Start with the correct Allegheny County criminal-record source
Allegheny County criminal information is split among Pennsylvania’s statewide court system, the Allegheny County Department of Court Records, Magisterial District Courts, the County Jail, the Sheriff’s warrant operation and the Pennsylvania State Police. A court docket is useful for following a case, but it is not the same thing as an official Pennsylvania criminal-history background check.
Which Allegheny County criminal record do you actually need?
Different government systems answer different questions. A public docket sheet is excellent for reviewing a court case, but it should not be treated as a statewide background check.
Common Pleas criminal case
Search publicly available Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas criminal docket sheets, case events, offenses, dispositions and scheduling information.
Lower-court criminal case
Pennsylvania’s public UJS system also includes public Magisterial District Court criminal, traffic and non-traffic docket information.
Paper or certified record
Use Allegheny County’s Criminal Division for courthouse research, certifications, criminal-record checks and retrieval of older stored files.
Current or former custody
Jail custody information and inmate records are handled separately from court docket sheets.
Criminal-history background check
PATCH searches the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository and is the official state criminal-history check, not merely a court docket lookup.
Appeal or federal prosecution
Pennsylvania appellate courts use the statewide UJS system, while federal cases use the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and PACER.
Search Allegheny County criminal cases online
Allegheny County identifies the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal as its official online docketing and criminal-record system.
The public UJS portal provides free access to:
- Criminal Courts of Common Pleas docket sheets
- Magisterial District Court docket sheets
- Pennsylvania appellate court cases
- public criminal court calendars
- criminal Court Summary Information
- PAeDocket mobile case searching
Step-by-step: find an Allegheny County criminal case
Open Pennsylvania UJS Case Information
Start with Public Web Docket Sheets. This is the statewide court system rather than a commercial records website.
Choose the correct court level
Select Criminal Courts of Common Pleas for county-level prosecutions or Magisterial District Courts for lower-court criminal, traffic and non-traffic cases.
Select Allegheny County
Narrow the county whenever possible. This reduces false matches involving people with the same name elsewhere in Pennsylvania.
Search using the strongest identifier available
The public system supports searches using identifying case information. PAeDocket can also search by case number, participant name, organization name, offense tracking number, police incident/complaint number or state ID number.
Open the docket sheet
Review offenses, filing date, docket events, disposition, sentencing and related case information.
Move to the county records office when needed
If you need the physical court file, certification, an older record or a staff-performed search, contact Allegheny County’s Department of Court Records, Criminal Division.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas criminal records
The Allegheny County Department of Court Records, Criminal Division maintains records for criminal cases filed in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.
Its responsibilities include:
- maintaining criminal case documents
- maintaining criminal dockets
- processing expungements
- processing bail bonds
- archiving criminal case records
- handling summary appeals
- collecting court-ordered fines and costs
- processing Superior Court appeals
Official county information: Allegheny County Criminal Records .
Magisterial District Court criminal records in Allegheny County
Not every criminal matter begins at the Court of Common Pleas level. Pennsylvania’s Magisterial District Courts handle preliminary criminal proceedings and also maintain traffic, non-traffic and other lower-court cases.
Public MDJ docket sheets can be searched through the same UJS Web Portal. If you need a paper record maintained by a particular Magisterial District Court, Pennsylvania’s judiciary advises contacting that MDJ office directly.
How to read an Allegheny County criminal docket sheet
| Docket item | What it means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Docket number | The court’s unique case identifier. | Use it when calling, ordering files or following an appeal. |
| Offense | The criminal charge entered in the case. | Do not treat the filed offense as the final outcome. |
| Disposition | How a charge was resolved. | Conviction, dismissal, withdrawal, acquittal, ARD or another result. |
| Case events | Filings, hearings, pleas, orders and sentencing events. | Read later events; earlier docket entries may no longer describe the case accurately. |
| Sentence | Court-imposed sentence after a qualifying disposition. | Confinement, probation, fines, restitution and related terms. |
| Limited access | A statutory restriction on public visibility. | Clean Slate or other restrictions may cause cases to disappear from public search. |
Find Allegheny County criminal hearing dates
The UJS Public Calendar Schedule allows users to search scheduled case events for Criminal Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts.
