Start with Pennsylvania’s court docket system, then choose the record you actually need
Delaware County criminal information is split among the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System, Delaware County’s Office of Judicial Support, local police departments, the Sheriff’s Office, George W. Hill Correctional Facility, Pennsylvania State Police and the Department of Corrections. A court docket, arrest report, statewide criminal-history check and jail record answer different questions, so the fastest search starts by choosing the correct agency.
Delaware County does not keep every criminal record in one database
A person can have records with several agencies at the same time. The easiest way to avoid being sent from office to office is to decide what information you actually want before searching.
Criminal court docket
Court charges, scheduled events, filings, bail information, disposition, sentence, financial information and chronological docket activity.
Delaware County case file
Court of Common Pleas criminal case records, file-room records and official copies.
State criminal-history check
PATCH checks Pennsylvania law-enforcement criminal-history records and is different from simply viewing a court docket.
Arrest / incident report
Request from the municipal police department or Pennsylvania State Police station that actually created the report.
Local incarceration record
George W. Hill Correctional Facility maintains active and inactive facility resident records.
State prison / parole
Use the Department of Corrections locator for people under Pennsylvania DOC incarceration or supervision—not county-jail detainees.
Search Delaware County criminal court cases through Pennsylvania UJS
Delaware County’s own Criminal Division directs the public to Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System Case Search for online criminal records.
The public docket system covers Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts, along with the state’s appellate courts and Philadelphia Municipal Court.
Open Pennsylvania Case SearchWhat you can normally see on a public docket
- case caption and docket number
- charges and statutory citations
- filing and complaint information
- court dates and scheduled events
- bail information
- docket entries and filings
- dispositions
- sentencing information
- costs and financial entries
- case status
How to narrow the statewide docket search to Delaware County
Open Pennsylvania UJS Case Search
Use the official court portal rather than a commercial records website.
Choose the appropriate court level
Use Court of Common Pleas for Delaware County criminal cases after they reach the county-level criminal court. Use Magisterial District Court when searching an earlier local proceeding.
Select Delaware County
Apply the county filter so the search does not mix similarly named defendants from all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
Search by the strongest identifier
A docket number is best. If you do not know it, use the participant name and other available fields.
Open the docket sheet
Review the charges, chronological entries, bail, disposition and sentence rather than relying only on the search-result summary.
Contact Delaware County for the underlying file
If the docket tells you the case exists but you need an actual filed document or official copy, contact the Office of Judicial Support Criminal Division.
How to read the result without mistaking a charge for a conviction
| Docket item | What it generally tells you | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
| Offense | The criminal charge or statutory allegation. | Check the disposition for that specific count. |
| Bail | Bail type, amount or conditions shown in the court record. | Do not interpret bail as guilt. |
| Disposition | How the charge was resolved. | Look for guilty, dismissed, withdrawn, acquitted or another result. |
| Sentence | Penalty or conditions following an applicable disposition. | Read incarceration, probation, fine and related entries carefully. |
| ARD | Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition participation where applicable. | Check whether the program was completed and whether expungement later occurred. |
| Docket entry | Chronological court activity. | Use it to understand what happened after the original filing. |
Recognizing a Delaware County Common Pleas criminal docket number
Pennsylvania criminal Court of Common Pleas docket numbers use a standardized structure. A Delaware County criminal docket can look similar to:
CP-23-CR-0001234-2026
Common Pleas
Identifies the Court of Common Pleas level.
Delaware County
The county identifier used in the Pennsylvania docket structure.
Criminal
Identifies the docket as a criminal matter.
Filing year
The final portion identifies the filing year.
Do not overlook Delaware County Magisterial District Court records
Pennsylvania Magisterial District Courts handle the early stages of many criminal matters, including preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings, as well as summary matters within their jurisdiction.
The UJS Case Search includes public Magisterial District Court docket sheets. These docket numbers generally begin with MJ.
If a felony or misdemeanor proceeds beyond the preliminary stage, the case can later appear at the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas.
Where to request Delaware County criminal case files and copies
Delaware County’s Office of Judicial Support Criminal Division is responsible for case files in criminal cases processed from local district justices. The division also handles bail posting and return, summary appeals and appeals to appellate courts.
Office of Judicial Support
Government CenterRoom 127
201 W. Front Street
Media, PA 19063
Phone: 610-891-4370
File Room email: OJSfileroom@co.delaware.pa.us
Criminal e-filing: DelcoPACfile@co.delaware.pa.us
Have this information ready
- full defendant name
- exact docket number if known
- approximate filing year
- specific document you need
- whether certification is required
- your contact information
Why the county Open Records Office is not always the right destination
Delaware County’s general Open Records page specifically directs Court of Common Pleas criminal dockets to the Pennsylvania UJS system and civil and criminal court records to the Office of Judicial Support.
That means you normally should not send a generic county Right-to-Know request when what you really want is an ordinary criminal court docket or court-file copy.
Delaware County Government Center and criminal court records location
The Office of Judicial Support Criminal Division is located inside the Delaware County Government Center in Media.
