Pennsylvania Court Docket Records
Pennsylvania court dockets are public records available free through the state's Unified Judicial System Web Portal. Each docket tracks a case from filing through final disposition, showing party names, charges, hearing dates, and court orders. The portal covers all 67 counties and three levels of court, including Magisterial District Courts, Courts of Common Pleas, and Pennsylvania's three appellate courts. You can search Pennsylvania court dockets by name, docket number, offense tracking number, or case status. This page explains how the system works and where to find court docket records across the state.
Pennsylvania Court Docket Quick Facts
Pennsylvania Court Docket Portal
The Unified Judicial System Web Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us is the central access point for all Pennsylvania court docket information. This free tool provides public access to docket sheets from the Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts in every county. You can also reach appellate court dockets through the same portal. No registration is required to search basic public docket sheets in Pennsylvania.
The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts manages the portal and keeps it current with case data from three separate systems. Common Pleas cases, district court cases, and appellate cases each have their own database behind the scenes. The portal connects all three so you can search across court types from one location. Secure login for attorneys and court staff is also available through the same system in Pennsylvania.
PAePay is available through the portal as well. It lets users search for cases with outstanding fines and pay them online any time of day. PACFile handles electronic filing for attorneys in appellate and many Common Pleas courts in Pennsylvania. Both tools are integrated with the underlying court docket systems and are accessible at ujsportal.pacourts.us.
Pennsylvania also released PAePocket, a free mobile app for searching court cases and dockets on the go. The app lets you search by case number, participant name, organization name, offense tracking number, police incident number, or state ID number. It gives quick access to Pennsylvania court dockets without opening a browser each time.
The Pennsylvania public records access page at pacourts.us explains the Electronic Case Record Public Access Policy and how remote access to court docket information works across the state. Court calendars, statewide warrant information, and attorney registration are all reachable through the same UJS system.
Pennsylvania's unified portal was built so that one search from home could cover courts across all 67 counties. Before the portal existed, finding a court docket meant a trip to the courthouse. The current system gives the public, attorneys, and researchers the same starting point for any Pennsylvania court docket search.
The state's court statistics page tracks annual filing volumes and case processing times for all Pennsylvania court levels. It gives context for how many court dockets are active at any given time across the state.
The official Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Web Portal provides free public access to court dockets from every county in the state.
The portal covers all case types handled by Pennsylvania courts, from traffic citations at the district level to appeals before the Supreme Court.
Searching Pennsylvania Court Dockets Online
Finding a court docket in Pennsylvania takes just a few steps. Go to ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch and select the court type that fits your search. Common Pleas covers felonies and civil cases. Magisterial District covers traffic and summary offenses. Appellate covers cases before the Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth Courts in Pennsylvania.
The Magisterial District Judge System offers two search methods. The first uses the MDJ Docket Number along with the county and court office. The second uses a last name plus any one additional field, such as county, case type, or date range. Both return a list of matching cases. Click the DKT link next to any result to open the full docket sheet. You can view, print, or export the docket from that screen in Pennsylvania.
When searching by name, use the full legal name when you know it. Partial names can return incomplete matches. You can add a date of birth field to filter out unrelated cases that share the same name. Most Pennsylvania court dockets are publicly viewable without creating an account.
The UJS Case Search tool at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch provides access to court dockets across Pennsylvania using name, case number, or other identifiers.
Results can be filtered by court type, county, and date range to narrow a Pennsylvania court docket search quickly.
Most searches require at least one of the following identifiers:
- Party last name (required for MDJS name searches)
- Docket number or case number
- Offense tracking number (OTN)
- Police incident or complaint number
- State ID number
- Citation number for traffic cases
For in-person access to Pennsylvania court dockets, visit the Clerk of Courts for criminal records or the Prothonotary for civil records at the appropriate county courthouse. Both offices accept requests for certified copies of court documents. Fees follow the state schedule, with photocopies at no more than $0.25 per page under the Electronic Case Record Public Access Policy. Certified copies cost more than plain copies at any Pennsylvania courthouse.
Pennsylvania Court Systems and Docket Access
Pennsylvania court dockets come from three case management systems. Each handles a different court level and case type. Knowing which system holds your records saves time and prevents missing results.
The Common Pleas Case Management System (CPCMS) holds records for the Courts of Common Pleas in all 67 Pennsylvania counties. This system covers felony criminal cases, misdemeanor cases appealed from district courts, civil litigation, family court matters including custody and support, and orphans' court cases involving estates. CPCMS is the primary database for felony court dockets in Pennsylvania. You can search it by case number, participant name, or organization name through the UJS Portal.
The Magisterial District Judge System (MDJS) covers every Magisterial District Court in Pennsylvania, including the Pittsburgh Municipal Court and central and night courts. These lower courts handle traffic violations, non-traffic citations, summary criminal offenses, preliminary hearings for felony cases, landlord-tenant actions, and small civil claims up to $12,000. There are more than 500 district courts across Pennsylvania. Each is assigned to a specific county, so selecting the right county in your search helps narrow results quickly.
The Pennsylvania Appellate Court Case Management System (PACMS) tracks cases before the three statewide appellate courts: the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. All appeals from trial courts flow into PACMS when filed in Pennsylvania. Appellate court dockets are searchable by party name, docket number, or attorney bar number through the UJS Portal.