This can help when you already know the defendant or docket but need to confirm:
- upcoming hearing date
- court location
- case event type
- Magisterial District Court event
- Common Pleas criminal event
- updated public scheduling information
Search Allegheny criminal records in person
Allegheny County provides public courthouse access for criminal-record research. Computer terminals are available for searching criminal records.
Allegheny County Courthouse
436 Grant StreetPittsburgh, PA 15219
Criminal Records: Room 220
Questions about case files / research:
412-350-5320
Criminal Division main contact:
412-350-5323
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., except county holidays.
How to find older Allegheny County criminal files
Allegheny County’s retention setup is unusually useful to know before visiting the courthouse.
Current year + four prior years
Criminal files from the current year and the previous four years are kept in Room 220 of the Allegheny County Courthouse.
Storage retrieval
Older criminal case files remain available but must be ordered from a storage facility. Retrieval charges may apply at the current rate.
Allegheny County criminal-record fees
The Criminal Division publishes a specific cost and fee schedule.
| Service | Current listed fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal record check | $25 | Allegheny County Department of Court Records Criminal Division service. |
| Certification | $20 | Use when an official certification is required. |
| Petition for expungement | $232 | County filing fee listed by the Criminal Division. |
| Post-Conviction Relief Act petition | $20 | Current Criminal Division filing fee. |
| Summary appeal | $94 | Separate fee applies for qualifying summary appeals. |
| Appeal from Common Pleas to appellate court | $80 county fee | The county also lists an additional appellate-court fee collected with the filing. |
| Fingerprint-card processing through PSP | $37.50 total listed | County schedule breaks this into payments to PSP and the Department of Court Records. |
| Older file retrieval | Current retrieval rate | Applies when a file must be obtained from a non-county-owned storage facility. |
Fees can change. Confirm the current amount with the Criminal Division before submitting payment. The county states that personal checks are not accepted for these Criminal Division service fees.
Allegheny County Jail and inmate records
Allegheny County Jail records are separate from the UJS criminal docket. The jail is located at:
The county’s published inmate-information pages provide guidance for contacting an incarcerated person, release questions, housing-unit questions and obtaining former-inmate records.
General jail information
Call 412-350-2000 for current jail information such as housing and release/transfer questions.
Jail Record Office
Former incarcerated individuals may contact the Jail Record Office at 412-350-2635 to request inmate records.
Adult Probation
For probation-officer information, Allegheny County Jail directs users to Adult Probation at 412-350-2320.
Allegheny County warrant information
Pennsylvania’s UJS system has a statewide warrants service, but that service is a secure eService rather than an unrestricted public warrant database.
Allegheny County’s published jail contact list identifies a Warrant Office at 412-350-4714, but specifically states that no warrant information is given over the phone.
Pennsylvania PATCH criminal-history background checks
For an official Pennsylvania criminal-history check, use Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH), operated by the Pennsylvania State Police.
Open Pennsylvania PATCH| PATCH service | Current fee | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Standard individual criminal-history check | $22 | Available online through PATCH or by mail using the appropriate PSP form. |
| Optional notarization | +$5 | Available for qualifying standard checks. |
| Volunteer criminal-history check | Free | Cannot be notarized. |
| Individual Access & Review | $20 | Mail-only request for the subject’s fuller Pennsylvania criminal-history record. |
How PATCH results work
No Record
When the submitted identifying information does not match a record in the PSP database, PATCH can issue a No Record result.
Request Under Review
This does not automatically mean the person has a criminal record. PSP performs a manual review when submitted information potentially matches repository data.
Record
PATCH provides the resulting certificate when PSP determines reportable criminal-history information exists.
PATCH searches Pennsylvania law-enforcement criminal-history records only. It is not a federal or nationwide criminal-record search.