Use Pennsylvania PATCH for an official state criminal-history background check
Pennsylvania State Police operates Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH).
PATCH checks the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository rather than simply searching Delaware County’s court docket.
| Check type | Current fee | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Standard criminal-history check | $22 | Available through PATCH or by mail. |
| Notarized standard check | $22 + $5 | Notarized requests must be submitted by mail. |
| Volunteer check | Free | Qualifying volunteer checks cannot be notarized. |
| Individual Access & Review | $20 | For a person’s own complete PA criminal history; mail only. |
What PATCH “No Record,” “Record” and “Under Review” mean
No matching releasable record returned
PATCH may issue a printable No Record certificate when the submitted identifying information does not match releasable information in the State Police repository.
Not proof of a criminal record
PSP specifically says an Under Review result only means manual review is required. It does not itself mean the subject has a record.
A certificate is available
Open the completed PATCH result and review the record information according to the scope Pennsylvania law permits to be released.
Pennsylvania State Police says many No Record certificates are returned immediately. A request that requires manual review can take longer.
To review your own complete Pennsylvania history, use Access & Review
Pennsylvania State Police distinguishes a standard PATCH check from an Individual Access and Review.
Access and Review is designed for a person who wants to inspect their own entire Pennsylvania criminal-history record, including information that may not appear in an ordinary public check.
Police and arrest records usually belong to the agency that created them
Delaware County contains many municipalities with their own police departments, and Pennsylvania State Police also handles law-enforcement matters in appropriate jurisdictions.
If you need an incident report, arrest report or investigative record, identify the law-enforcement agency shown on the criminal complaint, citation, docket or other paperwork and contact that agency.
Useful information to provide
- incident or police report number
- full name of involved person
- date and approximate time
- location of incident
- arresting or investigating agency
- your connection to the record if relevant
Delaware County Right-to-Know requests: when to use them
Delaware County provides an online JustFOIA platform for county public-record requests. The county also accepts qualifying requests by mail, hand delivery, email and fax.
The county’s policy currently requires a requester to be a resident of the United States and to provide a mailing address for a request to be considered received under its Right-to-Know policy.
County Open Records Officer
Delaware County Government Center201 West Front Street, Room 205
Media, PA 19063
Email: OpenRecords@co.delaware.pa.us
Fax: 610-891-4816
Delaware County jail records come from George W. Hill Correctional Facility
Delaware County’s local correctional facility is the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Thornton.
The facility’s Central Records Department manages active and inactive resident records, information security, dissemination and retention of facility records.
Proof of incarceration
Delaware County currently directs requests for proof of incarceration to the main facility number at 610-361-3200, extension 300.
Release-record questions
The county’s records page provides direct Records Department contacts for questions concerning an incarcerated person’s release.
Use Pennsylvania DOC for state prisoners and parolees
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Inmate and Parolee Locator searches people incarcerated in Pennsylvania state institutions or supervised by the Department.
The DOC says its information is updated daily.
Search PA inmates and paroleesBest search information
DOC recommends searching by last name or inmate number. A first name can help narrow a common surname.
How Delaware County bench-warrant information fits into the record search
The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for serving and enforcing orders of the Court of Common Pleas, including warrants.
Bench Warrant Unit
Phone: 610-891-8605
Sheriff Main Office: 610-891-4296
Courthouse, Room 101201 W. Front Street
Media, PA 19063
Public UJS docket entries may also show warrant-related activity in a criminal case. However, Pennsylvania’s statewide secure warrant functions are not ordinary public UJS services.
Delaware County probation and parole case questions
Delaware County Adult Probation and Parole Services can help a supervised individual identify their assigned officer and answer certain supervision-related questions.
Adult Probation and Parole Services
Main probation/parole contact: 610-891-4591
The county says its probation offices are open at least 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The probation department itself directs people seeking criminal-case information, fines, costs or restitution to the Pennsylvania UJS public docket system.
Pennsylvania Megan’s Law search for Delaware County
Pennsylvania State Police operates the state’s public Megan’s Law Website.
The site provides public information about qualifying registered offenders who live, work, attend school or are otherwise covered by Pennsylvania registration requirements.
Open Pennsylvania Megan’s Law SearchFederal criminal cases are separate from Delaware County court records
Delaware County is within the federal Eastern District of Pennsylvania. A federal prosecution will not appear as a Delaware County Court of Common Pleas criminal case.
Use PACER to search federal district and appellate cases.
Search federal cases with PACERIf the question concerns federal incarceration rather than the federal court docket, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator separately.
ARD and Delaware County diversion cases need careful interpretation
Delaware County operates an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program for eligible defendants.
The county District Attorney describes ARD as a rehabilitative alternative to a traditional criminal trial for qualifying first-time or lower-risk defendants. Successful completion can result in dismissal of charges and may lead to eligibility for expungement.
Delaware County Adult Probation provides a separate ARD expungement procedure and downloadable expungement materials.
Sealed, expunged and Clean Slate cases may disappear from public Case Search
Pennsylvania UJS states that cases that are sealed, expunged or classified as limited access under Clean Slate are not visible to the public through the Case Search system.
