Dauphin County Criminal Court Records in Harrisburg

Dauphin County criminal court records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts at the courthouse in Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania state capital. These records cover all criminal cases processed through the 12th Judicial District Court of Common Pleas. The public can search docket information through the free UJS Portal online or visit the Clerk of Courts office in person during business hours. This page explains how to find criminal records in Dauphin County, what information is available, and how the state capital location affects access to additional statewide resources.

Dauphin County Clerk of Courts Office

The Dauphin County Clerk of Courts is located at Front and Market Streets in Harrisburg. This is the official records office for all criminal cases in the 12th Judicial District. The office opens Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Staff maintain docket books, pleadings, motions, judgments, and sentencing records for every criminal case that passes through the Court of Common Pleas.

Staff at this office can search records by defendant name, date of birth, or docket number. Docket sheets are free to view under Pa. Rule of Judicial Administration 509. Copy fees apply when you want printed documents. Certified copies carry a higher cost than plain copies. Call (717) 780-6670 before your visit to confirm current copy fees and whether a particular case file is available on site.

Note: Dauphin County is the seat of Pennsylvania state government. State court administrative offices are nearby, which can be useful if you need guidance on court rules or statewide access policies.

Search Dauphin County Criminal Dockets Online

The Pennsylvania UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us provides free access to Dauphin County criminal docket sheets. This is the fastest way to look up case information without visiting the courthouse. Searches are available by name, date of birth, or docket number. The portal covers both the Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts in Dauphin County.

A docket sheet from the UJS Portal shows the charges filed, court dates scheduled and held, bail conditions, plea information, verdicts, and sentencing details. It also lists every document filed in the case, though the documents themselves are not available for download. If you need the actual documents, you must go to the Clerk of Courts office or contact them by phone. The docket sheet is often enough for many purposes, and it costs nothing to view or print from the portal.

To search, go to the portal and choose either "Court of Common Pleas" for felony and serious misdemeanor cases or "Magisterial District Courts" for preliminary hearings and summary offenses. Select Dauphin County from the county dropdown and enter the name or case number. Results load quickly and cover cases going back many years.

Dauphin County and Pennsylvania State Police Records

Harrisburg is home to the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository. This is the agency that maintains the statewide criminal history database under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101-9183, the Criminal History Record Information Act (CHRIA). Because the repository is located in Dauphin County, residents here have convenient access to state police offices for record-related matters.

The PATCH system (Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History) lets anyone request a statewide criminal history report. The standard fee is $22. Personal review requests cost $20. Volunteers at eligible organizations can request a free check. PATCH is available online at epatch.pa.gov. For phone assistance, call the PATCH helpline at 1-888-783-7972. The Central Repository mailing address is 1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110. Additional details appear at pa.gov.

PATCH covers convictions from all 67 Pennsylvania counties. It is a separate system from the UJS Portal and may include records not visible through the court docket search. Use both sources for the most thorough search of someone's criminal history in Pennsylvania.

Types of Criminal Case Records in Dauphin County

Dauphin County criminal court records include documents created at every stage of a case. Each type of record serves a different purpose for researchers, attorneys, and members of the public seeking information.

The most common documents in a criminal case file include the criminal complaint, which starts the case, and the information or indictment, which formally charges the defendant. Bail orders, pre-trial motions, plea agreements, jury verdicts, and sentencing orders are all part of the file. Probation and parole documents may also appear. Every hearing held in the case generates an entry in the docket, and transcripts of proceedings can sometimes be ordered through the court reporter's office.

Summary offense cases handled at the Magisterial District Court level are also searchable through the UJS Portal. These include minor traffic violations, disorderly conduct, and other low-level offenses. Summary cases are generally retained for 7 years. Misdemeanor records are retained for 25 years, and felony records are kept for 75 years. Capital case records are permanent.

Note: Some case information may be restricted under 204 Pa. Code § 213.81, the UJS Public Access Policy. This includes financial account details, Social Security numbers, and information identifying minors. Staff will note which materials are withheld and why.

Expungement and Sealing in Dauphin County

Pennsylvania law allows people to petition for the expungement or sealing of certain criminal records. Expungement removes the record from public access. Sealing limits who can see it. Both are handled through the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas.

The Clean Slate law at 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.1 provides automatic sealing of second- and third-degree misdemeanor convictions where the sentence was under two years. This happens automatically after seven years without a new conviction. No petition is required. The court system processes these sealings on a rolling basis, and records subject to automatic sealing are removed from the public UJS Portal search results.

For records that do not qualify for automatic sealing, a petition under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.2 may be available. Eligibility depends on the charge, the outcome of the case, and the individual's record since the conviction. The District Attorney's office in Harrisburg must be served with any petition. The Clerk of Courts at (717) 780-6670 can provide the forms and explain the steps required to file in Dauphin County.

Public Access and Right-to-Know in Dauphin County

Court records in Dauphin County are subject to the UJS Public Access Policy, not the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101. This distinction matters. You request court records through the Clerk of Courts, not through the county's open records office. The standard is that most criminal court records are public, with limited exceptions for certain protected information.

For records held by county agencies outside the courts, such as the District Attorney's office or county administrative offices, the Right-to-Know Law does apply. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov handles appeals if an agency denies a records request. Dauphin County's position as the state capital means that many state-level agency records are also located here, and those are subject to the same Right-to-Know Law framework.

Nearby Counties

Dauphin County borders several Pennsylvania counties in the central part of the state. If the case you are researching was filed in a neighboring county, contact that county's Clerk of Courts for access to those records.

View All 67 Counties