What Pennsylvania Court Dockets Show
A court docket in Pennsylvania is a chronological index of every filing and event in a case. The Case Records Public Access Policy at 204 Pa. Code § 213.81 defines a docket as an index of filings, actions, and events that may include party and counsel information, brief descriptions of filings, and other case details. This policy governs what information appears on public dockets in Pennsylvania and sets the rules for remote access.
Pennsylvania court statistics published by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts track docket filings and case outcomes statewide.
Annual statistics show filing trends and case processing data across all Pennsylvania court levels and all 67 counties.
Standard fields on a Pennsylvania court docket include the docket number, filing date, case type, court and county, party names, counsel of record, and current case status. Criminal dockets also list each charge by statute, the grade of offense (felony, misdemeanor, or summary), and the disposition of each count. Civil dockets show the claim amount, relief requested, and any judgments or orders entered. Family court dockets in Pennsylvania contain limited remote information to protect privacy under the policy.
Certain details are kept off all public Pennsylvania court dockets. Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and driver's license numbers are restricted. Minors' names and dates of birth are withheld in most cases. Juvenile records are confidential under 42 Pa.C.S. § 6308 and do not appear in public docket searches in Pennsylvania. Juror identities, victim information, and witness names in criminal cases are also excluded from public dockets.
Here is what you typically find on a Pennsylvania court docket:
- Docket number and filing date
- Party names and counsel of record
- Case type and current status
- Charges or claims with current disposition
- Scheduled hearing dates and outcomes
- Court orders and judicial decisions
- Fine and cost balances for criminal cases
Document images such as the full text of motions or pleadings are generally not viewable through the public portal. The docket shows what was filed but not the document itself. For copies of actual court filings in Pennsylvania, contact the Clerk of Courts or Prothonotary at the relevant county courthouse.
Note: Document access through the UJS Portal is limited to docket information. For certified copies of court documents, contact the clerk or prothonotary at the court of record directly in Pennsylvania.
Criminal Court Dockets in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's Electronic Case Record Public Access Policy governs what criminal court docket information is available to the public online.
The policy applies to all three court systems and covers both criminal and civil case records in Pennsylvania.
Criminal court dockets in Pennsylvania begin at the Magisterial District level. A criminal complaint starts the process. The district court docket records the preliminary arraignment, bail determination, preliminary hearing result, and any citations issued. If the case is held for trial, it transfers to the Court of Common Pleas where a new docket opens. Both dockets stay accessible through the UJS Portal in Pennsylvania.
At the Common Pleas level, the Pennsylvania court docket tracks the formal arraignment, pretrial motions, suppression hearings, plea dispositions, trial, and sentencing. Every filing, every order, and every court date appears in chronological order. The final entry shows the verdict and sentence or dismissal if charges are dropped. Pennsylvania court dockets give you the full procedural history of a criminal case in one place.
For official criminal history background checks, the Pennsylvania State Police operates the PATCH system at epatch.pa.gov. PATCH maintains the Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) repository under Chapter 91 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code. Docket sheets from the UJS Portal provide case-level information, but PATCH provides the authoritative record for background check purposes. Pennsylvania court docket information should not be used as a substitute for an official PATCH check.
The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. § 67.301 establishes the general right to access public government records. Court records operate under a separate access policy, but the principle of public access applies to criminal court dockets in Pennsylvania. Records from active investigations, sealed cases, and expunged records are not publicly accessible through the portal.
Under Act 5 of 2016, certain offenses graded as second or third-degree misdemeanors have restricted public access. Courts cannot release conviction information for those specific offenses to individuals, non-criminal justice agencies, or internet websites in Pennsylvania. If a search returns no result for someone you expected to find, the record may be sealed, expunged, or restricted under these provisions.
Pennsylvania Appellate Court Dockets
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the state, with docket records accessible through the PACMS system on the UJS Portal.
Supreme Court dockets in Pennsylvania track appeals of significant legal questions and cases that come directly before the state's highest court.
The Pennsylvania Superior Court handles most criminal and civil appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas, with docket sheets available through the UJS Portal.
Superior Court cases cover a wide range of criminal and civil appeals from trial courts across all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
Pennsylvania has three appellate courts, and all three use the PACMS system for docket tracking. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the state's highest court and takes cases of significant legal importance. The Superior Court handles most criminal and civil appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas. The Commonwealth Court hears cases involving state agencies, local governments, and regulatory matters in Pennsylvania. All three courts' docket sheets are searchable through the UJS Portal.
Appellate court docket sheets in Pennsylvania show the lower court case number, county of origin, date the appeal was filed, each brief submitted, and all orders and opinions issued. Published opinions are posted online and searchable by case name or docket number through the UJS Portal. Under a 2023 order from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, attorneys with active PACFile accounts can access brief images for non-confidential cases filed on or after September 28, 2023.
To search for an appellate case in Pennsylvania, go to the UJS Portal and select "Appellate Courts" from the court type menu. Enter the party name, docket number, or attorney bar number. Results show the full appellate docket with links to published opinions. The court statistics page at pacourts.us also publishes data on appellate filings and dispositions each year in Pennsylvania.
Note: Remote access to briefs filed in Pennsylvania appellate courts is limited to PACFile account holders and applies only to non-confidential briefs filed after September 28, 2023.
Browse Pennsylvania Court Dockets by County
Each county in Pennsylvania has its own Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts. Select a county below to find court docket resources, local courthouse information, and docket access details for that area.
Pennsylvania Court Dockets by City
Major Pennsylvania cities have their own court locations and Magisterial District Courts handling local cases. Select a city below to find court docket resources and local courthouse details for that area.