Delaware County Court Docket Records Online
Delaware County Pennsylvania court docket records are available to the public through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System web portal. The county seat is Media, where the courthouse handles all Court of Common Pleas cases. The Prothonotary in Media maintains civil records, and the Clerk of Courts handles criminal filings. Magisterial District Courts located in Springfield, Upper Darby, Collingdale, Brookhaven, Media, Aston, and other communities serve residents across the county. Anyone can search docket sheets online at no charge through the UJS portal.
Delaware County Quick Facts
Delaware County Court Docket Search
Start your Delaware County court docket search at the Pennsylvania UJS Web Portal. This statewide system covers all courts of common pleas and magisterial district courts. Search by party name, docket number, or case number. Results show the full docket sheet with charges or claims, hearing dates, case status, and attorneys of record.
Name spelling matters. A single character error can hide a record from search results. Try alternate spellings if nothing comes back on the first attempt. Filtering by Delaware County and a date range helps when searching a common surname. Docket numbers from court papers speed things up considerably.
Both Common Pleas records and Magisterial District Court records appear in the same portal. Cases that start at the district court level and move up to Common Pleas will have separate dockets at each level. Both remain searchable.
The UJS portal provides direct access to Delaware County court docket sheets through its statewide search interface. Search Delaware County court docket records on the UJS portal.
The portal shows full docket sheets, case status updates, and hearing schedules for Delaware County records.
Delaware County Court of Common Pleas
The Delaware County Court of Common Pleas is the main trial court for the county. It is located in Media and handles felony criminal cases, significant civil disputes, family law matters, juvenile proceedings, and appeals from the lower magisterial district courts. The court is part of Pennsylvania's unified judicial system and follows rules set by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
All felony charges, misdemeanors of higher grades, and major civil claims are resolved at this level. The Family Division handles divorce, custody, support, and protection-from-abuse matters. Juvenile proceedings are handled separately with restricted public access under state law.
The Prothonotary's office in Media is the official record keeper for all civil proceedings. The Clerk of Courts handles all criminal case records filed in the Common Pleas court. Both offices are located in the courthouse in Media and have regular weekday hours. Calling ahead is recommended before visiting to request copies of older records.
Note: The courthouse address and direct contact information for the Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary are available on the Delaware County government website at delcopa.gov.
Criminal Docket Records in Delaware County
Criminal Delaware County court docket records begin at the magisterial district court level when charges are filed. Once a case is bound over to the Court of Common Pleas, it enters the CPCMS database. This is the Common Pleas Case Management System that drives the public-facing UJS portal.
Each criminal docket sheet in the portal lists the offense charges with their grades, bail conditions, each court event with its outcome, the presiding judge, and the current case status. This information is publicly available online at no cost. The docket updates as the case progresses, so checking back shows any new hearings, motions, or dispositions.
For certified criminal history records, the Pennsylvania PATCH system is the correct resource. PATCH is run by the Pennsylvania State Police and is separate from the UJS court portal. It carries its own fee and provides an official certified record rather than a docket summary.
Records that have been expunged are removed from public access. The online portal and the physical file at the courthouse will both reflect the removal once the court order takes effect.
Delaware County Magisterial District Courts
Magisterial District Courts serve as the first point of contact for most legal matters in Delaware County. These courts handle traffic citations, summary criminal offenses, preliminary hearings for felony and misdemeanor charges, and civil claims up to $12,000. Landlord-tenant disputes and small civil matters also go through this level.
Delaware County has magisterial district courts in several communities, including Springfield, Upper Darby, Collingdale, Brookhaven, Media, and Aston. Each court serves the municipalities within its assigned district. Cases processed here are recorded in the MDJS system and are searchable through the UJS Case Search page.
Traffic and summary offense dockets from Delaware County district courts include the charge, fine amount if any, hearing date, and outcome. If a preliminary hearing results in a case being bound over, the new Common Pleas docket opens while the original district court docket stays in the system. Both remain accessible online.
Note: Some district court locations have limited hours. Checking the specific court's schedule before visiting in person is worthwhile for anyone who needs to appear or request records directly.
Civil Court Dockets in Delaware County Pennsylvania
Civil docket records for Delaware County are maintained by the Prothonotary's office in Media. The Prothonotary keeps all Court of Common Pleas civil filings, including contract disputes, personal injury cases, property matters, mortgage foreclosures, and mechanics' liens. It also holds the record of civil judgments entered by the court.
Searching civil Delaware County court dockets on the UJS portal works the same way as searching criminal records. Enter the party name or case number, select Delaware County, and the system returns matching docket sheets. Document images for many civil cases are viewable online, which allows review of the actual filed documents without a trip to Media.
The UJS Case Search tool pulls specific Delaware County civil docket sheets by party name or case number. Use the UJS Case Search for Delaware County docket records.
The case search displays the full docket history, parties, and case type for Delaware County civil and criminal records.
Public Access Policy for Delaware County Records
Most Delaware County court records are public under Pennsylvania law. The Case Records Public Access Policy, governed by 204 Pa. Code § 213.81 and detailed at pacourts.us/public-records, defines what is open and what is restricted. Criminal and civil docket sheets generally fall in the open category.
Certain records are sealed by law. Juvenile matters are protected under 42 Pa.C.S. § 6308, which keeps minor participants confidential. Mental health proceedings and some protection-from-abuse matters carry restricted access as well. The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. § 67.301 governs government agency records but court records follow UJS policy first.
The Delaware County Courthouse in Media has public access terminals for viewing docket records in person. No appointment is needed during regular business hours. Staff can direct you to the correct office for the type of record you need.
Delaware County Court Record Copy Fees
Online docket searches on the UJS portal are free. No registration is required to view public case information or docket entries.
Requesting paper copies at the courthouse in Media costs $0.25 per page. Certified copies require an additional fee. The Clerk of Courts processes fees for criminal record copies. The Prothonotary processes fees for civil copies. Call the relevant office before visiting if you expect to request a large number of pages, as payment options and turnaround times vary. The PATCH system is the appropriate channel for certified background check reports, which carry their own separate fee structure.
Note: Parties with limited financial resources may apply to the court for an in forma pauperis fee waiver. Court staff can provide guidance on the steps involved.
Delaware County Family Court Records
Family Division cases in Delaware County include divorce proceedings, child custody disputes, child support orders, spousal support, and protection from abuse filings. These are handled by the Court of Common Pleas in Media and follow standard public access rules, with some document-level restrictions where minor children are involved.
Orphans' Court in Delaware County covers estate matters, wills, trusts, guardianships, and adoptions. These records are kept by the Register of Wills, which operates separately from the Prothonotary. For older estate records or adoptions, a direct visit or phone call to the Register of Wills office in Media is often the most reliable path. Not all Orphans' Court filings appear in the online UJS portal.
Custody and support docket entries show hearing dates and procedural status. Some documents filed in family cases may be restricted from full public view when they contain sensitive information about minor children or sealed financial disclosures.
Nearby Counties
Delaware County borders Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Chester counties, each with court records accessible through the same UJS portal.