Butler County Pennsylvania Criminal Records
Butler County criminal records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts at the Butler County Courthouse in Butler, Pennsylvania. The county is part of the 50th Judicial District and was established in 1800. With a population of approximately 198,000, Butler County is a growing western Pennsylvania county. All felony, misdemeanor, and summary criminal cases filed with the Court of Common Pleas are on file at the historic courthouse in downtown Butler. You can search Butler County criminal records online through the Pennsylvania UJS Portal or contact the courthouse to request records in person or by mail.
Butler County Quick Facts
Butler County Clerk of Courts Office
The Clerk of Courts for Butler County is Kelly Ferrari. Her office is the official keeper of criminal court records for the Butler County Court of Common Pleas. The office is located at the Butler County Courthouse, 124 West Diamond Street, Butler, PA 16001. The main phone number for record inquiries is 724-284-5228. The fax number is 724-284-5259. General email inquiries can be sent to kferrari@co.butler.pa.us. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and is closed on weekends and county holidays.
Butler County requires mandatory electronic filing for attorneys in both civil and criminal cases. This requirement has been in place since 2021. The county uses the Odyssey eFile and Serve system for electronic submissions. Self-represented individuals may still file paper documents. Public access terminals are available in the Clerk of Courts office for free docket searching. Staff can assist with complex or archived requests during regular business hours.
Standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies cost $10 to $20 depending on the document type. Electronic bail payment options are available. Online fine payment is also available for qualifying cases. Cash, checks, money orders, and credit cards are accepted at the Butler County courthouse. Mail requests require specific case information, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment. Same-day service is available for readily accessible records. Archived records may take longer to retrieve.
| Office |
Butler County Clerk of Courts Kelly Ferrari 124 West Diamond Street Butler, PA 16001 Phone: 724-284-5228 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | co.butler.pa.us |
Searching Butler County Criminal Cases Online
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Web Portal is the main free online tool for searching Butler County criminal records. You can access it at any time at ujsportal.pacourts.us. The portal covers both Magisterial District Court cases and Court of Common Pleas cases filed in Butler County.
Search the portal by participant name, docket number, OTN (Offense Tracking Number), complaint number, or citation number. Butler County Court of Common Pleas criminal dockets follow the format CP-10-CR-XXXXXX-YYYY. Name searches require a first and last name. Adding a date of birth helps reduce results when looking up someone with a common name in Butler County.
The portal shows case status, charges filed, docket entries for each court proceeding, dispositions such as Guilty, Nolle Prosequi, ARD, and Dismissed, sentence information including probation and fines, and attorney and judge names. Financial records showing outstanding court costs and restitution are also available. The system is updated within 24 to 48 hours of each proceeding. The free PAeDocket mobile app from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts provides the same Butler County search capability on smartphones and tablets.
Visit pacourts.us for more information about how the Pennsylvania court system works and how each county connects to the statewide UJS Portal.
Note: The UJS Portal does not display juvenile cases, Protection from Abuse filings, or any records that have been sealed or expunged under court order.
PATCH Criminal History Checks for Butler County
The Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History system gives individuals and organizations access to official criminal history reports that include Butler County records. PATCH is operated by the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository, which receives case disposition reports from all Pennsylvania courts.
Standard background check requests are submitted online at epatch.pa.gov for $22.00. Notarized reports cost an additional $5.00. Volunteer checks are free using Form SP 4-164A. Paper 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." The PATCH helpline at 1-888-QUERY-PA (1-888-783-7972) handles questions during business hours.
PATCH reports contain the subject's name and aliases, date of birth, arrest details, statutory citations for each charge, dispositions, and sentencing data. About 85% of No Record results are delivered immediately via email. Cases requiring manual review take up to two weeks. PATCH covers only Pennsylvania records. Federal convictions and records from other states do not appear.
Butler County Criminal Record Types and Retention
The Butler County Clerk of Courts keeps records for all criminal cases filed with the Court of Common Pleas. This includes felonies, misdemeanors, summary criminal appeals from the Magisterial District Court, ARD cases, and post-conviction matters such as probation violation hearings. All records are tracked using the Odyssey case management system, which Butler County adopted as part of its transition to mandatory e-filing.
Retention schedules in Butler County follow Pennsylvania state law. Felony records are kept permanently. Misdemeanor records are retained for 20 years. Summary offense records are held for three to seven years. Dispositions are reported to the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository, which updates the statewide PATCH database used for background checks.
Butler County processes Clean Slate automatic sealing on a quarterly basis. Under Pennsylvania's Clean Slate Act, certain misdemeanor convictions and non-conviction records are eligible for automatic sealing after the required conviction-free period and payment of all fines. Expungement petitions are filed through the Clerk of Courts. Under 18 Pa.C.S. Section 9122, non-conviction arrest records and qualifying summary convictions may be expunged by court order.
Records going back to Butler County's founding in 1800 are maintained in the archives. Historical records are retrievable but may require additional time for staff to locate and pull.
Nearby Counties
Butler County is located in western Pennsylvania. Neighboring counties each maintain their own criminal records and are accessible through the statewide UJS Portal.