Philadelphia County Criminal Records
Philadelphia County criminal records are maintained by the First Judicial District and the Philadelphia Department of Records. As the most populous county in Pennsylvania with over 1.6 million residents, Philadelphia handles a large volume of criminal cases each year. The Criminal Division of the Court of Common Pleas and Philadelphia Municipal Court both process criminal matters here. You can search Philadelphia County criminal records online, in person, or through the statewide PATCH system run by the Pennsylvania State Police.
Philadelphia County Quick Facts
Philadelphia County Court System
Philadelphia operates as the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. The court system includes specialized divisions: the Criminal Division, Civil Division, Family Court, and Philadelphia Municipal Court. Each handles different levels of criminal matters, from summary offenses to serious felonies. The Criminal Division processes all felony cases and serious misdemeanor matters filed in Philadelphia County.
The Criminal Division is located at the Criminal Justice Center, 1301 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Philadelphia Municipal Court handles preliminary hearings, summary offenses, and civil claims under $12,000. Philadelphia is a consolidated city-county, so these courts serve all residents within the city's borders. Public access terminals are available at both the Criminal Justice Center and City Hall for free record searching.
The Philadelphia Courts website provides access to the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) portal for online criminal case lookups. The portal gives you case status, hearing dates, charges, and dispositions for cases in the First Judicial District. You can also find court forms, fee schedules, and information on expungement procedures through this site.
The Philadelphia Courts website is your starting point for court-based criminal case information in Philadelphia County. Use it to find docket entries, court schedules, and contact information for the Criminal Division and Municipal Court.
| Criminal Division |
Criminal Justice Center 1301 Filbert Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 Phone: (215) 686-4000 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | courts.phila.gov |
Philadelphia Police Department Criminal Records
The Philadelphia Police Department maintains a Records Unit that handles requests for incident reports, arrest reports, and police records. The Records Unit is located at 750 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. You can reach them at 215-686-3053 during business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Requests for police reports must include specific incident details such as the date, time, location, and report number if you have it. Standard police reports cost $25 to $50 depending on the length and type of report. Processing takes 10 to 15 business days for standard requests. Complex requests or body camera footage under Act 22 of 2017 may take up to 30 days or longer. Redactions are applied to protect personal identifying information in reports involving third parties.
The Philadelphia Police Department provides Right-to-Know request forms on its website. Visit phillypolice.com to access the standard RTK request form and the Act 22 form for body camera and dash camera footage requests. Denied requests may be appealed to the Philadelphia Open Records Office within 15 business days of the denial.
The Philadelphia Police Department RTK forms page lets you submit requests for incident reports, accident reports, and Act 22 body camera footage related to Philadelphia criminal cases.
Note: Accident reports for Philadelphia County are available separately through the crashreports.phila.gov portal, which handles motor vehicle crash reports independently of the Police Records Unit.
Searching Philadelphia Criminal Records Online
Several online tools let you search Philadelphia County criminal records from home. The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Portal is the main free resource. It covers cases from the Municipal Court, Court of Common Pleas, and appellate courts across the state, including all Philadelphia County criminal cases.
Go to ujsportal.pacourts.us to search Philadelphia criminal records by name, docket number, OTN (Offense Tracking Number), or complaint number. The portal shows case status, charges, dispositions, sentencing information, and scheduled hearings. Philadelphia docket numbers follow the format CP-51-CR-XXXXXX-YYYY for Court of Common Pleas cases. The PAeDocket mobile app offers the same search capability on smartphones for searching Philadelphia County cases on the go.
For a statewide criminal history check, use the Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History system, known as PATCH. PATCH is maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police under 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91, the Criminal History Record Information Act. A standard PATCH check costs $22 and covers all Pennsylvania law enforcement records, not just Philadelphia County. You can run a PATCH check at epatch.pa.gov. No Record responses come back immediately by email in about 85% of cases. If the system finds a match, staff review the record manually and mail the result within two to four weeks.