This is why an older case that was once visible may later stop appearing in a public search.
Removal under qualifying law
Pennsylvania provides statutory procedures for certain records to be expunged when eligibility requirements are met.
Public visibility restricted
Qualifying records can be restricted from ordinary public access while remaining available to authorized criminal-justice users.
Automatic sealing in qualifying cases
Pennsylvania law provides automatic limited-access mechanisms for certain qualifying records.
Starting a Pennsylvania expungement review
Pennsylvania State Police instructs people seeking expungement to first obtain their criminal history through the SP 4-170 Access and Review process, then follow up with the Clerk of Courts in the county where the arrest occurred.
What to do if the court docket or criminal-history report looks wrong
First identify which system contains the alleged error. A UJS docket error and a Pennsylvania State Police criminal-history error are not necessarily corrected through the same office.
Contact the filing court
Pennsylvania UJS instructs a party or attorney seeking correction of web-docket information to submit the appropriate correction request to the court where the case was filed.
Review the PSP record
Obtain an Access and Review record and follow Pennsylvania State Police procedures for challenging inaccurate or incomplete criminal-history information.
Delaware County criminal-record search tips that save time
Filter Delaware County first
Pennsylvania UJS is statewide. County filtering prevents unrelated same-name records from other Pennsylvania counties from cluttering the search.
Save the docket number
Once found, use the full CP or MJ docket number in every follow-up call or record request.
Check each charge separately
A multi-count case can contain both dismissed charges and convictions.
Do not confuse PATCH with UJS
PATCH is a criminal-history check. UJS provides court docket information.
Recent case? Check both court levels
A recently filed criminal matter can begin in a Magisterial District Court before moving to Common Pleas.
County jail ≠ state prison
George W. Hill records and Pennsylvania DOC records come from different systems.
Police report? Find the originating agency
Do not automatically send a municipal police-record request to the Sheriff’s Office.
Missing old case?
Consider whether Clean Slate, expungement or limited access may explain its absence.
Need formal proof?
Ask the Office of Judicial Support for the appropriate certified court document.
Common questions about Delaware County criminal records
1. Where can I search Delaware County, Pennsylvania criminal cases online?
Use the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Case Search. Delaware County’s Criminal Division directs users to the statewide UJS portal for online Court of Common Pleas criminal docket records.
2. Is the Pennsylvania UJS criminal docket search free?
Public UJS docket sheets can be searched and viewed without creating an ordinary user account. Court-copy or certification fees may apply when requesting official documents from the county.
3. What is the difference between a UJS docket and PATCH?
UJS provides public court docket information. PATCH is the Pennsylvania State Police criminal-history background-check system. UJS itself warns that docket sheets should not substitute for a formal Pennsylvania criminal-history check when that is what the user actually needs.
4. How much does a Pennsylvania PATCH criminal-history check cost?
The current standard individual background check costs $22. A notarized standard check adds $5. Qualifying volunteer checks are free, and an individual’s Access and Review request costs $20.
5. Where do I request a Delaware County criminal court file?
Contact the Delaware County Office of Judicial Support Criminal Division in Room 127 of the Government Center, 201 W. Front Street, Media, Pennsylvania. The published telephone number is 610-891-4370.
6. How do I find someone held in the Delaware County jail?
Delaware County’s local jail is George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Thornton. The main facility number is 610-361-3200. The facility’s Central Records Department manages resident records and proof-of-incarceration requests.
7. Does the Pennsylvania DOC inmate locator include Delaware County jail detainees?
Normally, no. Pennsylvania DOC states that its locator does not contain ordinary county-facility detainees. Delaware County jail information should be obtained from George W. Hill Correctional Facility.
8. How do I check a Delaware County bench warrant?
Public criminal dockets may contain warrant-related court entries. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Bench Warrant Unit currently lists 610-891-8605 for warrant-unit contact. If the warrant concerns you personally, verify the matter directly with the court or Sheriff’s Office.
9. Why did an old Delaware County criminal case disappear from the public search?
Pennsylvania UJS says sealed, expunged and Clean Slate limited-access cases are not visible through public Case Search. Other explanations can include search errors or using the wrong court level.
10. Does PATCH include federal criminal records?
No. Pennsylvania State Police states that PATCH checks Pennsylvania law-enforcement criminal-history records only. Federal cases require a separate federal search such as PACER.
Official sources for verifying Delaware County records
- Delaware County — Criminal Dockets
- Delaware County — Office of Judicial Support
- Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System — Case Search
- Pennsylvania UJS — Case Information
- Pennsylvania State Police — PATCH
- Pennsylvania State Police — Criminal History Background Checks
- Delaware County — Government Open Records
- George W. Hill Correctional Facility — Records
- Pennsylvania DOC — Inmate and Parolee Locator
- Delaware County Sheriff’s Office
- Delaware County Sheriff — Telephone Directory
- Delaware County Adult Probation — FAQs
- Pennsylvania State Police — Megan’s Law Public Website
- Delaware County — ARD Expungement Procedure
- Pennsylvania State Police — Criminal Record Expungement
- PACER — Federal Court Records