Delaware County Public Records /Delaware County Court Records

Delaware County Court Records

How To Find Court Records in Delaware County in 2026

DelawareCountyRecords.us provides access to publicly available information related to court records in Delaware County, allowing members of the public to search for case-related data that may be on file with local and state court systems. Court records in Delaware County may include documentation from civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic proceedings, though the completeness and availability of any individual record depends on the case type, the court of origin, and applicable access restrictions under Pennsylvania law.

Members of the public may encounter the following categories of records through available search tools:

Criminal case filings, docket entries, and disposition records
Civil complaints, judgments, and orders
Family court filings, including divorce and custody matters
Probate and estate records
Traffic and summary offense records
Appellate court decisions and docket entries

Court records in Delaware County may be searched through several practical methods, each with its own access conditions and limitations.

1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office. The Delaware County Prothonotary maintains civil court records, while the Clerk of Courts maintains criminal court records. Members of the public may visit either office in person to request case files or docket information. Providing a case number, party name, or approximate filing date assists staff in locating records efficiently.

2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals. Public access computer terminals are available at the Delaware County Courthouse for in-person case searches. These terminals allow members of the public to search docket entries and case status information without charge during regular business hours.

3. Online Court Search. The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System provides the Pennsylvania Web Docket Sheets portal, through which members of the public may search docket sheets for Court of Common Pleas cases, including those originating in Delaware County.

4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools. The Pennsylvania Judiciary's public portal offers statewide case search functionality covering multiple court levels, including the Superior Court and Commonwealth Court, for appellate matters originating in Delaware County.

5. Written or Mail Requests. Members of the public who are unable to appear in person may submit written requests to the appropriate clerk's office. Requests should include the case number or party name, the type of record sought, and any applicable fees for copies or certified documents.

Are Court Records Public in Delaware County

Court records in Delaware County are public under current Pennsylvania law, subject to specific statutory and judicial exceptions. Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101 et seq., establishes the general presumption that government records, including court records, are accessible to the public upon request. The Pennsylvania Rules of Judicial Administration further govern public access to court records at the trial and appellate levels.

Records that are public under current law include:

Docket entries and case status information
Party names and case captions
Hearing dates, continuances, and scheduling orders
Filed motions, complaints, petitions, and answers
Court orders, judgments, and final dispositions
Sentencing entries and probation orders in criminal matters

Records that may be confidential, sealed, redacted, or restricted include:

Juvenile delinquency and dependency records
Adoption proceedings and related filings
Mental health commitment records
Expunged criminal records
Sealed filings ordered by the court
Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and minor children's names in certain proceedings

As the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has noted in its public access policy, "the presumption of openness in court records reflects the public's interest in understanding the administration of justice." Courthouse inspection of physical files may provide access to documents not yet available through online portals, as digitization of older records remains ongoing in many Pennsylvania counties.

What Are Court Records in Delaware County?

Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court or its clerk in connection with a judicial proceeding. In Delaware County, court records are maintained by the Court of Common Pleas, the Magisterial District Courts, and the relevant clerk offices assigned to each court level.

A docket entry is a chronological log of all actions taken in a case, while a full case file contains the actual documents filed by parties and the court. Civil court records document disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania against an individual charged with a criminal offense. Filed pleadings are the initial documents that establish the claims and defenses in a case, while final judgments represent the court's ultimate resolution of those claims.

Public filings are documents accessible to any member of the public under applicable access rules, while sealed or restricted filings have been removed from public access by court order or by operation of law. Trial court records originate in the Court of Common Pleas or Magisterial District Courts, while appellate records are maintained by the Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, or Supreme Court of Pennsylvania for cases appealed from Delaware County.

Court records are created at the moment of filing and are updated continuously as the case progresses through hearings, motions, orders, and final disposition. Upon conclusion of a case, the record is closed but remains subject to retention schedules and applicable access rules. The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System maintains statewide oversight of court record management across all counties, including Delaware County.

What's Included in a Delaware County Court Record?

A Delaware County court record may contain a range of documents and data depending on the case type, the court of origin, and applicable public-access rules. The following information commonly appears within a court record:

Case number assigned at the time of filing
Court name and division, such as Civil Division, Criminal Division, or Family Court
Filing date and subsequent amendment dates
Party names, including plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and counsel of record
Case type and current status, such as active, closed, or appealed
Docket entries reflecting each action taken in the case
Hearing dates, continuances, and scheduling orders
Motions, complaints, petitions, answers, orders, judgments, notices, minute entries, decrees, and similar filings
Outcome information, including dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, or appellate decisions
Administrative and financial information, such as filing fees, assessed costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly shown

Records that are excluded or restricted from public access include sealed filings, expunged matters, juvenile files, adoption records, protected personal identifiers, and certain exhibits admitted under seal. Under Pennsylvania Rule of Judicial Administration 4.0, courts are required to protect specific categories of personal information from public disclosure even when the underlying case file remains accessible.

Types of Courts in Delaware County

Delaware County is served by a multi-tiered court structure under the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. The primary trial court is the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, which exercises general jurisdiction over civil, criminal, family, juvenile, orphans' court (probate), and appellate matters arising from lower courts. The Court of Common Pleas is organized into several divisions, each maintaining its own docket and record-keeping functions through the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts offices.

