Lycoming County Criminal Court Dockets

Lycoming County criminal court records are kept by the Clerk of Courts in Williamsport, the county seat. With a population near 114,000, Lycoming County is a mid-sized county in north-central Pennsylvania. The county is home to Williamsport, known worldwide as the headquarters of Little League Baseball. Lycoming County is part of the 29th Judicial District and the Court of Common Pleas handles all criminal matters filed here. Records are stored at the courthouse on West 3rd Street. You can search them online through the state portal or by visiting the clerk's office in person. This page explains how to find criminal court records in Lycoming County.

Lycoming County Clerk of Courts Criminal Records

The Clerk of Courts in Williamsport maintains all criminal case records for the Court of Common Pleas in Lycoming County. The office is at 48 West 3rd Street and is open Monday through Friday. Hours extend to 5:00 PM, slightly later than many other Pennsylvania county clerk offices. Staff can assist with name and case number searches and process requests for copies of court documents.

Criminal cases in Lycoming County begin at the magisterial district court level across the county's many townships and municipalities. Williamsport and the surrounding communities each have magisterial district judges who handle arraignments and preliminary hearings. Once a case is bound over to the Court of Common Pleas, the Clerk of Courts takes over record-keeping duties. Every motion, court order, and sentencing document from that point becomes part of the permanent record at the West 3rd Street courthouse. The Prothonotary, reachable at (570) 327-2322, handles civil matters separately from the Clerk of Courts. For criminal case documents, contact the Clerk of Courts directly at (570) 327-2330.

Search Lycoming County Criminal Dockets Online

Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System portal is the primary free tool for searching Lycoming County criminal court records online. You do not need an account, and the portal is available at all hours.

Visit ujsportal.pacourts.us and click "Court Dockets." Select "Court of Common Pleas" for felony and misdemeanor cases from Lycoming County. Enter a defendant's name or known case number. Filter results to Lycoming County if you want to narrow the list. Each result links to the full docket sheet, which lists every document, court event, charge, and outcome in the case. Bail history, attorney assignments, and post-sentence activity are all part of the docket. For summary offenses and preliminary hearing records from Lycoming County magisterial district courts, select "Magisterial District Courts" and filter by county. Lycoming County has multiple district courts serving different geographic areas.

Note: Some criminal case records from years past may only exist in paper form at the courthouse and will not appear in online portal searches.

Lycoming County Criminal Case Records and Legal Access

Criminal records in Lycoming County are public documents under Pennsylvania law. The Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. § 67.101 and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Public Access Policy at 204 Pa. Code § 213.81 both support open access to court records. Pa. Rule of Judicial Administration 509 confirms the right to inspect records at the courthouse free of charge. Fees apply only when you request printed copies or certified documents from the Clerk of Courts.

Lycoming County handles a full range of criminal cases. Felony cases, including drug offenses, assaults, and property crimes, go through the Court of Common Pleas. Misdemeanor cases follow the same path. Summary offenses are typically resolved at the magisterial district court level and may not reach the Common Pleas court at all unless appealed. Each level creates its own docket records, all of which are searchable through the UJS portal. The full case file at the Lycoming County courthouse holds the underlying documents, from the initial complaint through any post-sentence filings.

Typical contents of a Lycoming County criminal case file include:

• Criminal complaint and arresting officer's affidavit
• Bail determination and modifications
• Formal criminal information with charges
• Pretrial motions and court rulings
• Guilty plea or trial transcript
• Sentencing order with terms and conditions

Some documents in Lycoming County cases are restricted from public access. Sealed records, juvenile case files, and documents covered by court order are not available to the general public. For adult criminal cases, most materials are open to anyone who asks.

Statewide Criminal History and Lycoming County Records

Court dockets from Lycoming County provide detailed case information for local matters. The PATCH system provides a broader statewide criminal history report compiled by the Pennsylvania State Police. PATCH covers all 67 Pennsylvania counties and is the official source for background check information in the Commonwealth.

Submit PATCH requests at epatch.pa.gov. Standard reports cost $22. Individual self-checks cost $20. Qualifying volunteers receive free checks. Call 1-888-783-7972 for help. More information is at psp.pa.gov and the state's general background check page at pa.gov. The Criminal History Record Information Act at 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101-9183 governs how criminal records are collected, maintained, and used in Pennsylvania. This law covers both court records and law enforcement records, and sets rules about who may access them and for what purposes.

Clean Slate and Expungement in Lycoming County

Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law provides automatic sealing of certain qualifying criminal records after a waiting period. The relevant statutes are 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.1 and § 9122.2. Non-conviction records and convictions for lower-level offenses with a clean period afterward may qualify. Once sealed, the record is no longer visible in public portal searches. Law enforcement and criminal justice agencies retain access.

Automatic sealing under Clean Slate does not require a petition. The system handles qualifying records on its own. If a Lycoming County record does not qualify for automatic sealing, or if an individual wants expungement rather than sealing, a petition must be filed with the Clerk of Courts. A judge reviews the petition and issues a ruling. Expungement removes the record entirely from the court files, which is a different outcome than sealing. If you are weighing these options for a Lycoming County case, consulting a Pennsylvania criminal law attorney can help you understand which path applies and how to proceed. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records also provides guidance on access to public records and how to appeal denied requests.

Note: Williamsport's proximity to several other counties means that some residents may have records in multiple counties. Use the UJS portal to search statewide, or request a PATCH report for a full cross-county picture.

Nearby Counties

Lycoming County is in north-central Pennsylvania and borders several other counties in the region. Criminal cases are filed in the county where the offense occurred. Use the links below to search records in neighboring counties.

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