Chester County Court Records Access
Chester County court records are maintained at the Chester County Justice Center in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The county sits in the 15th Judicial District and has a full-service Court of Common Pleas with separate elected officials for civil and criminal records. The Prothonotary handles civil filings while the Clerk of Courts manages criminal records. Chester County offers online docket access and a paid subscription system called ChestcoPIN. This guide shows you how to find Chester County court records through every available channel.
Chester County Quick Facts
Chester County Court of Common Pleas
The Court of Common Pleas of Chester County is a general jurisdiction trial court located at the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market St, West Chester, PA 19380. The main phone is 610-344-6000. The Honorable Ann Marie Wheatcraft serves as President Judge. There are 15 full-time judges and 4 senior judges serving Chester County.
The court handles adult and juvenile criminal prosecutions, lawsuits involving money or property, divorce, custody disputes, child support issues, adoptions, and estates. Court administration at 610-344-6000 manages scheduling and case flow. Supervised offices under the court include Court Reporters, Domestic Relations, Juvenile Probation, Law Library, Probation, Parole and Pretrial Services. The Chester County Court of Common Pleas also oversees and provides administrative services to 16 Magisterial District Court offices across the county.
Court forms are downloadable from the Chester County website, and local court rules are available online. Court calendars are published for public review at chesco.org.
The Chester County Court of Common Pleas page at chesco.org provides full details on court divisions, judges, and services.
The official court page covers all divisions, local rules, forms, and contact information for Chester County's main trial court.
How to Search Chester County Court Records
Chester County offers several ways to search court records. The free UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us lets you search criminal and traffic cases by party name, docket number, OTN, or citation number. Docket sheets from the portal show all case events, filings, hearing dates, judge assignments, and case status for Chester County cases. This is the fastest free option for basic case information.
Chester County also operates the ChestcoPIN system, a paid subscription service that provides access to civil docket entries. ChestcoPIN can be accessed at no charge in person at the Prothonotary's office at 201 W. Market Street, Suite 1425, West Chester, or at Chester County libraries. This system shows case events, financial information including fines and costs, and updates as new information is entered. For frequent users of Chester County civil records, a paid subscription to ChestcoPIN may be worth the cost.
Online docket searching is also available through chesco.org/5186/Court-Dockets for public use. This system allows search by case number or party name and shows case status as it is updated. You can also sign up for emergency notifications through the court dockets system.
To visit in person, go to the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street in West Chester. The Prothonotary's office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. No filings or copy requests requiring payment are accepted after 4:15 PM. The Clerk of Courts is at Suite 1400 in the same building. Call 610-344-6135 for criminal record inquiries and 610-344-6300 for civil records.
Note: A criminal record search at the Chester County Clerk of Courts carries a fee of $21 per search.
Types of Court Records in Chester County
Chester County court records cover a wide range of matters. Criminal records include felony and misdemeanor prosecutions handled by the Court of Common Pleas. Civil records cover lawsuits, contract disputes, equity actions, judgment liens, and municipal liens. Family court records include divorce, custody, child support, and adoption matters. Orphans' court records cover probate, estate administration, guardianships, and will filings. All of these are maintained at the Justice Center in West Chester.
Chester County's 16 Magisterial District Courts handle preliminary hearings, summary offenses, traffic cases, and civil claims under $12,000. Records from these courts appear in the UJS Portal alongside Court of Common Pleas records. This makes it easy to track a case from the MDJ stage through Common Pleas in one search.
Chester County Criminal Court Records
Yolanda Van de Krol serves as the elected Clerk of Courts for Chester County. The office is at 201 W. Market St, Suite 1400, West Chester, PA 19380, phone 610-344-6135. The Clerk of Courts serves as the criminal court records custodian. Functions include maintaining criminal filings and dockets, processing motions and petitions, administering oaths, assembling juries, and recording court session attendance.
Criminal record searches at the Clerk of Courts cost $21 per search. This fee covers a search of the Chester County criminal docket index by name. For an official statewide criminal history, the PATCH system at epatch.pa.gov is the right tool. PATCH charges $22 per search and is operated by the Pennsylvania State Police. It covers criminal history from across all Pennsylvania counties, not just Chester County.
The Chester County Clerk of Courts page at chesco.org details all criminal records services and how to submit requests.
The Clerk of Courts page explains how to request criminal records and the services available at the West Chester courthouse.
Chester County Civil Court Records
Alex Christy serves as the elected Prothonotary for Chester County. The office is at 201 W. Market Street, Suite 1425, West Chester, PA 19380, phone 610-344-6300. The Prothonotary serves as the Civil Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas. Records of all civil cases are kept and maintained here, including divorce records, custody filings, civil lawsuits, equity actions, judgments, federal and state tax liens, municipal liens, arbitrations, license suspension appeals, and appeals to higher courts.
Copy fees at the Prothonotary are $1 per page for documents under 1,000 pages. Bulk requests of up to 1,000 pages are charged at $0.25 per page. Certification of a document costs an additional $5 per document. The Prothonotary reviews pleadings for compliance with Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure and Chester County local rules. Staff sends notice of judgments, orders, and decrees to all parties in each case.
The Chester County Court Dockets page at chesco.org provides online docket access for public use.
The dockets portal allows public users to search Chester County case records by case number or party name from any computer.
Court Record Access in Chester County
Chester County court records are public under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101. Anyone may request access to court records without being a party to a case. The Justice Center in West Chester is open during regular business hours for in-person access. The Chester County Prothonotary's hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
The Electronic Case Record Public Access Policy under 204 Pa. Code § 213.81 governs what information appears in online versus in-person records. This policy limits certain personal details in digital records while allowing full access at the courthouse. The ChestcoPIN system and the court dockets portal both follow this policy. If you need information that is redacted online, a courthouse visit is necessary.
Sealed records in Chester County include juvenile files, adoption records, and certain mental health proceedings. These are not available to the public. For open records questions statewide, visit openrecords.pa.gov.
Chester County Family Court and Orphans Court Records
Chester County Court Administration at chesco.org/210 coordinates family court services. Custody mediation is available to help parents reach agreements outside of court. Child and spousal support services are provided through the Domestic Relations office. Divorce proceedings are managed through the civil division of the court. Juvenile matters are processed through the family court division and have restricted public access.
Michele Vaughn serves as the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. The office is at 201 W Market Street, Suite 2200, West Chester, PA 19380-0989, phone 610-344-6335. Wills are probated through this office. Will records are maintained for safekeeping and public research. Estate inventories, accountings, and guardianships are processed and monitored here. Marriage licenses are issued by this office. Adoption records are sealed and confidential.
The Chester County Court Administration page explains family court services including custody mediation and support programs.
The court administration page covers mediation, support, and all family court services available through the Chester County court system.
Nearby Counties
Chester County borders four other Pennsylvania counties. If you are unsure which county court has jurisdiction over a case, check the address where the incident occurred or where the parties lived when the case was filed.