Pittsburgh Court Docket Records Search
Pittsburgh is the county seat of Allegheny County and the center of Pennsylvania's 5th Judicial District. Court docket records for Pittsburgh cases are maintained through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System and are searchable online at no cost. Pittsburgh Municipal Court handles preliminary hearings, summary offenses, and traffic matters, while the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas processes major civil and criminal cases. Whether you are researching a criminal case, tracking civil litigation, or confirming disposition of a traffic matter, the UJS portal is the starting point for any Pittsburgh court docket search.
Pittsburgh Quick Facts
Pittsburgh Court Docket Search
Searching Pittsburgh court dockets begins at the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal. The portal allows searches by party name, docket number, attorney, or date range. Pittsburgh cases are filed under Allegheny County, so selecting "Allegheny" as the county filter will narrow results effectively. Municipal Court dockets carry the prefix "MJ-02" while Court of Common Pleas dockets begin with "CP-02," reflecting the 5th Judicial District's county code.
The portal displays full docket sheets including charges or claims, hearings, continuances, motions, and final dispositions. For criminal matters, bail information and sentencing data are included. For civil matters, the docket reflects all pleadings, orders, and the current case status from filing through resolution.
The UJS Web Portal provides docket sheets for cases dating back to the system's early digitization period, and is the most efficient way to confirm case status or retrieve a docket number before visiting the courthouse.
Searches conducted through the portal are available to any member of the public without registration or payment.
Note: Records that have been expunged or sealed by court order are removed from public view in the portal and will not appear in search results.
Pittsburgh Magisterial District Courts
Pittsburgh Municipal Court handles the initial stage of criminal proceedings for offenses committed within city limits, including preliminary arraignments, bail determinations, and preliminary hearings. The court is situated at the City-County Building in downtown Pittsburgh. Summary offenses such as traffic violations and minor disorderly conduct are also adjudicated there, often without the case proceeding further up the court system.
Pittsburgh is served by several Magisterial District Judges within Allegheny County's 5th Judicial District. Each district judge handles a defined geographic area of the city, and their docket records are searchable through the UJS portal using the "MJ" docket prefix. Magisterial District Court records include preliminary hearing transcripts, bail orders, and summary case dispositions.
When a felony or serious misdemeanor case clears preliminary proceedings, it is bound over to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas for trial. The transition between courts is reflected in the docket, with the Municipal Court record closing and a new Common Pleas docket opening with reference to the original proceedings.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas -- Pittsburgh
The Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas is the primary trial court serving Pittsburgh and all of Allegheny County. It operates in the City-County Building at 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, and handles all felony criminal prosecutions, major civil litigation, family law matters, and orphans' court proceedings within the county. The court is organized into criminal, civil, family, and orphans' court divisions, each with its own procedures and case management rules.
The Department of Court Records manages the filing and archiving of all Common Pleas case documents. In addition to the UJS portal, Allegheny County maintains its own court records access systems. Certified copies and official docket sheets can be obtained through the Department of Court Records offices located in the City-County Building.
The UJS Case Search tool provides direct access to Allegheny County Common Pleas dockets, allowing users to retrieve case information, review filed documents where available, and track proceedings from arraignment through final judgment.
The case search tool is particularly useful for tracking multiple related cases or confirming that all matters in a proceeding have been fully resolved.
Criminal Court Dockets in Pittsburgh
Criminal docket records in Pittsburgh reflect the progression of a case from initial charging through conviction or acquittal. A Pittsburgh criminal docket will show the specific charges, the dates of each hearing, attorney appearances, bail modifications, plea agreements, jury verdicts, and sentencing outcomes. All of this information is publicly accessible through the UJS portal unless a court has entered a sealing or expungement order.
For cases that went to trial, the docket reflects the trial date, the verdict, and any post-verdict motions. For cases resolved by guilty plea, the docket shows the plea date and the agreed-upon disposition. Pennsylvania law provides a mechanism for expungement of certain records, and where a valid expungement order has been issued and processed, those records are removed from the public portal.
The public access policy maintained at pacourts.us/public-records governs which portions of criminal dockets are available for public viewing and identifies the categories of protected information that are always withheld from public access.
Civil Court Dockets in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh civil court dockets cover personal injury claims, breach of contract cases, real estate disputes, and a broad range of other civil matters filed in Allegheny County. Civil cases below the jurisdictional ceiling of the Magisterial District Court are handled at that level, while larger and more complex matters proceed in the Court of Common Pleas Civil Division.
The civil docket sheet accessible through the UJS portal shows the complete filing history of a case, from the initial complaint through any appellate proceedings. Motions, court orders, arbitration awards, and final judgments are all reflected as docket entries. The docket also identifies whether a case is currently active, resolved, or on appeal to a higher court.
Judgment liens arising from civil court decisions in Allegheny County are recorded with the prothonotary and searchable on the docket. A party seeking to determine whether a civil judgment has been entered against an individual or business can search by name in the UJS portal filtered to Allegheny County.
How to Get Pittsburgh Court Record Copies
Official copies of Pittsburgh court records are available through the Allegheny County Department of Court Records, located in the City-County Building at 414 Grant Street in downtown Pittsburgh. Requests can be submitted in person during business hours or by mail with a written request specifying the docket number and the documents needed.
Certified copies carry a per-page fee of $0.25 plus a certification charge. Uncertified copies are available at the same per-page rate. For many purposes, a printed docket sheet from the UJS portal is sufficient confirmation of case status and does not require a trip to the courthouse.
The PATCH system at epatch.pa.gov provides electronic access to criminal history records for authorized requestors, which is a separate process from retrieving court docket copies through the Department of Court Records.
Note: When submitting a mail request, include a check or money order payable to the Department of Court Records along with a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of the copies.
Public Access Rules for Pittsburgh Court Records
Court records in Pittsburgh are governed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's unified public access policy, which applies consistently across all 67 counties. The policy establishes that docket information is presumptively public, while specific categories of sensitive information within case files are protected from disclosure.
Protected categories include Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, names of minor victims, mental health records, and documents sealed by court order. Juvenile delinquency records are generally not accessible through public portals. Family court records involving support and custody contain additional restrictions on access by persons who are not parties to the case.
The full policy is available at pacourts.us/public-records, and the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas has a designated public access officer who handles formal access requests and disputes about record disclosure.
Allegheny County Court Docket Records
The Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas serves Pittsburgh and all surrounding municipalities in Allegheny County, maintaining a comprehensive docket of civil, criminal, and family cases. The county court docket page provides further detail on court locations, clerk contacts, and record request procedures.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Residents of nearby cities search court dockets through the same UJS portal.