Schuylkill County Criminal Records Lookup
Schuylkill County criminal records are filed and maintained by the combined Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office at the Schuylkill County Courthouse in Pottsville. The county is part of the 21st Judicial District and has a population of about 143,000 residents. Criminal court records in Schuylkill County date back to the county's establishment in 1811. You can search Schuylkill County criminal dockets for free through the Pennsylvania UJS Portal, or visit the courthouse in person for copies and certified documents. The Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system provides statewide background checks that include Schuylkill County records.
Schuylkill County Quick Facts
Schuylkill County Clerk of Courts
The Schuylkill County Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts operate as a combined office serving both civil and criminal functions for the 21st Judicial District. The office is located at the Schuylkill County Courthouse, 401 North Second Street, Pottsville, PA 17901. The main phone number is 570-628-1270. You can reach the office by fax at 570-628-1277 or by email at tsgaffey@co.schuylkill.pa.us.
Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The Clerk of Courts handles all criminal case filings for the Court of Common Pleas, stores case files, collects fines and court costs, processes bail bonds during business hours, and provides copies of criminal records to the public. Staff can search by name or case number for criminal matters. Bring a valid photo ID when visiting in person. Standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies are available for $5 to $10 per document. Mail requests are accepted with written identification of the case and payment.
Visit the Schuylkill County government website to find office contact information, courthouse directions, and details about county services related to criminal records and court proceedings.
The Schuylkill County website lists contact information for the Clerk of Courts and all county offices, and gives you directions to the Pottsville courthouse where criminal records are maintained.
| Clerk of Courts |
Schuylkill County Courthouse 401 North Second Street Pottsville, PA 17901 Phone: 570-628-1270 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Copy Fees | $0.25 per page; certified copies $5 to $10 |
Searching Schuylkill County Criminal Records Online
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Portal is the main free resource for searching Schuylkill County criminal records online. The portal is available around the clock at ujsportal.pacourts.us and covers all levels of the Pennsylvania court system, from Magisterial District Courts through the Court of Common Pleas. Schuylkill County civil dockets are available from 1989 through the county's online system, and criminal dockets are free through the statewide UJS Portal.
You can search by participant name, docket number, OTN, complaint number, citation number, or incident number. Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas criminal dockets follow the format CP-54-CR-XXXXXX-YYYY. Search results show the charges, case history, court dates, dispositions, and sentencing information for each Schuylkill County criminal case. Case information is updated within 24 to 48 hours of court proceedings. The free PAeDocket mobile app gives you the same portal access on smartphones and tablets.
Note: The public UJS Portal does not include juvenile records, Protection from Abuse filings, expunged cases, or sealed records from Schuylkill County.
Pennsylvania PATCH Checks for Schuylkill County
The Pennsylvania State Police operates PATCH, the statewide criminal history background check system. PATCH covers Schuylkill County along with all 67 Pennsylvania counties. It is the official source for certified criminal history reports under 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91, the Criminal History Record Information Act.
To run a PATCH check, go to epatch.pa.gov. The standard fee is $22 per request. A notarized copy costs $27. Volunteers can get a free check using Form SP 4-164A. Results with no matching record come back immediately by email in about 85% of cases. If the system finds a potential match in the database, technicians review the case manually and mail the result within two to four weeks. PATCH reports include the subject's name and aliases, physical descriptors, offense descriptions with statutory citations, dispositions, and sentence information. Criminal record searches at the Schuylkill County Clerk of Courts office cost approximately $10 to $15 for a name-based search.
Under the Criminal History Record Information Act (CHRIA), the use of criminal history information obtained through PATCH is limited to lawful purposes including licensing and legal proceedings. Individuals may review their own Schuylkill County criminal history by submitting Form SP 4-170 with fingerprints and a $20 fee by mail to the Pennsylvania State Police.
What Schuylkill County Criminal Records Include
Criminal records in Schuylkill County document every stage of a court case, from the initial filing through final disposition. The Clerk of Courts keeps felony records permanently. Misdemeanor records are retained for 20 years, and summary offense records are kept for three to seven years under Pennsylvania's record retention rules.
A Schuylkill County criminal docket typically contains the defendant's name and identifying information, the charges with their statutory citations, arrest information, bail conditions and amounts, a log of all court dates and what happened at each hearing, the names of the judge and attorneys of record, the disposition of each charge, and the full details of any sentence imposed. Sentencing information includes incarceration terms (minimum and maximum), probation length and conditions, fines, court costs, restitution orders, and any special conditions such as required counseling or community service. These details are visible to the public through the UJS Portal for cases that have not been expunged or sealed.
Schuylkill County criminal records are generally accessible under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. Section 67.101. Any member of the public may request access to criminal court records that are not sealed or restricted.
Expungement in Schuylkill County
Pennsylvania law allows eligible Schuylkill County residents to petition for expungement of certain criminal records. Under 18 Pa.C.S. Section 9122, you can file for expungement of arrests that did not result in conviction, charges that were dismissed or withdrawn, and summary offense convictions after five conviction-free years. Completing an ARD diversion program also makes the underlying arrest eligible for expungement.
The expungement petition is filed with the Court of Common Pleas through the Schuylkill County Clerk of Courts. After the court grants the petition, the record is removed from PATCH, the UJS Portal, and law enforcement databases. Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law also provides automatic sealing of qualifying misdemeanor convictions, without requiring a petition, once the required conviction-free period has passed and all fines are paid. Contact the Clerk of Courts at the Pottsville courthouse for guidance on starting the expungement process.
Magisterial District Courts in Schuylkill County
Schuylkill County has several Magisterial District Courts that serve different areas of the county. These courts handle preliminary hearings for all criminal charges, summary offense trials, traffic citations, and civil disputes under $12,000. Most criminal cases start in a Magisterial District Court before moving to the Court of Common Pleas for serious offenses.
Magisterial District Court records for Schuylkill County are available through the UJS Portal alongside Court of Common Pleas records. Summary offenses that are resolved at the magistrate level without an appeal to Common Pleas appear only in the MDJ section of the portal. If a summary case was appealed, you will find records in both sections. Free parking is available at the Pottsville courthouse for those visiting the Clerk of Courts in person, and the building is accessible per ADA requirements.
Nearby Counties
Schuylkill County is in east-central Pennsylvania. Bordering counties include Northumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Berks, Carbon, Luzerne, and Columbia. Visit the county pages below for criminal records from neighboring jurisdictions.