Philadelphia County Court Records

Philadelphia County court records are maintained by the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, the largest trial court system in the state. Philadelphia is a consolidated city-county with over 1.6 million residents. The Court of Common Pleas and Philadelphia Municipal Court both serve the county. Criminal, civil, family, and traffic cases are all handled here. You can search court records online through the UJS Portal or the county's own systems. The county seat is Philadelphia, and the courthouse is at Broad and Market Streets.

Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas

The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas is the primary trial court for the county. It is part of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. The court is organized into four main divisions: Trial, Family, and Orphans' Court. The Honorable Nina Wright Padilla serves as President Judge. Each division handles a different type of case and keeps its own set of court records in Philadelphia County.

The Trial Division has general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. It handles most major felony trials and large civil disputes. The Family Division is located at 1501 Arch Street and handles domestic matters including custody, support, and juvenile cases. The Orphans' Court Division protects the rights of those who cannot manage their own affairs, including probate matters and guardianships. All of these divisions maintain public records that can be accessed at the courthouse or through online tools.

Visit courts.phila.gov to access forms, local rules, court schedules, and case search tools for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

The lead-in to the screenshot below shows the official First Judicial District website, your main starting point for Philadelphia County court records.

The site lists all court offices, forms, and case search tools for Philadelphia County in one place.

How to Search Philadelphia Court Records

You have several ways to search court records in Philadelphia County. The free statewide tool is the Unified Judicial System Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. You can search by name, docket number, OTN, or citation number. Results show case type, judge, charges, and hearing dates. This tool works for both Common Pleas and Municipal Court cases in Philadelphia County.

Philadelphia also has its own local search system. The CLAIMS portal at fjdclaims.phila.gov lets you search municipal court dockets by case number, plaintiff name, or defendant name. It covers criminal, landlord-tenant, code enforcement, and civil cases filed in Philadelphia Municipal Court. This is a free public access tool and does not require an account to use.

For in-person access, visit the Prothonotary at City Hall in Philadelphia County. The Prothonotary phone number is 215-686-6652. The Commissioner of Records can be reached at 215-686-2290. Staff can search records, pull case files, and make copies for you. Bring the full name of the party or the case number to speed up your search.

Note: The e-filing system was not available as of early 2026. Check courts.phila.gov for the current status before trying to file documents online in Philadelphia County.

Types of Court Records in Philadelphia County

Philadelphia County court records cover a wide range of case types. The Common Pleas Trial Division keeps records for felony criminal cases and major civil disputes. The Family Division keeps records for custody, divorce, support, and juvenile matters. The Orphans' Court keeps probate, guardianship, and estate records. Each division maintains its own dockets and files at the courthouse on Broad and Market Streets.

The Philadelphia Municipal Court keeps separate records for lower-level cases. These include misdemeanor criminal cases, summary offenses, small claims up to $12,000, landlord-tenant disputes, and code enforcement cases up to $15,000. Municipal Court also handles traffic violations under the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code. After a preliminary hearing in Municipal Court, felony cases move up to Common Pleas Court. At that point, new records are created in the Common Pleas system as well.

All dockets from both courts show case name, docket number, filing date, judge assigned, charges or claims, and events scheduled or completed. The UJS Portal gives access to this information for free. Copies of actual documents may require a visit to the courthouse or a written records request to the appropriate Philadelphia County office.

Philadelphia County Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records in Philadelphia County begin with the Municipal Court. The Criminal Division of Municipal Court processes all arrests in Philadelphia County. The Preliminary Arraignment Courtroom operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Summary and misdemeanor trials are held in Municipal Court. Felony cases start with a preliminary hearing in Municipal Court and then move to the Common Pleas Trial Division.

The Common Pleas Trial Division handles all felony cases after they leave Municipal Court. Records here include indictments, plea agreements, trial transcripts, and sentencing orders. The Administrative Judge of the Trial Division is the Honorable Daniel Anders. Records from both courts are available through the UJS Portal and the CLAIMS system. You can search criminal dockets by name, docket number, or OTN number at no cost.

Criminal background reports through the state system are available via the Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) portal at epatch.pa.gov. PATCH searches cost $22 per search and provide official state criminal history records for individuals. This is separate from the court record search tools listed above.

Note: Juvenile delinquency records are not public in Pennsylvania. These records are sealed and require a court order for access in Philadelphia County.

Philadelphia County Civil Court Records

Civil court records in Philadelphia County are split between Common Pleas and Municipal Court. The Common Pleas Trial Division handles large civil cases including contract disputes, personal injury, and complex litigation. The Prothonotary office maintains these civil records. Judgments, liens, and case filings are all indexed and available through the courthouse in Philadelphia County.

The Municipal Court Civil Division handles smaller civil matters. It has jurisdiction over landlord-tenant cases, small claims up to $12,000, and code enforcement cases up to $15,000. These records are searchable through the CLAIMS portal at fjdclaims.phila.gov. You can view full dockets online at no cost. Personal injury and contract disputes also fall within Municipal Court's civil jurisdiction in Philadelphia County.

The screenshot below shows the Philadelphia Municipal Court website, where civil and criminal docket searches are available to the public.

The Municipal Court site links to the CLAIMS public access portal, local rules, and court forms for Philadelphia County civil cases.

Public Access to Philadelphia Court Records

Philadelphia County court records are public under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101. Most criminal and civil dockets are open for public viewing. You do not need a reason to request access to court records in Philadelphia County. Some records are sealed by court order, including juvenile cases, certain family matters, and records ordered expunged.

The Electronic Case Record Public Access Policy at 204 Pa. Code § 213.81 governs what can be viewed online and what requires an in-person visit. Some personal details, like Social Security numbers and financial account numbers, are redacted from public court records in Philadelphia County. This policy applies to all Pennsylvania courts, including those in Philadelphia.

For property and land records in Philadelphia County, the Department of Records handles those separately. The Department of Records is located at 1515 Arch Street, 10th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Phone: (215) 686-2142. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:15 PM. Land records, deeds, and financial disclosure forms are available through that office rather than the court system.

Note: Philadelphia County offers interpreter services for all court proceedings at no cost to named parties, witnesses, and victims under the court's language rights policy.

Philadelphia Municipal Court Traffic Division

The Traffic Division of Philadelphia Municipal Court handles violations of the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code. It was created by Act 17 of 2013, which abolished the former Philadelphia Traffic Court. The Traffic Division does not handle parking tickets, DUIs, or red-light camera violations. Parking tickets are handled by the Philadelphia Parking Authority at 215-683-9600. DUIs go through the Criminal Division of Municipal Court instead.

The Traffic Division is located at 800 Spring Garden Street, P.O. Box 56301, Philadelphia, PA 19130. Phone: 215-686-1676. Email: tcsupport@courts.phila.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, with extended evening hours available. If you do not respond to a citation within 10 days, a $25 late fee is added. You can pay tickets online, by phone, by mail, or in person. Payment plans are available by phone or via Zoom. Appeals cost $35 per incident and must be filed on time. Refunds for not guilty findings are processed within four to six weeks.

PennDOT handles license suspension questions. Call 1-800-932-4600 for issues related to your license status in Pennsylvania.

Cities in Philadelphia County

Philadelphia County is a consolidated city-county. The City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia County share the same borders. All court cases in the county are handled by the First Judicial District courts located in the city.

Philadelphia is the only municipality within Philadelphia County. It is both the county seat and the only city in the county.

Nearby Counties

Philadelphia County borders four other Pennsylvania counties. If you are searching for court records from a neighboring area, check the county where the case was filed. Each county has its own court system and record-keeping offices.

View All 67 Counties