Magisterial District Courts serve as limited-jurisdiction courts handling preliminary criminal hearings, summary offenses, traffic violations, landlord-tenant disputes, and civil claims up to $12,000. Each Magisterial District Judge maintains records for cases heard within that district.

The Pennsylvania Superior Court and Commonwealth Court hear appeals from Delaware County Court of Common Pleas decisions in civil and criminal matters, with records maintained at the appellate level through the statewide judicial system.

What Types of Cases Do Delaware County Courts Hear

Criminal cases: Felonies, misdemeanors, and summary offenses are initiated in Magisterial District Courts and, for more serious charges, bound over to the Court of Common Pleas Criminal Division.
Civil cases: Contract disputes, personal injury claims, and other civil matters above the Magisterial District Court threshold are heard in the Court of Common Pleas Civil Division.
Family cases: Divorce, child custody, support, and protection from abuse matters are handled by the Family Court Division.
Juvenile cases: Delinquency and dependency proceedings are heard in the Juvenile Court Division, with records subject to heightened confidentiality protections.
Probate and estate matters: The Orphans' Court Division handles wills, estates, guardianships, and adoptions.
Traffic and summary offenses: Magisterial District Courts handle traffic citations and minor summary offenses.
Small claims: Civil claims up to $12,000 are heard at the Magisterial District Court level.

Delaware County Court of Common Pleas
201 W. Front Street
Media, PA 19063
Phone: (610) 891-4370
Delaware County Court of Common Pleas

Delaware County Prothonotary
201 W. Front Street
Media, PA 19063
Phone: (610) 891-4370
Delaware County Prothonotary

Delaware County Clerk of Courts
201 W. Front Street
Media, PA 19063
Phone: (610) 891-4370
Delaware County Clerk of Courts

How to Search Delaware County Court Records for Free?

Several methods for searching Delaware County court records are available at no cost, while others involve fees for copies or certified documents.

Free access methods include:

In-person inspection at the Prothonotary or Clerk of Courts office, where members of the public may review case files and docket entries without charge during regular business hours
Courthouse public access terminals, which allow free docket searches on-site
Pennsylvania Web Docket Sheets, available through the UJS Portal, which provides free online access to docket sheets for Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Court cases

Fees apply to the following:

Service	Typical Cost
Photocopies of case documents	$0.25–$1.00 per page
Certified copies of court records	$5.00–$15.00 per document
Exemplified copies	Higher fee, varies by document
Electronic document downloads (some portals)	Varies

Fee schedules for Delaware County court records are governed in part by 42 Pa. C.S. § 1725, which authorizes courts to establish and collect fees for copies and related services. Members of the public seeking certified copies for legal proceedings should confirm current fee amounts directly with the Prothonotary or Clerk of Courts.

How Long Does Delaware County Keep Court Records?

Retention periods for Delaware County court records vary by case type and are governed by the Pennsylvania Judicial Records Retention Schedule established under the authority of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The retention schedule sets minimum periods for which courts must preserve records before destruction or archival transfer is permitted.

Retention periods by case type include:

Criminal felony records: Retained permanently or for extended periods tied to the sentence imposed
Criminal misdemeanor and summary offense records: Retained for varying periods depending on disposition and sentence
Civil judgment records: Retained for a minimum period following satisfaction or expiration of the judgment
Family court orders: Custody and support orders are retained for extended periods given their ongoing legal effect
Probate records: Wills and estate records are retained permanently in many jurisdictions
Traffic records: Retained for shorter periods at the Magisterial District Court level
Docket books and minute records: Retained permanently as official court records

Paper files may be destroyed after imaging, microfilming, or transfer to archival storage, provided the retention period has been satisfied. Destruction of a record is distinct from sealing, redaction, or expungement: a sealed record still exists but is restricted from public access, while an expunged record is ordered removed from the official record under 18 Pa. C.S. § 9122, which governs expungement of criminal history records in Pennsylvania.

Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, county archives, or the Pennsylvania State Archives. As the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has stated, "court records are among the most significant historical documents maintained by county governments," and permanent records are subject to archival preservation requirements even after active court use has ended.

How To Find a Court Docket in Delaware County

A court docket is the official chronological index of all actions, filings, and proceedings in a case. It differs from a full case file in that it records what happened and when, rather than containing the actual documents filed by the parties. A docket entry may reference a motion, order, or hearing without reproducing the underlying document.

Dockets for Delaware County Court of Common Pleas cases are available through the Pennsylvania Web Docket Sheets portal, which is maintained by the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. To locate a docket through this portal, members of the public may search by:

Docket number (case number)
Participant name (party or attorney)
Date of birth (for criminal docket searches)
Filing date range

The portal returns a docket sheet that includes hearing dates, continuances, motion filings, minute entries, bail and bond information in criminal matters, and current case status. Docket sheets do not include images of the actual filed documents unless the court has enabled document-level access for that case type.

Magisterial District Court dockets are separately available through the Magisterial District Court docket search on the same UJS portal. These dockets cover summary offenses, traffic matters, landlord-tenant cases, and civil claims within the Magisterial District Court's jurisdiction.

Motion calendars and hearing rosters for the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas may be available through the court's administrative office or posted at the courthouse. Daily hearing calendars are maintained by the court and may be inspected in person at the courthouse during regular business hours. Docket entries do not include sealed filings, confidential attachments, exhibits admitted under seal, or records restricted by court order or statute.