Pennsylvania PATCH Background Checks
PATCH is the official statewide criminal background check system for Pennsylvania. It covers Philadelphia County along with all other counties. Individuals and organizations use PATCH to verify criminal history for lawful purposes. The system draws data from all Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional facilities.
PATCH reports include the subject's name and aliases, date of birth, physical descriptors, offense descriptions with statutory citations, dispositions such as guilty, not guilty, dismissed, or ARD, sentence information, and the Offense Tracking Number. Access to and use of criminal history information through PATCH is governed by 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91, the Criminal History Record Information Act (CHRIA), which establishes lawful purposes and restrictions for using criminal history data. The standard fee is $22. Notarized copies cost $27. Volunteers can request a free check using Form SP 4-164A. Call the PATCH helpline at 1-888-QUERY-PA if you need help with your Philadelphia County background check request.
Note: PATCH does not include federal records, records from other states, or juvenile adjudications unless the case was transferred to adult court in Philadelphia County.
Philadelphia Criminal Records Center
The Philadelphia Department of Records maintains the Criminal Records Center at City Hall, Room 170, Philadelphia, PA 19107. This office handles in-person and mail requests for criminal court records going back to the 1680s. Quarter Sessions records from Philadelphia's earliest history are preserved here.
In-person requests are accepted during business hours. Bring a valid photo ID. Staff can search by name or case number and make copies on site. Standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies range from $20 to $50 depending on the document and certification required. Same-day service is available for electronically stored records. Historical records and archived files may take five to ten business days to retrieve. Cash, check, money order, and credit cards are accepted at the Criminal Records Center.
Mail requests are also accepted. Include the subject's full name, date of birth, case number if known, and a check or money order made payable to the City of Philadelphia. The City of Philadelphia portal has contact information and directions for the Department of Records and all municipal offices handling criminal records in Philadelphia County.
The City of Philadelphia portal connects you to the Department of Records, the Open Records Office, and other city agencies that handle criminal and public records requests for Philadelphia County.
Philadelphia County Criminal Records Expungement and Clean Slate
Pennsylvania law provides two main ways to clear criminal records: traditional expungement and automatic Clean Slate sealing. Both apply to Philadelphia County records and can remove or hide eligible offenses from public view.
Traditional expungement requires filing a petition with the Philadelphia County Criminal Division. Under 18 Pa.C.S. Section 9122, you may petition to expunge records for arrests that did not result in conviction, cases where charges were withdrawn or dismissed, or convictions for summary offenses after five years with no further arrests. ARD program completions may also be expunged. The expungement petition is filed through the Criminal Division at 1301 Filbert Street. A fee schedule is available on the Philadelphia Courts website.
Clean Slate is Pennsylvania's automatic sealing program. It seals eligible misdemeanor convictions from public view after a conviction-free period and payment of all fines. Clean Slate implementation is active in Philadelphia County. Records sealed under Clean Slate do not appear on PATCH checks or UJS Portal public searches, though they remain accessible to law enforcement and certain licensing agencies. For legal help with expungement in Philadelphia County, contact Philadelphia Legal Assistance or Community Legal Services.
Locating Inmates and Parolees from Philadelphia County
If someone has been sentenced to a state prison after a Philadelphia County conviction, you can locate them through the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Inmate Locator. The locator is updated daily and is available at the PA.gov inmate locator page. Search by last name or DOC number to find current housing information for state inmates.
Philadelphia County also operates its own jail system through the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. The Philadelphia Prison System holds people awaiting trial or serving shorter sentences. For information on someone held locally before trial or sentencing in Philadelphia County, contact the Philadelphia Department of Prisons directly. State parole records for Philadelphia County cases are also accessible through the PA Department of Corrections portal.
Philadelphia County
Philadelphia County is a consolidated city-county. The City of Philadelphia and the county are one jurisdiction. All criminal cases for Philadelphia County residents are filed in the First Judicial District courts.
Nearby Counties
Philadelphia County borders several other Pennsylvania counties. If you need criminal records from a neighboring jurisdiction, visit the appropriate county court's page.