Bethlehem Pennsylvania Court Docket Records
Bethlehem is one of Pennsylvania's unique cities in that it spans two counties: Northampton and Lehigh. Court docket records for Bethlehem cases are determined by which county the relevant address or incident falls in, making it important to know the correct county when searching. Both the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas in Easton and the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas in Allentown may handle Bethlehem matters depending on location. All records are accessible through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal free of charge.
Bethlehem Quick Facts
Bethlehem Court Docket Search
Because Bethlehem straddles Northampton and Lehigh counties, searching court dockets may require checking both counties in the Pennsylvania UJS portal. Northampton County Common Pleas dockets carry the "CP-48" prefix and Magisterial District Court dockets carry "MJ-48." Lehigh County Common Pleas dockets carry "CP-31" and district court dockets begin with "MJ-31." A name search run for both counties will return all cases regardless of which side of the county line the matter was filed in.
The UJS portal search interface allows filtering by county, so running two separate searches with each county filter ensures comprehensive results for any party or case associated with Bethlehem. Most searches by party name will surface results even when the specific address or county is unknown, as long as the correct name is entered.
The UJS Web Portal requires no account and provides immediate access to docket sheets, hearing schedules, and case dispositions for all publicly accessible matters.
Docket sheets can be printed or saved as PDF directly from the portal without any additional software or subscription.
Note: Sealed and expunged records will not appear in either county's portal results, consistent with Pennsylvania's public access policy.
Bethlehem Magisterial District Courts
Bethlehem is served by Magisterial District Courts from both Northampton and Lehigh counties, depending on the neighborhood and the specific matter. District judges in the Northampton County portion of Bethlehem operate under the 48th Judicial District, while those serving the Lehigh County portion operate under the 31st Judicial District. Both sets of district courts handle preliminary arraignments, preliminary hearings, summary offenses, and small civil claims.
For residents and businesses in Bethlehem, determining the correct Magisterial District Court for a given matter depends on the address. The Pennsylvania courts website provides a court locator tool that can identify the correct district judge based on address. This is particularly important for landlord-tenant proceedings and summary traffic matters, where the specific district court has jurisdiction over the area where the property or violation is located.
Summary offense records for Bethlehem cases are maintained separately in each county's portion of the UJS portal. Traffic violation dockets, disorderly conduct matters, and ordinance violations will appear under the MJ docket prefix for whichever judicial district covers the geographic area where the offense occurred.
Northampton County Court of Common Pleas -- Bethlehem
The Northampton County Court of Common Pleas is located in Easton, Pennsylvania, and serves as the primary trial court for the Northampton County portion of Bethlehem. Felony and serious misdemeanor cases arising in Bethlehem's Northampton County area are bound over from Magisterial District Court and tried before the Court of Common Pleas in Easton. Civil disputes, family law matters, and orphans' court proceedings for Northampton County Bethlehem residents are also handled there.
The Northampton County courthouse in Easton is the location of the Clerk of Courts and the Prothonotary for Northampton County matters. Parties involved in cases on the Northampton County side of Bethlehem must file documents and request copies through those Easton offices.
The UJS Case Search allows direct lookup of Northampton County dockets by entering the CP-48 prefix along with the docket number or by searching by party name with Northampton County selected as the filter.
The same portal covers both counties, so users can switch the county filter between Northampton and Lehigh in the same search session.
Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas -- Bethlehem
The Lehigh County portion of Bethlehem is served by the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas in Allentown. Cases originating on the Lehigh County side of Bethlehem, including criminal prosecutions, civil disputes, and family law matters, are handled at the 455 West Hamilton Street courthouse in Allentown. This division of jurisdiction is unique to Bethlehem among Pennsylvania cities and requires residents to determine on which side of the county line their address falls before knowing which court has jurisdiction.
Lehigh County Judicial Services administers court operations for the 31st Judicial District, and the Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary in Allentown are the filing and records offices for matters from the Lehigh County portion of Bethlehem. Attorneys and parties familiar with only one side of Bethlehem's court geography should verify which court handles their specific matter before filing or appearing.
The split-county structure does not affect how court dockets are searched through the UJS portal. Both Northampton and Lehigh county dockets are accessible in the same portal, and a name search across both counties will return a complete picture of any party's court history in the Bethlehem area.
Criminal Court Dockets in Bethlehem
Criminal docket records for Bethlehem cases document each step of proceedings from initial charging through final disposition. Whether the case was filed in Northampton County or Lehigh County depends on where the offense allegedly occurred within city limits. Both counties' criminal dockets are searchable through the UJS portal, and a party involved in criminal proceedings in Bethlehem may have dockets under both county systems if they have separate matters on each side of the line.
The criminal docket includes the charges filed, the bail conditions set, the preliminary hearing outcome, any motions filed and ruled upon, the trial or plea proceedings, and the sentence imposed. This full record is publicly accessible for cases that have not been sealed or expunged under a valid court order. Pennsylvania's expungement process, when completed, results in removal of the docket from the public portal.
Pennsylvania's public records policy, available at pacourts.us/public-records, governs which information within a criminal docket is available to the public and which must be withheld to protect individual privacy and safety interests.
Civil Court Dockets in Bethlehem Pennsylvania
Civil court dockets in Bethlehem cover personal injury claims, contract disputes, property matters, and other civil litigation. The county in which the civil action must be filed depends on where the defendant resides or where the cause of action arose within Bethlehem's divided geography. Small claims and landlord-tenant matters are resolved at the Magisterial District Court level for the relevant district.
Larger civil disputes proceed to either the Northampton County or Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. The civil docket reflects all filings and orders from the initial complaint through final judgment. Post-judgment proceedings, including motions to set aside a verdict or proceedings to collect on a judgment, are also reflected on the civil docket accessible through the portal.
Judgment liens filed in either Northampton or Lehigh County for matters arising in Bethlehem are searchable by party name through the UJS portal. Parties confirming the existence or satisfaction of a civil money judgment should search both counties when the filing county is not known.
How to Get Bethlehem Court Record Copies
Certified copies of Bethlehem court records are obtained from the relevant county clerk's office depending on which county the case was filed in. For Northampton County matters, the Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary are in Easton. For Lehigh County matters, those offices are at the courthouse in Allentown. Both offices accept in-person and mail requests and process requests in the order received.
The standard copy fee is $0.25 per page with an additional certification fee for certified copies. Requesting parties should always specify the full docket number and the specific documents needed to prevent delays. The docket sheet from the UJS portal is available at no cost and is sufficient for most informational purposes.
The PATCH system at epatch.pa.gov provides access to statewide criminal history records for authorized users, separate from the county-level docket copy process at the respective clerk's offices.
Note: When uncertain which county holds the record, a preliminary UJS portal search will identify the county and docket number before a formal copy request is submitted.
Northampton County Court Docket Records
The Northampton County Court of Common Pleas in Easton serves the Northampton County portion of Bethlehem and handles criminal, civil, family, and orphans' court matters for the county. The Northampton County court docket page has more information on the court structure, locations, and record access procedures.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Residents of nearby cities search court dockets through the same UJS portal.