How to request your complete Pennsylvania criminal history
If the record is your own and you need a more complete review—including convictions and non-convictions— Pennsylvania State Police provides an Individual Access and Review process.
Use PSP Form SP 4-170
Access and Review requests are different from a normal online PATCH background check.
Complete the request with your identification information
Follow PSP’s current form instructions carefully so the Central Repository can identify the correct record.
Mail the request
PSP currently requires Access and Review requests to be submitted by mail.
Include the current $20 fee
PSP’s current service page lists a $20 fee for Individual Access and Review.
Allegheny County criminal appeals
Pennsylvania’s UJS Web Portal also provides public appellate docket information. In criminal matters, appeals from the Court of Common Pleas generally proceed to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
Allegheny County’s Criminal Division specifically lists a courthouse service for Appeals to Superior Court in Room 114.
Department of Court Records, Criminal Division
Location: Room 114, Allegheny County Courthouse
Phone:
412-350-5321
Federal criminal records from Allegheny County
Allegheny County is served by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Federal criminal cases are separate from Pennsylvania state-court cases.
Joseph F. Weis, Jr. U.S. Courthouse
700 Grant StreetPittsburgh, PA 15219
Clerk Intake / Information: 412-208-7500
PACER
Use PACER for electronic federal criminal dockets and court documents. Registration and applicable federal usage fees may apply.
Pennsylvania Clean Slate and limited-access records
A case that previously appeared in public search can later disappear because Pennsylvania law limits public access to certain qualifying records.
The UJS public portal states that cases that are:
- sealed
- expunged
- designated limited access
- covered by qualifying Clean Slate provisions
are not visible through the public Case Search.
Pennsylvania’s Clean Slate laws have expanded over time and can automatically limit public access to qualifying non-convictions, summary offenses, misdemeanors and certain other qualifying records after applicable waiting periods and statutory requirements.
How criminal-record expungement works in Pennsylvania
Expungement is different from merely limiting public access. Pennsylvania State Police publishes a formal process for eligible criminal-record expungement.
Request your Access and Review record
PSP directs applicants to begin by completing Form SP 4-170 to obtain the fuller arrest/criminal-history record.
Submit the required identification and fee
PSP currently lists a $20 certified-check or money-order requirement for the Access and Review request, together with a copy of government-issued photo identification.
Review the returned arrest record
Confirm the exact offense, arrest and disposition information before filing a county petition.
Follow up with the Allegheny County Criminal Division
Pennsylvania State Police directs applicants to the Clerk/Department of Court Records in the county where the arrest occurred for the court petition process.
Allegheny County currently lists a $232 petition-for-expungement fee in its Criminal Division fee schedule.
What to do if an Allegheny County docket sheet is wrong
Pennsylvania’s UJS states that a party to a case—or that party’s attorney—who wants to correct a data error on a public web docket sheet should submit the judiciary’s correction request form to the court where the case was filed.
If the error appears in the Pennsylvania State Police criminal-history repository rather than the court docket, use PSP’s record-review procedures instead of assuming the county court can directly change the state repository.
Do you need a Pennsylvania Right-to-Know request for a criminal court file?
Usually not for an ordinary Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas criminal case file. Allegheny County specifically says that users requesting copies of Court of Common Pleas case files should not use the county’s general Open Records request form.
The county explains that court case files are open to the public unless sealed by court order and should be requested directly through the appropriate court-record division.
Criminal court case file → Department of Court Records, Criminal Division.
General county-government public record → Allegheny County Open Records / RTKL process.
Allegheny County criminal-record offices
Department of Court Records
Allegheny County Courthouse436 Grant Street, Room 114
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2469
Main Criminal Division:
412-350-5323
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Room 220
Allegheny County Courthouse436 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Records questions:
412-350-5320
Public research terminals are available.
Allegheny County Jail
950 Second AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15219
Main phone:
412-350-2000
Former inmate records:
412-350-2635
U.S. District Court
Joseph F. Weis, Jr. U.S. Courthouse700 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Clerk information: 412-208-7500
Allegheny County Courthouse map
The Allegheny County Courthouse is the primary in-person location for county criminal-record research, docket services, expungement processing and related Criminal Division functions.
