Lancaster County Criminal Court Records Search

Lancaster County criminal court records are kept by the Clerk of Courts at the courthouse on North Duke Street in Lancaster. With a population of more than 553,000, Lancaster County is one of the largest and fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania. The county is part of the 2nd Judicial District, one of the oldest and busiest court districts in the state. Lancaster County is known for Lancaster city, Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and its thriving mix of urban and rural communities. The Court of Common Pleas handles all criminal matters filed in the county. This page explains how to search and access criminal court records in Lancaster County.

Lancaster County Clerk of Courts Criminal Records Office

The Clerk of Courts in Lancaster is the official keeper of all criminal case records for the Court of Common Pleas. The office is at 50 North Duke Street in Lancaster. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, which is slightly later than many other Pennsylvania counties. Staff can search for records by defendant name or case number and provide copies of documents on request.

Lancaster County is a high-volume court. The 2nd Judicial District handles a large number of criminal cases each year given the county's size and growth rate. Cases begin at the magisterial district court level throughout the county's many municipalities and townships. Once bound over, they move to the Court of Common Pleas, where the Clerk of Courts takes over record-keeping. The courthouse on North Duke Street is the central hub. Certified copies of sentencing orders, guilty pleas, and other court documents can be obtained from this office. The Prothonotary, reachable at (717) 299-8280, handles civil matters separately from the Clerk of Courts.

Search Lancaster County Criminal Dockets Online

The Pennsylvania UJS portal is the fastest way to search Lancaster County criminal court records. The portal is free and open to the public at all times. No account or login is needed for basic case searches.

Go to ujsportal.pacourts.us and select "Court Dockets." Choose "Court of Common Pleas" for felony and misdemeanor cases in Lancaster County. You can search by the defendant's name, a case number, or an OTN. The system will return all matching cases. Click any result to view the full docket sheet. This sheet lists every filing, motion, hearing, and court order in that case. Bail conditions, charge descriptions, attorney names, and the final outcome are all shown. For preliminary hearings and summary matters, switch to "Magisterial District Courts" and filter by Lancaster County. Lancaster has many active magisterial district courts serving the city, townships, and boroughs throughout the county.

Note: The UJS portal is updated regularly but may show a short delay between when an event occurs in court and when it appears online.

Lancaster County Criminal Case Records and Legal Access

Criminal court records in Lancaster County are public under Pennsylvania law. The Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. § 67.101 establishes general public access rights to government records. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Public Access Policy at 204 Pa. Code § 213.81 governs court records specifically. Pa. Rule of Judicial Administration 509 confirms that any person may inspect court records at the courthouse without charge. You pay only for copies and certified documents, not for viewing the file.

Lancaster County processes a large volume of criminal cases. Records available to the public include everything from the initial criminal complaint through the final judgment. Felony cases involve more documents than misdemeanor cases, but all follow the same basic structure. Every motion, response, and court order becomes part of the permanent record. Sentencing orders in Lancaster County criminal cases may include conditions such as fines, probation, and restitution. These details appear in the docket and in the underlying documents held at the clerk's office.

Exceptions to full public access include sealed records, juvenile case files, and documents restricted by court order. Mental health assessments and reports prepared for sentencing may be restricted in some Lancaster County cases. For the vast majority of adult criminal cases, full records are available to anyone who requests them.

A standard Lancaster County criminal docket typically includes:

• Charges filed with statutory references
• Bail determination and any modifications over time
• Names of defense counsel and prosecutors
• Pretrial motion rulings
• Trial or plea proceedings
• Sentencing details including any terms of supervision

Statewide Criminal Records and PATCH for Lancaster County

Lancaster County court records show case-level details, but the PATCH system provides a statewide view of a person's criminal history. PATCH is operated by the Pennsylvania State Police and compiles conviction records reported from all counties, including Lancaster.

Submit a PATCH request online at epatch.pa.gov. Standard reports cost $22. Individual self-checks cost $20. Volunteer programs may qualify for free checks. For help, call 1-888-783-7972. More information is at psp.pa.gov and pa.gov. The law that governs criminal history records in Pennsylvania is the Criminal History Record Information Act at 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101-9183. This statute covers what must be reported to the state, how records are maintained, and how individuals can challenge errors in their history.

Clean Slate Record Sealing and Lancaster County Criminal Records

Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law provides automatic sealing for eligible criminal records after a waiting period. The statute is found at 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.1 and § 9122.2. Records that may qualify include non-conviction dispositions and convictions for lower-level offenses where no subsequent criminal activity has occurred within the waiting period. Once sealed, the record no longer appears in public searches on the UJS portal or in most background check results.

Sealing under Clean Slate happens automatically for qualifying records and does not require a petition. If you want to file for expungement in Lancaster County, however, you must submit a petition to the Clerk of Courts. The court then schedules a hearing and issues a ruling. Lancaster County handles a significant number of expungement petitions given the size of its criminal docket. If you have questions about whether a specific record qualifies for sealing or expungement, a Pennsylvania attorney familiar with Lancaster County courts can give you guidance based on your specific case history. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records handles appeals for denied public records requests and can provide guidance on accessing court documents statewide.

Note: Records sealed under Clean Slate remain accessible to criminal justice agencies and courts even though they do not appear in public searches.

Nearby Counties

Lancaster County borders several other Pennsylvania counties. Each county has its own Clerk of Courts and handles criminal cases filed within its borders. Use the links below to search records in neighboring counties.

View All 67 Counties