Northumberland County Criminal Court Records
Northumberland County criminal court records are filed with the Clerk of Courts at 201 Market Street in Sunbury. The county is home to about 91,000 residents and is part of the 20th Judicial District. The Court of Common Pleas in Sunbury handles all felony and serious misdemeanor cases filed in the county. This guide explains how to search criminal case records online, request copies in person, and obtain official criminal history reports for Northumberland County through the Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system.
Northumberland County Quick Facts
Northumberland County Clerk of Courts and Criminal Records
The Northumberland County Clerk of Courts maintains all criminal case files for the 20th Judicial District. The office is at 201 Market Street in Sunbury and can be reached at (570) 988-4143. Staff are available Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The clerk's office processes new criminal filings, records dispositions from court proceedings, stores the official case files, and responds to public requests for copies and certified documents.
Visiting the clerk's office in person is the best way to access older records or to get certified copies quickly. Bring the case number if you have it. Staff can search by name and year if you do not have a docket number. Written requests by mail are also accepted at 201 Market Street, Sunbury, PA 17801. Copy fees apply to all reproduced documents. The clerk can provide the current fee schedule when you call.
| Clerk of Courts |
Northumberland County Clerk of Courts 201 Market Street Sunbury, PA 17801 Phone: (570) 988-4143 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Court | Court of Common Pleas, 20th Judicial District |
| UJS Portal | ujsportal.pacourts.us |
Note: The Clerk of Courts office at 201 Market Street handles criminal records for the Court of Common Pleas. Magisterial District Court records are kept at each district court but are also searchable online through the UJS Portal.
Search Northumberland County Criminal Dockets Online
The Pennsylvania UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us gives the public free access to Northumberland County criminal docket sheets. Search by name, date of birth, or docket number. The portal covers cases from the Court of Common Pleas and all Magisterial District Courts in the county. Results show the charges filed, the status of proceedings, court dates, and the final disposition for closed cases.
Docket sheets from the portal are updated as cases move through the court system. New filings typically appear within one to two business days. Portal docket sheets are informational and not certified. For official purposes, contact the Clerk of Courts for a certified copy. You can also filter portal searches by county to ensure your results are limited to Northumberland County records.
Criminal Court Records in Northumberland County's Communities
Northumberland County includes several communities spread across the Susquehanna River valley. Sunbury is the county seat and home to the courthouse. Shamokin, Mount Carmel, and Milton are among the larger communities in the county. Criminal cases arising anywhere in the county, whether in the city of Sunbury, the boroughs along the western branch of the Susquehanna, or the townships to the north, are all filed and processed through the Court of Common Pleas in Sunbury.
Cases begin at the Magisterial District Court level in whatever district covers the area where the offense occurred. Preliminary arraignments, bail hearings, and preliminary hearings happen at the district court. Felony and serious misdemeanor cases are then bound over to Common Pleas. Summary offense cases are often resolved at the district court level and stay on the district docket. Both levels are searchable through the UJS Portal.
The 20th Judicial District covers Northumberland County only. All resources for this district are centralized at the Sunbury courthouse. Cases that involve cross-county issues may have related dockets in neighboring counties as well, but the Northumberland County portion of any case is in Sunbury.
Official Criminal History Background Checks for Northumberland County
The Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system provides certified criminal history reports for Northumberland County and the rest of the state. Submit a request at epatch.pa.gov for a $22 fee. The report draws from the statewide criminal history database compiled under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101-9183. Phone assistance is available at 1-888-783-7972. Online requests typically return results within a few business days.
A PATCH report covers arrests and dispositions from reporting agencies across Pennsylvania, not just Northumberland County. It is the appropriate tool when you need an official certified record of someone's criminal history in the state. The UJS Portal, by contrast, is a search tool for finding specific court dockets. Using both together gives the most complete view of criminal records associated with a person in Northumberland County. See pa.gov for additional guidance on background checks.
Note: PATCH reports may not include records from other states, federal courts, or local offenses that were not reported to the state database.
Expungements and Record Sealing in Northumberland County
Pennsylvania provides two main options for clearing or restricting criminal records. Automatic sealing under the Clean Slate Act at 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.1 removes eligible records from public view without any court action. Qualifying misdemeanor convictions are sealed after ten conviction-free years. Summary offense convictions are sealed after five years. The process is automatic and applies to records throughout Pennsylvania, including Northumberland County.
Petition-based sealing under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.2 covers offenses not reached by automatic sealing. A person files a petition with the Northumberland County Court of Common Pleas in Sunbury. If the court approves the petition, it sends orders to the State Police and other agencies. Full expungements are available for acquittals, dismissed charges, and arrests without conviction among other circumstances. The Clerk of Courts can explain the local process. General information is available at pacourts.us.
Nearby Counties
Northumberland County sits in central Pennsylvania and borders several other counties. Criminal cases are county-specific. Use the links below to find records in neighboring jurisdictions.