
4. Determine the record custodian: Magisterial District Court, Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, appellate Prothonotary, or other official records office.
5. Open Pennsylvania’s official Public Records Forms page.
6. Use the Request a Record form if the custodian requires it.
7. Ask whether an ordinary inspection request can be handled without a formal written request.
8. Check copying and certification fees before ordering.
9. Submit the request to the correct court/custodian rather than the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts unless instructions specifically direct otherwise.
10. Save the docket number, request copy, and receipt.

Viewing records versus paying for copies

Pennsylvania’s statewide Case Records Public Access Policy states that ordinary duplication by photocopying or printing from electronic media or microfilm generally may not exceed $0.25 per page unless another applicable law or authority provides a different fee.

The policy also makes clear that this fee provision does not authorize a fee simply for viewing records maintained at the court facility.

Example: Pennsylvania appellate copy fees differ from ordinary trial-court copying

Appellate courts publish their own fee schedules. For example, Pennsylvania Superior Court currently lists:

• certification: $8 for the first page;
• an additional $1 for each additional certified page when requested;
• copies made by a litigant: $0.50 per page; and
• copies made by staff: $1 per page.

These figures are specific to Superior Court and should not be copied into a county Common Pleas or Magisterial District Court request.

Common Pleas civil, family, and divorce records need extra care

Because Common Pleas civil cases do not appear in the ordinary statewide public Case Search, many searches for divorce, custody, civil complaints, and other civil filings require county-level records offices.

Pennsylvania’s public-access policy also restricts remote access to family court case records beyond certain docket information, court orders, and opinions.

If you need a divorce decree

1. Identify the Pennsylvania county where the divorce was filed.
2. Contact the county Prothonotary / Office of Judicial Records.
3. Ask whether the county provides an online civil docket search.
4. Find the docket number where possible.
5. Ask specifically for the divorce decree, not merely a docket-sheet screenshot.
6. If an official copy is required, ask for the county’s certified-copy procedure and current fee.

Magisterial District Court paper records

The Pennsylvania UJS specifically instructs users seeking paper records maintained by a Magisterial District Court to contact that court office directly.

For a complex request, the court may ask the requester to complete a formal records request form.

What to have before calling

• participant’s name;
• docket number if known;
• Magisterial District Court number;
• approximate filing year;
• case type;
• specific document needed; and
• whether you need inspection, a plain copy, or certification.

Appellate court records: Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth Courts

The UJS portal includes public appellate docket sheets for:

• Pennsylvania Supreme Court;
• Pennsylvania Superior Court; and
• Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.

Pennsylvania’s docket-search guide recommends using Docket Number for appellate cases whenever possible.

Appellate search workflow

1. Open UJS Case Search.
2. Select Appellate or Docket Number.
3. Select the relevant appellate court if necessary.
4. Enter the docket number or supported participant information.
5. Confirm appellate case status.
6. Review the appellate docket entries.
7. Use the court’s opinions/orders section when you need a published judicial decision rather than merely docket history.

Federal Pennsylvania court records use three federal districts

Federal records are not stored in the Pennsylvania UJS portal.

Pennsylvania is served by:

If you know a matter is federal but do not know the correct district, use the PACER Case Locator rather than searching three district systems independently.

PACER Case Locator vs individual court PACER

PACER pricing verified August 30, 2026

Pennsylvania court records are not criminal-history reports

The Pennsylvania judiciary specifically warns that court-case information should not be used in place of a criminal-history background check.

For official Pennsylvania criminal-history information, the judiciary directs users to the Pennsylvania State Police rather than treating UJS docket sheets as a substitute criminal-history product.

Court records vs jail records in Pennsylvania

Technical requirements for the Pennsylvania UJS Web Portal

The Pennsylvania portal currently states that its electronic services require:

• a current web browser;
• JavaScript enabled;
• cookies enabled;
• TLS 1.2 or higher; and
• appropriate PDF-viewing capability for generated reports.

The UJS also warns that pop-up blockers can prevent certain pages or reports from opening.

If the docket sheet button appears to do nothing

1. Check whether your browser blocked a pop-up.
2. Allow pop-ups for the official UJS Web Portal.
3. Confirm JavaScript is enabled.
4. Confirm cookies are enabled.
5. Reload the portal.
6. Try a current Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari browser.
7. If using a phone and the layout is difficult to read, rotating the device to landscape may improve the official portal’s display.

A Pennsylvania docket may not update instantly

The Unified Judicial System repeatedly warns that recent entries made in court filing offices may not be immediately reflected on public web docket sheets.

