Criminal records in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, are available through several channels. LancasterPACourt.us allows you to quickly find public information about criminal cases in the county. Additionally, you can use the official state judicial system portal, contact the Clerk of Courts office, or check data through county law enforcement agencies. Below are step-by-step instructions for each of these methods.
How to Search Criminal Records in Lancaster
To search for criminal records in Lancaster County, you need to have at least one of the following details:
- Full name of the person (Participant Last Name / First Name)
- Date of Birth
- Docket Number
- OTN (Offender Tracking Number)
- Complaint Number or Incident Number
Online Search
- LancasterPACourt.us — start here to find publicly available information about county criminal cases.
- UJS Portal (Case Search) — the official portal of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania. Choose to search by participant name or docket number, specify Lancaster County, and the system will show records from the Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts.
- Wanted Persons Page — the Sheriff's Office publishes a list of the most wanted persons and allows you to check for warrants.
- Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) — the State Police system for obtaining an official criminal history check. Results usually arrive within a few minutes online.
In-Person Visit
The Clerk of Courts is located at 50 North Duke Street, Lancaster, PA. This office maintains records of criminal and juvenile cases for the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas. Public access terminals are available on-site.
Written Request
You can send a request by mail to the Clerk of Courts or through the Open Records Request form of Lancaster County. For a state-level criminal history check, submit a request through PATCH online or send a completed SP 4-164 form to the Pennsylvania State Police with the appropriate fee.
Search Lancaster Criminal Cases by Case Number
In Pennsylvania, the docket number has a standard format consisting of several parts:
- Court Type Prefix — for example, CP stands for Court of Common Pleas, and MJ stands for Magisterial District Judge.
- County Code — a two-digit numeric code. For Lancaster County, it is 36.
- Case Type — CR indicates a criminal case.
- Sequential Number and Year — a unique case number and the year it was filed.
Thus, a typical criminal case number looks like this: CP-36-CR-0001234-2024. Enter this number in the Docket Number field on the UJS portal, and you will receive the full case card: charges, participants, hearing dates, and current status. If you only have the OTN, that works too, as the portal supports searches by this identifier.
Charges, Case Status, Hearings, and Court Results in Lancaster
Charges
| Element | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Statute Code | Reference to the Pennsylvania Crimes Code (Title 18) or another state law, for example, 18 Pa.C.S. § 3502 — Burglary |
| Severity Degree | Felony (1st, 2nd, 3rd degree), Misdemeanor (1st, 2nd, 3rd degree), or Summary offense |
| Amended Charges | The prosecutor may amend or drop some charges during the trial; updates are reflected in the case card |
Case Status
- Active — the case is under court consideration
- Pending — awaiting the next procedural step
- Disposed — the court has issued a final decision
- Closed — all obligations have been fulfilled, and the case is closed
Types of Hearings
Each criminal case in Lancaster County goes through several stages:
- Arraignment — the first appearance of the accused before a judge, charges are announced
- Preliminary Hearing — the judge determines if there is enough evidence to transfer the case to the Court of Common Pleas
- Pre-Trial Conference — parties discuss the possibility of a plea deal or clarify procedural issues
- Trial — the case is considered on its merits
- Sentencing — punishment is assigned after a guilty verdict
- Review Hearing — checking the fulfillment of punishment conditions (e.g., probation)
Court Results
| Result | What it Means |
|---|---|
| Guilty | Found guilty — by court verdict or plea agreement |
| Not Guilty | Acquitted after the case review |
| Dismissed | The case is closed without a verdict — the prosecutor dropped the charges or the court dismissed them |
| Nolle Prosequi | The prosecutor officially dropped the prosecution |
| Acquitted | Complete acquittal after court proceedings |
How to Request Certified Criminal Records in Lancaster
Certified copies of criminal records are issued by the Clerk of Courts of Lancaster County. This is the only office authorized to certify documents from the Court of Common Pleas for criminal cases.
Ways to Submit a Request
- In Person — visit the Clerk of Courts office. Bring a valid photo ID (driver's license or passport).
- By Mail — send a written request with the defendant's full name, docket number (if known), and a copy of your ID. Include a check or money order for the appropriate amount.
- Through Open Records Request — for other types of records, you can use the Open Records Office contact information of the county.
To obtain an official state-level criminal history check, submit a request through PATCH or send the SP 4-164 form to the Pennsylvania State Police.
If you need historical court documents, contact the Archives Division — this division maintains permanent court records from 1975 onwards.
Lancaster County Clerk of Courts
Fees, Copy Costs, and Processing Times for Criminal Records in Lancaster
| Service | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Copy of Court Document (per page) | $0.25 | Standard rate for non-certified copies according to court rules |
| Document Certification | Depends on the document type; check with Clerk of Courts | Additional fee for court seal |
| PATCH — Online Criminal History Check | $22.00 | Payment by credit card; results are usually immediate |
| PATCH — Mail Request | $22.00 | Check or money order payable to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; processing takes several weeks |
Processing times for requests at the Clerk of Courts depend on complexity. Simple copy requests are usually completed within one to two business days for in-person visits. Mail requests may take one to two weeks. Requests under the Right-to-Know Law are processed within five business days, with the possibility of an extension up to 30 days for justified reasons.
It is best to verify current rates directly with the Clerk of Courts office at (717) 299-8282, as they may change.