How to Search Pennsylvania Public Records
Pennsylvania uses the UJS Portal for statewide court case search — one of the better unified systems in the US. "Prothonotary" handles civil cases; "Register of Wills" handles marriage — not a County Clerk.
- Court cases: UJS Portal (ujsportal.pacourts.us) — searches criminal, civil, and appellate for all PA counties.
- Property deeds: Recorder of Deeds in each county.
- Business entities: DOS Business Entity Search at dos.pa.gov.
- Sex offenders: Megan's Law at meganslaw.state.pa.us.
- Marriage: Register of Wills — not a County Clerk.
Pennsylvania Counties — Most Searched
Statewide Databases
These are the official sources. Pick the one that matches what you need.
Criminal & Court Records
Jail & Inmate Records
Sex Offender Registry — PSP
DOC — Inmate Locator
Vital Records
Vital Records — Birth, Death, Marriage, Divorce
How to Search Pennsylvania Criminal Records
Start with PATCH (Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History) at epatch.pa.gov — $22 for a statewide conviction search with near-instant results. This is one of the fastest state criminal searches available. For detailed case records, use the UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us for free docket searches across all PA courts. For county jail inmates, go to the county prison's website. For state prison inmates, use the PA DOC inmate locator. Only use PATCH if you need a formal statewide search — the UJS Portal is free for case-level searching.
How to Search Pennsylvania Court Records
Start with the UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us — it covers Court of Common Pleas (felonies, major civil, family), Magisterial District Courts (misdemeanors, preliminary hearings, small claims, landlord-tenant), and Philadelphia Municipal Court. This is a unified statewide search portal — one of the better ones in the country. Each county has its own Court of Common Pleas. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have their own Municipal Courts.
How to Search Pennsylvania Property Records
Start with the County Assessment Office for property valuations and tax assessments. Then go to the Recorder of Deeds for deeds, mortgages, liens, and recorded documents. For tax bills, go to the County Treasurer. Many PA counties have online property search through their assessment office websites. Philadelphia uses a separate system through the Office of Property Assessment (OPA).
How to Get Pennsylvania Vital Records
For birth and death certificates, order from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records (records from 1906 forward). For marriage licenses, go to the Register of Wills — this is UNIQUE to Pennsylvania (most states use the Clerk of Courts for marriage licenses). For divorce records, go to the Prothonotary or Clerk of Courts. Pennsylvania charges $20 for certified vital records copies.
Why does my Pennsylvania search return no results? ▼
Each record type is stored separately by a different office. If your search returns nothing, you are almost certainly in the wrong system. Use the filter above to identify the correct database for your record type.
Is there a single database for all Pennsylvania records? ▼
No single system covers all Pennsylvania public records. Court records, property records, and vital records each have their own search portal maintained by a different agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UJS Portal? ▼
The Unified Judicial System (UJS) Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us is Pennsylvania's statewide court case search. It covers criminal, civil, and traffic cases across all counties and magisterial district courts.
What is a Prothonotary in Pennsylvania? ▼
The Prothonotary is the county official who handles civil court filings. In most states this role is called Clerk of Court. Pennsylvania also has a separate Register of Wills for probate matters.
Is there a free statewide criminal search? ▼
The PSP offers a criminal background check but it requires a fee. The UJS Portal shows court case records for free but is not a certified background check.
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