What to do after finding the correct Pennsylvania case

1. Save the complete docket number.
2. Confirm the court system and county.
3. Verify the participant’s role.
4. Read the latest docket entries.
5. Locate the current disposition or case status.
6. Check for upcoming calendar events where available.
7. Determine whether you need the docket sheet or an actual filed document.
8. If you need an official document, identify the record custodian.
9. Ask whether a plain, certified, exemplified, or authenticated copy is required.
10. Verify the current fee before submitting payment.

Official Pennsylvania resources reviewed for this guide

• Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania — Case Search — current public Case Search interface, search fields, court-system coverage, and access warnings.
• UJS Public Docket Sheets Quick Reference Guide — participant-name workflow, minimum-search guidance, docket-sheet access, and unavailable case categories.
• Pennsylvania Court Case Information — official coverage of appellate, Common Pleas criminal, and Magisterial District Court records.
• Pennsylvania Public Records Policies — current statewide case-record and electronic-access policies.
• Case Records Public Access Policy — policy effective January 1, 2022, including remote-access limitations and duplication-fee rules.
• Pennsylvania Public Records Forms — official records request, correction, confidentiality, and related forms.
• Pennsylvania Prothonotaries Directory — county civil court records contacts.
• Pennsylvania Clerks of Courts Directory — county criminal court records contacts.
• UJS Public Calendar Schedule Guide — current public calendar-search workflow and limitations.
• Pennsylvania Public Records Videos — official videos covering public-access policy and how to access court records.
• PACER — federal court case access.
• PACER Pricing — current per-page charge, document cap, and quarterly waiver information.

Research verification date: August 30, 2026. Court entries, fees, portal functionality, access rules, and contact information can change. Verify a time-sensitive record directly with the court that maintains it.

Frequently asked questions about Pennsylvania court records search by name

1. What is the official Pennsylvania court records search by name?

The main statewide public search is the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Web Portal Case Search. Select Participant Name, enter the participant’s first and last name, add the filing county when known, and review the returned public docket sheets. Common Pleas civil cases are an important exception and generally require the county Prothonotary or civil-records system.

2. Is Pennsylvania UJS Case Search free?

Yes. Pennsylvania identifies its public web docket-sheet search as a free public service, and an account is not required to view ordinary public docket sheets.

3. Why can’t I find a Pennsylvania Common Pleas civil lawsuit in UJS Case Search?

The public UJS portal specifically excludes civil cases filed in Courts of Common Pleas from ordinary public Case Search results. Identify the filing county and use the county Prothonotary, Office of Judicial Records, or authorized civil docket system.

4. What Pennsylvania cases can I find through the statewide UJS portal?

The public portal includes appellate court docket information, Common Pleas criminal records, Magisterial District Court cases including civil, criminal, traffic, non-traffic and landlord/tenant matters, and Philadelphia Municipal Court docket sheets, subject to public-access restrictions.

5. Why might a Pennsylvania case be missing even when the name is correct?

A missing result can involve a Common Pleas civil case, juvenile matter, expunged or pending-expungement case, sealed case, Act 5 limited-access matter, destroyed record, incorrect spelling, wrong county, wrong docket type, or another access restriction.

6. How do I find a Pennsylvania court date?

Use UJS Case Search and review the Calendar Events tab or public Calendar Schedule where available. Public calendar information includes criminal Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Court matters, while juvenile and Common Pleas civil calendar information is not displayed through the same public feature.

7. Can I request paper records from a Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court?

Yes, when the record remains available and public. Pennsylvania directs users requesting paper Magisterial District Court records to contact the appropriate MDJ office directly. Complex requests may require the statewide records-request form.

8. How much does a Pennsylvania court-record copy cost?

The statewide Case Records Public Access Policy generally caps ordinary photocopying or printing from electronic media or microfilm at $0.25 per page unless another law or authority provides a different fee. Certification and specialized copy fees vary by court and custodian, so there is no single reliable statewide certified-copy price.

9. Where do I search Pennsylvania federal court records?

Use PACER. Pennsylvania federal cases may be filed in the Eastern, Middle, or Western District of Pennsylvania. If you do not know which federal district has the case, the PACER Case Locator can help identify the correct federal court.

10. Can Pennsylvania UJS docket sheets be used as an employment or tenant background check?

The Pennsylvania judiciary states that court-case information should not be used in place of a criminal-history background check. Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency and must not be treated as an FCRA consumer-reporting service for employment, tenant, credit, insurance, or similar eligibility decisions.