Common Questions About Lancaster County Court Records
What court handles Lancaster County court records?
The Court of Common Pleas is the county's general trial court. The files, though, are split. Civil cases are kept by the Prothonotary. Criminal and juvenile cases are kept by the Clerk of Courts. Probate, estate, guardianship, adoption, and marriage records go through the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. The local Magisterial District Judges handle traffic, summary offenses, landlord-tenant disputes, and small civil claims. Match the record to the office and your search moves faster.
How do I search civil court records?
Use the Prothonotary's CountySuite Civil Public Search. You can search by name or case number, by participant name, by participant address, or by reference number. Advanced filters add a filing date range, case category, judgment-only results, and an option to include attorneys in a name search. Divorce, custody, PFA matters, judgments, and liens all run through this civil portal. For a certified copy, you must contact the Prothonotary directly. The office does not pull civil files over the phone.
How do I search criminal court records?
Start with the Pennsylvania UJS Case Search for public docket sheets. You can look up a case by participant name, docket number, OTN, complaint number, or incident number. For a formal county conviction search, the Clerk of Courts keeps the criminal files at 50 North Duke Street. The full process and fees are on the arrest records page. A county search shows only Lancaster County convictions, so it is not a statewide background check.
How do I request a Lancaster County criminal record check?
Send a written request to the Clerk of Courts. The office will not take a record-search request by phone. Include the person's full name, address, date of birth, and full Social Security number. List every alias, maiden name, or prior married name too. Add a certified check made out to the Clerk of Courts. The fee is $21.50 per search. Results cover Lancaster County convictions only. For a full statewide history, use the Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system.
How much are Clerk of Courts copies and searches?
The official county FAQ lists a flat fee for each service. A record search is $21.50. A certified copy is $8.75 each. A plain copy is $0.25 per page. Court costs can change over time, so confirm the current amount before you mail any payment. Many offices will not take a personal check. More on county criminal files sits on the arrest records page, and a fuller fee picture is on the court records page.
What is the difference between the Prothonotary and the Clerk of Courts?
Both are filing offices for the Court of Common Pleas, but they hold different cases. The Prothonotary is the civil side. It keeps contract claims, real property actions, divorce, custody, PFA matters, judgments, liens, and civil appeals. The Clerk of Courts is the criminal side. It keeps charges, bail paperwork, motions, sentences, summary appeals, and juvenile matters. Pennsylvania does not use one single court clerk. Sending a request to the wrong office gets it returned or delayed.
Where are probate and estate records?
Probate records are handled by the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court, on the second floor of the courthouse. The office covers decedent estates, inheritance tax, Letters, guardianships, and adoptions. The county links probate and marriage record lookups through the Paperless Search tool. Estate files can be open to the public, but adoption and guardianship files are confidential. See the Orphans' Court page for the full process, named staff, and contact details.
How do I apply for a marriage license?
Start with the online marriage license application. Pay the $60 fee by credit card. Then both applicants appear at the courthouse for an oral interview, held on a weekday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. when the building is open. Bring valid ID, your Social Security number, and any divorce or annulment papers if either of you was married before. Step-by-step details and the certified-copy process are on the marriage and divorce records page.
How much is a certified marriage copy?
The Clerk of Orphans' Court charges $10 for a certified copy of a marriage license issued in Lancaster County. To order by mail, send the names of both applicants, the date of marriage, payment made out to the Clerk of Orphans' Court, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Divorce is a separate matter handled by the Prothonotary on the civil side. The marriage and divorce records page walks through both.
How do I find an inmate in the county prison?
Use the Lancaster County Prison public inmate search. You can filter by first name, last name, birth date, or PIN. Results show the PIN, name, birth date, race, sex, commit date, commit age, and arresting agency. The tool uses a reCAPTCHA check before it runs. It defaults to people in active custody. The inmate records page explains what the search shows and what it leaves out, like the underlying court charges.
Does the state inmate locator include county jail inmates?
No. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections locator covers state-sentenced inmates and parolees only. It does not list people held in a county facility. For someone in the Lancaster County Prison, use the county inmate search or call the prison. If the person was released to state custody, the state tool may then show them. The released inmates page covers how to verify a release and which locator to use.
Is there a released-inmate list?
No separate official "recently released" list was found in the county's public sources. The inmate search tool defaults to active custody, so a name dropping off can mean a release or a transfer. To confirm, search the county tool, check VINELink for notifications, and call the prison or court for an urgent answer. State and federal locators help if custody moved up. See the released inmates page for the full check.
How do I check for warrants?
Use the Sheriff's Wanted Persons page and its warrant-check link, and search UJS dockets for active court events. The Sheriff's warrant unit handles Court of Common Pleas bench warrants along with Magisterial District Court traffic and non-traffic warrants. The volume is large, so a name may not always show right away. Confirm any result through official sources only. The warrant records page lists the Sheriff figures and the proper way to resolve a warrant.
Will the Sheriff call me to demand payment?
No. The Sheriff's Office posts a scam warning. It will never call or email to demand payment by phone, gift card, money card, or online transfer for court costs, bail, failure-to-appear fines, or jury-duty fines. Scam callers may spoof a real county number or even copy a deputy's voice. If you get a call like this, do not pay. Report it to local police. The warrant records page repeats this warning for anyone resolving a real warrant.
Are juvenile records public?
Generally no. The Clerk of Courts excludes records involving juveniles, along with cases closed by statute or court order. The UJS portal also warns that juvenile cases may not show in a public search. A parent or juvenile who needs the file should contact the court or an attorney rather than expect a public docket to display it. The arrest records page covers what is public versus restricted on the criminal side.
What is limited access, and how do I expunge a record?
Limited access is Pennsylvania's sealing framework for eligible criminal cases. It blocks public view while law enforcement and the courts keep access where the law allows. Expungement clears a record entirely. Both are filed with the Clerk of Courts and need a Pennsylvania State Police background check attached. The county lists filing fees of $137.00 for adult petitions and $36.75 for juvenile petitions. It is a legal process, not a clerical delete on request.
Where do traffic cases appear?
Traffic cases usually show through UJS under Magisterial District Court dockets, or by a direct citation-number lookup. You can search by citation number, participant name, docket number, or county filter. A traffic court record is the court file. A PennDOT driver record is a separate state file that shows points, suspensions, and license status. A paid ticket can still land on your driver record later. The traffic court records page explains both files and how to pay or contest a ticket.
What does it mean if a UJS search shows no result?
A blank result does not always mean no case exists. It can mean the search terms were off, the county or docket type was wrong, the case is too new to post, or the record is sealed, expunged, or limited access. Some civil Common Pleas cases also do not display on UJS. Try more than one identifier and search the right portal. The court dockets page goes deeper into search modes and docket prefixes.
Can I bring my phone into the courthouse?
No. Court pages state that public cell phones and audio-video recording devices are not allowed in court facilities. The Register of Wills page adds that a phone or smart watch must go into a security pouch from the Sheriff's Office until you leave the building. Print anything you need before you arrive. This rule has been in place since the start of 2017 and still shapes a courthouse visit today. The public records page covers in-person access.
How do I search federal court cases?
Federal cases are not on any Lancaster County portal. Use PACER for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the same district. Third Circuit appeals are also on PACER. County tools like CountySuite and UJS cover state and county matters only. For state and county record rules and the open-records framework, see the public records page.
Still Have Questions?
For the right office, see the Prothonotary for civil files and the Clerk of Courts for criminal files. For broader access rules, see public records. To browse by topic, try court records, arrest records, inmate records, warrant records, marriage and divorce, or Orphans' Court.