Cumberland County Criminal Records

Cumberland County criminal records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts at the Cumberland County Courthouse in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Cumberland County is in the 9th Judicial District with a population of approximately 265,000 residents. The county was established in 1750 and is one of the oldest counties in Pennsylvania. The county seat is Carlisle. The Clerk of Courts maintains all felony and misdemeanor criminal records for cases heard in the Court of Common Pleas. Records can be searched online for free or requested in person at the Carlisle courthouse.

Cumberland County Clerk of Courts

The Clerk of Courts in Cumberland County is Michael G. Schaffner, an elected official who serves as the official custodian of criminal records for the 9th Judicial District. The office is located at 1 Courthouse Square in Carlisle. The main phone number for criminal record inquiries is 717-240-6250. Email contact is available at clerkofcourts@ccpa.net for written inquiries.

Cumberland County maintains a strong open records policy. The county's position is that all records are open to public inspection except juvenile records, Protection from Abuse matters, and cases that have been sealed or expunged by court order. This means most criminal records in Cumberland County are accessible to any member of the public without special justification. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, which is extended compared to many Pennsylvania counties.

Visit the county's official site at cumberlandcountypa.gov for department listings, online services, and contact information. The Clerk of Courts page has direct links to the office and information about fees and record requests.

Cumberland County Clerk of Courts Records Portal

The Cumberland County Clerk of Courts maintains the official criminal records repository for all cases handled in the 9th Judicial District. The office page shown below provides contact information, fee schedules, and guidance on how to request records in person or by mail from Carlisle.

The Clerk of Courts office in Cumberland County has public access terminals available so visitors can conduct self-service searches before requesting printed copies from staff.

The Cumberland County government portal provides additional online resources. The screenshot below shows the main county website where you can navigate to court services, online payments, and record request information for Cumberland County residents and businesses.

Through the Cumberland County portal, you can also find links to pay court fines and costs online, which keeps financial records tied to criminal cases current in the system.

Searching Criminal Records in Cumberland County Online

Criminal dockets from Cumberland County are available for free around the clock through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Portal. The UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us is maintained by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts and covers all 67 counties, including Cumberland.

To search Cumberland County criminal records, go to the portal and select "Participant Name" or "Docket Number" as your search type. A name search requires the full legal name and optionally a date of birth. The portal returns all matching cases in Cumberland County, showing the docket number, case status, charges, and disposition. Cumberland County docket numbers follow the format CP-21-CR-XXXXXX-YYYY, where 21 is the county code.

The portal covers both the Court of Common Pleas and the Magisterial District Courts in Cumberland County. MDJ courts handle preliminary hearings, summary offenses, and minor criminal matters. If a case was held over to the Common Pleas court, both the MDJ record and the Common Pleas docket are searchable through the same portal.

Note: The UJS Portal updates within 24 to 48 hours of court activity, so very recent filings may not yet appear. For the most current case information in Cumberland County, call the Clerk of Courts office directly.

Statewide Background Checks for Cumberland County

The Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History system covers Cumberland County residents in its statewide database. PATCH is operated by the Pennsylvania State Police under the Criminal History Record Information Act, 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91. It is the standard tool for licensing checks and certified criminal history requests in Pennsylvania.

Online requests go through epatch.pa.gov. Standard checks cost $22. Notarized checks cost $27. Volunteers can request a free check using Form SP 4-164A. Mail requests go to Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository-164, 1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9758. The PATCH helpline is available at 1-888-QUERY-PA for questions about pending requests or results.

Under 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91 (CHRIA), individuals have the right to review their own criminal history records and challenge inaccurate information. Cumberland County residents may submit Form SP 4-170 by mail to the State Police Central Repository with a fingerprint card for identity verification.

Contents of Cumberland County Criminal Records

A criminal record from Cumberland County contains the full history of a court case from filing through final disposition. The record identifies the defendant by name, date of birth, and address. Each charge includes the statutory citation from the Pennsylvania Crimes Code under Title 18 and the offense grade, from first-degree felony down through misdemeanor and summary levels.

The docket tracks every court event in order. Preliminary arraignment, preliminary hearing, formal arraignment, all filed motions, court dates, plea or trial, verdict, and sentencing all appear. If the case ended in a conviction, the sentence is detailed in full. This includes minimum and maximum incarceration if applicable, probation length and conditions, fines imposed, court costs assessed, and restitution ordered for any victims. Financial payment history for fines and costs also appears on Cumberland County dockets.

Cumberland County has historically maintained records going back to its 1750 establishment. Older records not yet in the electronic system are available in paper form at the Carlisle courthouse. Felony records in Cumberland County are retained permanently. Misdemeanor records are kept for 20 years. Summary offense records are retained for three to seven years depending on the offense type.

Expungement and Clean Slate in Cumberland County

Cumberland County actively processes Clean Slate automatic sealings on a quarterly basis. The Clean Slate Act provides for automatic sealing of qualifying nonviolent misdemeanor convictions after ten conviction-free years and full payment of all fines and costs. No petition is required. The sealing removes the record from public access while preserving it for law enforcement.

For expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. Section 9122, you must file a petition with the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas. Grounds for expungement include arrest without conviction, completion of the ARD program, summary conviction after five crime-free years, and certain age-related provisions for older individuals. The court reviews the petition and may schedule a hearing before issuing an order.

Once expunged, a record is destroyed and no longer appears in any public database, including PATCH. Cumberland County residents who qualify for either expungement or Clean Slate sealing can clear their record by pursuing these legal remedies. Information is available at pa.gov.

Cumberland County Court Programs

Cumberland County operates problem-solving court programs that create separate case tracks for certain defendants. Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Court are available for eligible individuals in Cumberland County. Cases in these programs are tracked through the Clerk of Courts office and appear on criminal dockets like any other case.

Successful completion of a diversion program like ARD or a problem-solving court can affect the outcome on a criminal record. ARD cases, for example, end in dismissal and may be expunged. Problem-solving court completions may result in reduced charges or modified sentences that appear differently on the record than a standard criminal conviction in Cumberland County.

The Pennsylvania courts website at pacourts.us has information about court programs available across Pennsylvania, including in Cumberland County.

Nearby Counties

Cumberland County is located in south-central Pennsylvania near the state capital. It borders Dauphin County to the east and York County to the south. Many residents of this region work across county lines, and criminal cases may be filed in different counties depending on where the offense took place.

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