Allegheny County Courthouse: 436 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
Allegheny County criminal-record search tips that save time
Use UJS before paying a third party
Pennsylvania provides free public docket-sheet access for Common Pleas and Magisterial District Court cases.
Docket ≠ background check
If an employer, licensing body or official process asks for a criminal-history check, use PATCH rather than a screenshot of a UJS docket.
Check the MDJ level too
A case can appear at Magisterial District Court before—or instead of—what you expected to find at Common Pleas.
Older record? Call first
Files older than the current year plus four prior years must be retrieved from storage, so calling the Criminal Records office before a courthouse visit can save time.
Use the docket number
Once you have the docket number, keep it. It makes courthouse requests, appeal research and payment questions much easier.
Missing public case may be limited access
Clean Slate, sealing or expungement can remove a case from public UJS search even though criminal-justice agencies retain lawful access.
PATCH “under review” is not a conviction
Pennsylvania State Police explicitly says an Under Review response only means manual review is needed.
Telephone limits matter
Allegheny County’s Criminal Records office will answer procedural questions but says it will not discuss case-specific information by phone.
Federal case? Search PACER
A prosecution in the Western District of Pennsylvania will not be an ordinary Allegheny County Common Pleas docket.
Using Allegheny County criminal records for employment or tenant screening
Pennsylvania’s judiciary specifically warns that public court docket sheets should not be used as a substitute for an official criminal-history background check. Pennsylvania State Police is the agency that provides the official state criminal-history check through PATCH.
Allegheny County criminal records: frequently asked questions
1. Where can I search Allegheny County criminal court records online?
Use the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Web Portal. It provides public docket sheets for Criminal Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts.
2. Is the Allegheny County criminal court search free?
Public UJS docket sheets can be searched and viewed without paying a commercial records service. Allegheny County charges separate fees for staff-performed record checks, certifications and other services.
3. How much does an Allegheny County criminal-record check cost?
The Allegheny County Department of Court Records Criminal Division currently lists a $25 fee for a criminal-record check.
4. How do I get an older Allegheny County criminal file?
Files from the current year and four prior years are kept in Room 220 of the courthouse. Older files must be retrieved from storage, and a retrieval fee may apply.
5. Can the criminal-record office tell me case details over the phone?
Allegheny County states that case-related information will not be discussed by telephone. Phone contacts can still help with procedures, ordering records and office-location questions.
6. How much does a Pennsylvania PATCH background check cost?
Pennsylvania State Police currently charges $22 for a standard individual criminal-history check. Volunteer checks are free, and qualifying notarization costs an additional $5.
7. Is a UJS docket sheet the same as a Pennsylvania criminal-history check?
No. Pennsylvania’s judiciary expressly states that docket sheets should not be used in place of a criminal-history background check. Official Pennsylvania criminal-history checks are provided by State Police through PATCH.
8. Why can’t I find an old Allegheny County criminal case online?
The case may be sealed, expunged or designated limited access under Pennsylvania law. It may also require a different court-level search or courthouse record review.
9. Where do I search an Allegheny County criminal appeal?
Public Pennsylvania appellate docket information is available through the UJS Web Portal. Criminal appeals from Common Pleas generally proceed to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
10. Where are federal criminal cases from Pittsburgh or Allegheny County searched?
Allegheny County is in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Federal dockets and documents are searched through PACER.
Official sources used for this guide
- Allegheny County Criminal Records
- Criminal Division Services and Locations
- Criminal Division Cost and Fee Schedule
- Pennsylvania UJS Case Information
- Pennsylvania Judiciary Web Portal
- Pennsylvania State Police PATCH
- Request a Pennsylvania Criminal History Background Check
- Allegheny County Jail
- Allegheny County Jail Inmate Information FAQ
- Allegheny County Court Records and Open Records Guidance
- Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Expungement
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania — Pittsburgh Courthouse
- PACER Federal Court Records