Bucks County Criminal Records Access
Bucks County criminal records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts at the Bucks County Justice Center in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Bucks County is one of Pennsylvania's three original counties, established in 1682, and serves as part of the 7th Judicial District. With a population of approximately 646,000, it is one of the most populous counties in the state. All felony, misdemeanor, and summary criminal cases for the Court of Common Pleas are filed in Doylestown. You can search Bucks County criminal records online for free through the Pennsylvania UJS Portal or visit the Justice Center in person.
Bucks County Quick Facts
Bucks County Clerk of Courts Criminal Records
The Bucks County Clerk of Courts is Regina M. Armitage. Her office is the official custodian of all criminal records for the Court of Common Pleas in Bucks County. The office is located at the Bucks County Justice Center, 100 North Main Street, Doylestown, PA 18901. The main phone number is 215-348-6282. The fax number is 215-348-6244. General email inquiries can be sent to clerkofcourts@buckscounty.org.
Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The office is closed on weekends and county holidays. Security screening is required to enter the Justice Center. A valid photo ID is also required for in-person record requests. Multiple public access terminals are available in the office lobby for free docket searches. Printing at those terminals costs $0.25 per page. Staff can assist with more complex or older record requests.
Standard copies are $0.25 per page. Certified copies cost $15 to $25 depending on the document type and level of certification required. Cash, checks, money orders, and credit cards are all accepted. Mail requests require detailed case information, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment. Same-day service is available for readily accessible records. Archived records may take three to five business days. Free parking is available at the Justice Center in Doylestown.
| Office |
Bucks County Clerk of Courts Regina M. Armitage 100 North Main Street Doylestown, PA 18901 Phone: 215-348-6282 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | buckscounty.org |
Searching Bucks County Criminal Cases Online
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Web Portal is the main free resource for searching Bucks County criminal records. It is available at any hour at ujsportal.pacourts.us. The portal covers Magisterial District Court cases and Court of Common Pleas cases filed in Doylestown for Bucks County.
You can search by participant name, docket number, OTN (Offense Tracking Number), complaint number, citation number, or incident number. Bucks County Court of Common Pleas criminal dockets use the format CP-09-CR-XXXXXX-YYYY. Name searches work best with a full legal name. Adding a date of birth to a name search cuts down on results for common names in high-population counties like Bucks.
The portal shows docket entries for each court event, charges filed, case status, dispositions such as Guilty, Not Guilty, ARD, and Dismissed, sentencing information, and attorney and judge names. Financial records including fines, costs, and restitution amounts are also visible. Cases in the Bucks County Magisterial District Court system, covering preliminary hearings and summary offenses, are included as well.
The PAeDocket mobile app from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts provides access to the same Bucks County case data on a phone or tablet. Visit pacourts.us to learn more about how the UJS Portal functions across Pennsylvania.
Note: Juvenile cases, Protection from Abuse filings, and sealed or expunged records are excluded from the public view on the UJS Portal.
Bucks County Criminal Records PATCH Background Checks
For a full statewide background check that includes Bucks County records, the Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History system is the primary tool. PATCH is managed by the Pennsylvania State Police and draws from the Central Repository, which receives updates from all county courts including Bucks County.
Online requests through epatch.pa.gov cost $22.00 for a standard criminal history check. Notarization is available for an additional $5.00. Volunteer position checks are free using Form SP 4-164A but cannot be notarized. Mail requests go to Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository-164, 1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9758. Mail payments must be certified checks or money orders made payable to "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
PATCH reports include name and aliases, date of birth, offense descriptions with statutory citations, dispositions, and sentencing data. About 85% of No Record results are returned immediately by email. Cases requiring review take up to two weeks. The PATCH helpline at 1-888-QUERY-PA (1-888-783-7972) is available during business hours for technical help. PATCH only covers Pennsylvania records and does not include federal records or those from other states.
Bucks County Criminal Records Diversion and Clean Slate
Bucks County participates in the Diversion and Reentry Initiative Program, known as DRiP. This program is available to certain eligible first-time offenders. DRiP cases are maintained through the Clerk of Courts office. Successful completion of a diversion program may lead to charges being withdrawn or dismissed, which affects what appears on a future background check.
Bucks County also processes automatic sealing under Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law. The Clerk of Courts reviews eligible records on a quarterly basis. Under Clean Slate provisions, certain misdemeanor convictions and non-conviction records may be automatically sealed once the required conviction-free period has passed and all fines and costs are paid. Once sealed, these records no longer appear on PATCH background checks.
Expungement petitions in Bucks County are filed through the Clerk of Courts. The fee is $200 per petition plus court costs. Under 18 Pa.C.S. Section 9122, expungement is available for certain non-conviction records, arrest records without prosecution, and some qualifying summary offense convictions. A successful expungement removes the record from the public repository.
Note: Juvenile records in Bucks County are maintained separately with restricted access and are never available for public inspection regardless of offense type.
Bucks County Prothonotary Office
The Bucks County Prothonotary is Robin G. Robinson. The office is located at the same Justice Center as the Clerk of Courts, at 100 North Main Street, Doylestown, PA 18901. The phone number is 215-348-6171. Email inquiries can be sent to prothonotary@buckscounty.org.
The Prothonotary handles all civil court records for Bucks County including lawsuits, judgments, liens, divorces, custody matters, and protection from abuse cases. Attorneys must use the PACFile electronic filing system. Civil dockets are searchable through the Bucks County website and the UJS Portal. Bucks County civil records date back to 1682, one of the longest histories in the state. Very old records are held at the Pennsylvania State Archives.
The Bucks County website at buckscounty.org provides links to both the Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary pages. Online fine payment is also available through the county site for eligible criminal cases.
Additional resources for Bucks County criminal record research include the Pennsylvania Megan's Law registry at pameganslaw.state.pa.us, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons at bop.pa.gov, the state inmate locator at pa.gov, and expungement information at pa.gov. The Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov handles appeals of denied records requests in Bucks County.
Nearby Counties
Bucks County borders several other counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. Each has its own Clerk of Courts office and participates in the statewide UJS Portal for criminal record searches.