Wyoming County Pennsylvania Court Records
Wyoming County court records are held at the courthouse in Tunkhannock, the county seat. Located in the Endless Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, Wyoming County is a small rural county with a centralized courthouse that handles all court filings for the area. The Prothonotary serves as both the civil clerk and the Clerk of Courts in Wyoming County, handling criminal records, civil filings, and Orphans' Court matters from a single combined office. This guide explains how to find Wyoming County court records online and in person.
Wyoming County Quick Facts
Wyoming County Court of Common Pleas
The Wyoming County Court of Common Pleas handles all serious criminal cases, civil disputes, family law matters, and appeals from the district courts. The court is led by President Judge Russell D. Shurtleff and Judge Nina M. Sordoni. Both judges also preside over cases in Sullivan County, which shares judicial resources with Wyoming County. The District Court Administrator is Terilyn Wickizer, and the Deputy Court Administrator is Shannon Carney. Court office contact information is available through the Wyoming County government website at wyomingcountypa.gov.
In Wyoming County, the Prothonotary serves as Clerk of Courts and Clerk of Orphans' Court, combining several functions into one office. This office records criminal case dockets, processes civil filings, maintains family law records, and handles Orphans' Court matters such as wills and estate filings. The District Attorney provides prosecution services in Wyoming County. The Adult Public Defender provides defense representation. The Domestic Relations office handles family court matters separately. All these offices are located at the courthouse in Tunkhannock.
Public court calendars for Wyoming County are available at the UJS portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. A contact form is also available through the courts page for questions about case scheduling in Wyoming County.
The Wyoming County courts page provides detailed information about the court structure, judge assignments, and contact information for the court administration office in Tunkhannock.
Wyoming County also has two magisterial district courts. Judge David K. Plummer presides over District 44-3-01, and Judge Carl Smith presides over District 44-3-02. These district courts handle preliminary hearings, summary offenses, and civil claims under $12,000 in Wyoming County.
How to Search Wyoming County Court Records
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal is the starting point for any online search of Wyoming County court records. Go to ujsportal.pacourts.us and search by party name, docket number, OTN, or citation number. The portal is free, requires no account, and is available at all hours. Results show docket sheets with the case name, judge, all documents filed, hearings scheduled, and current case status. Public court calendars for Wyoming County are also posted through this portal.
If you need copies of actual documents rather than just docket information, contact the Wyoming County Prothonotary in Tunkhannock. Since this office also serves as Clerk of Courts and Clerk of Orphans' Court, one office handles requests for criminal, civil, and estate records. You can visit in person, call ahead to ask about mail-in options, or submit a written request by mail to the courthouse in Tunkhannock. Include the party name or docket number so staff can locate the correct file quickly.
Note: Wyoming County shares judges with Sullivan County. If you are researching cases that involve parties from either county, check both county dockets on the UJS portal to get a full picture.
Types of Court Records in Wyoming County
Wyoming County court records cover all case types heard by the Court of Common Pleas and the two district courts. Criminal records from the Court of Common Pleas include criminal informations, bail documents, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and appeal filings. Civil records include all complaints, responses, motions, and judgments in contract, tort, and property cases. Family law records cover divorce, custody, and support. Orphans' Court records include wills submitted for probate, estate inventories, and guardianship orders.
The two magisterial district courts in Wyoming County also produce records. These courts handle preliminary hearings before cases go to the Court of Common Pleas, decide summary offenses and traffic citations, and hear civil claims under $12,000. Domestic Relations handles support enforcement and modification matters as a separate office within the court system. The Wyoming County Prothonotary also issues marriage licenses and provides passport services, making it a busy central office for residents of the county.
Wyoming County Criminal Court Records
Criminal court records in Wyoming County are kept by the Prothonotary acting as Clerk of Courts. Docket sheets for all criminal cases are searchable for free through the UJS portal. Each docket sheet shows the defendant's name, all charges, bail conditions, attorney names, a record of every filing, scheduled court dates, and the final disposition. Pennsylvania's Rules of Criminal Procedure under Title 234 set the rules for how criminal cases proceed in Wyoming County.
For an official statewide criminal background check, use PATCH at epatch.pa.gov. The Pennsylvania State Police runs PATCH and charges $22 per search. A PATCH report covers criminal history from all 67 Pennsylvania counties, not just Wyoming County. This makes it the proper tool for a complete background check under the Criminal History Record Information Act, 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101. Wyoming County Prothonotary staff can provide certified copies of specific criminal case documents from local cases for a per-page fee.
Wyoming County Civil Court Records
The Wyoming County Prothonotary records all civil court filings. This office tracks each civil case from the initial complaint through to the final judgment. Civil cases in Wyoming County include personal injury claims, contract disputes, property matters, and landlord-tenant issues. Divorce and custody cases are also part of the Prothonotary's records and follow the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure under Title 231. The Prothonotary indexes judgments and liens by name so that anyone can search for judgments entered against a person or piece of property in Wyoming County.
Orphans' Court records, including wills filed for probate and estate administration documents, are also kept by the Prothonotary in Wyoming County. Civil court records are open to the public under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101. The Electronic Case Record Public Access Policy at 204 Pa. Code § 213.81 sets limits on what personal data appears in public-facing records, protecting fields such as Social Security numbers and financial account numbers.
Public Access to Wyoming County Court Records
Wyoming County court records are open to the public in line with Pennsylvania's statewide public access rules. The Electronic Case Record Public Access Policy at 204 Pa. Code § 213.81 governs which records appear online and what information is shown at the courthouse counter. Basic docket information is public. Personal data fields such as Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and information about minor children are protected under the policy.
You can access Wyoming County court records in three ways. The UJS portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us provides free online access at any hour. In-person access is available at the Wyoming County Courthouse in Tunkhannock during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Written mail requests to the Prothonotary are also accepted. Include the party name and approximate filing year in any mail request to help staff locate the correct file. Fees apply for paper copies of any document.
Wyoming County Court Records Research Resources
Several resources can help when researching Wyoming County court records. The county government website at wyomingcountypa.gov lists all offices at the Tunkhannock courthouse and their contact information. The courts page at wyomingcountypa.gov/courts provides judge names, court administrator contacts, and a scheduling inquiry form. The UJS portal remains the best tool for any name-based search of Wyoming County case records.
Pennsylvania Legal Aid provides free legal help to qualifying residents of Wyoming County. Visit palegalaid.net to check eligibility and find nearby offices. The Pennsylvania Bar Association's lawyer referral service at 800-692-7375 can connect you with a local attorney. The Domestic Relations office in Wyoming County handles child support matters, which may be relevant to anyone researching family court records in the county. Marriage licenses issued by the Prothonotary are also available and may be needed for family court filings.
Note: The Wyoming County Sheriff's Office provides court security, and the Correctional Facility serves as the county jail. Both are relevant for understanding how criminal cases move through the Wyoming County court system.
Nearby Counties
Wyoming County is in the Endless Mountains region of northeastern Pennsylvania. Neighboring counties each maintain their own courthouse and records. Verify the correct county before submitting a records request.