Reading Pennsylvania Court Docket Search
Reading is the county seat of Berks County and the home of the Berks County Court of Common Pleas, making it the judicial center of the 23rd Judicial District. Court docket records for Reading cases are publicly available through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal at no charge. Both Magisterial District Court records and Court of Common Pleas records are searchable online, covering criminal, civil, family, and traffic matters filed throughout the city and surrounding area. This guide explains the Reading court structure and how to locate the records you need.
Reading Quick Facts
Reading Court Docket Search
Searching court dockets for Reading cases starts at the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal. To search by name, select Berks County as the filter. Reading Magisterial District Court dockets use the "MJ-23" prefix while Berks County Court of Common Pleas dockets use the "CP-23" prefix. Entering a full docket number directly will retrieve the specific case record without needing to browse through name search results.
The portal displays all public docket information, including hearing schedules, dispositions, charges, motions, and orders. Cases are updated in near real time as filings occur, making the portal the most current source for case status information in the Reading area.
The UJS Web Portal covers both criminal and civil matter types and requires no registration or account to search.
Portal results display clickable docket sheets that can be printed or saved as PDF for reference purposes.
Note: Sealed records and expunged cases are removed from the public portal and cannot be retrieved through normal search methods.
Reading Magisterial District Courts
Reading and the surrounding areas of Berks County are served by several Magisterial District Judges within the 23rd Judicial District. These courts are the first point of contact in the Pennsylvania court system for criminal charges, handling preliminary arraignments, bail hearings, and preliminary hearings. They also handle summary offenses such as traffic citations, minor ordinance violations, and small civil claims.
For criminal matters, if a preliminary hearing determines there is sufficient evidence to support the charges, the case is bound over to the Berks County Court of Common Pleas. The Magisterial District Court docket records the outcome of the preliminary hearing and reflects the transfer to Common Pleas. Summary offense cases that are resolved entirely at the Magisterial District Court level will have their full record in the UJS portal under the MJ-23 docket prefix.
Landlord-tenant disputes and small civil claims up to the jurisdictional limit are also adjudicated by district judges, and those records appear in the same portal search interface as criminal Magisterial District Court matters.
Berks County Court of Common Pleas -- Reading
The Berks County Court of Common Pleas is located in Reading at the Berks County Services Center. As the major trial court of the 23rd Judicial District, it handles all felony prosecutions, significant civil disputes, family law proceedings, and orphans' court matters for the county. The courthouse is accessible to residents across Berks County and is the primary venue for jury trials in criminal and civil cases.
The court is organized into criminal, civil, family, and orphans' court divisions. Each division maintains its own local rules and procedures, which supplement the statewide Pennsylvania Rules of Court. Local rules are published on the Berks County judiciary website and govern matters such as filing deadlines, motion practice, and discovery protocols that apply specifically to cases filed in Reading.
The UJS Case Search provides the most efficient way to locate and review Berks County Court of Common Pleas docket records for any case filed in Reading.
Both current and recently closed cases are accessible through the portal search without visiting the clerk's office.
Criminal Court Dockets in Reading
Criminal court docket records in Reading document each stage of a criminal case from initial charging through final disposition. A Reading criminal docket entry includes the specific charges, the county identifier, the names of the parties and their attorneys, bail conditions, hearing dates and outcomes, trial proceedings, and sentencing details. The entire record is publicly accessible through the UJS portal unless sealed or expunged.
Reading has historically seen high volumes of criminal filings due to its population density within Berks County, and the Court of Common Pleas Criminal Division manages a substantial active docket at any given time. Cases involving multiple co-defendants will appear as separate dockets, though the portal search will surface all co-defendants when searching by case number components.
Where an individual has obtained a court order expunging a conviction or arrest record, that record will be removed from the public portal. Expungement petitions must be filed with the Berks County Court of Common Pleas and are served on relevant law enforcement and court record agencies before the record is cleared.
Civil Court Dockets in Reading Pennsylvania
Reading civil court dockets cover the full range of civil dispute types including personal injury, property damage, breach of contract, real estate matters, and small claims. Cases that fall within the Magisterial District Court's jurisdictional limit are handled by the district judge for the area where the defendant resides or the dispute arose. Larger matters proceed in the Court of Common Pleas Civil Division in Reading.
The civil docket accessible in the UJS portal shows the complete chronological record of each case. Parties can verify the date a complaint was filed, when service was completed, whether an answer was filed, and the current status of any pending motions or scheduled hearings. Final judgments and any subsequent enforcement actions are also reflected in the docket.
For real property disputes and mortgage foreclosures, the Berks County docket contains a substantial volume of civil filings. Judgment liens recorded with the prothonotary are reflected in docket searches and allow parties to identify whether civil money judgments have been entered against individuals or businesses in Berks County.
How to Get Reading Court Record Copies
Certified copies of Reading court records are available from the Berks County Clerk of Courts for criminal matters and the Prothonotary for civil matters. Both offices are located at the Berks County Services Center in Reading. Requests may be submitted in person during normal business hours or by mail with a written request identifying the docket number and the specific documents needed.
The copy fee is $0.25 per page for both certified and uncertified copies, with an additional fee for certification. For most informational purposes, the docket sheet printed from the UJS portal is sufficient and costs nothing. Certified copies are typically needed for legal proceedings, background check processes, or situations requiring an official court-authenticated document.
The PATCH system at epatch.pa.gov provides Pennsylvania State Police criminal history records for authorized users, which is a separate service from the court docket copies available through the Clerk of Courts.
Note: Mail requests to the clerk's office should include the complete docket number, a description of the documents needed, and payment by check or money order for the estimated copy costs.
Public Access Rules for Reading Court Records
Court records in Reading are subject to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's uniform public access policy, which applies to all courts in all 67 counties. The policy creates a default presumption of public access to docket information while protecting defined categories of sensitive data from disclosure to protect individual privacy and safety.
Information categories protected from public view include Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, names of child victims, mental health records, and any materials placed under seal by court order. Juvenile delinquency records are generally not public. Domestic relations records for support and custody cases carry additional access restrictions that limit review by individuals who are not parties to the case.
The full policy text is published at pacourts.us/public-records, and Berks County's Court of Common Pleas designates a public access officer to manage record access requests and resolve disputes about disclosure.
Berks County Court Docket Records
The Berks County Court of Common Pleas serves Reading and all of Berks County, maintaining comprehensive docket records for criminal, civil, family, and orphans' court cases filed in the 23rd Judicial District. The Berks County court docket page provides additional detail on court locations, filing procedures, and record access.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Residents of nearby cities search court dockets through the same UJS portal.