How to Search Erie County Court Records
The main online starting point for many Erie County court records is CourtPro. CourtPro covers Erie County Prothonotary records from 1992 to current. After March 3, 2025, Register of Wills, Orphans' Court, and Marriage Bureau records are also available from one online location. The Prothonotary moved to CourtPro on April 15, 2024, and no Prothonotary filings or docket entries were added to INFOCON after April 12, 2024.
Use the statewide UJS Case Search for appellate matters, criminal Court of Common Pleas cases, Magisterial District Court cases, Philadelphia Municipal Court records, and free public docket sheets. CourtPro is the Erie County portal for Prothonotary and related local records, while UJS is the statewide docket source for criminal and MDJ matters.
- Open CourtPro when searching Erie County Prothonotary, civil, family, Orphans' Court, estate, or marriage-related court records.
- Use the case number, parcel number, case type, or party name fields that match the record being searched.
- Select the similar-sounding-results option when a name may have spelling variations.
- Open matching results and compare the court, filing date, party names, and docket number before relying on a match.
- For criminal or Magisterial District Court matters, search UJS and request copies from the Clerk of Courts, assigned MDJ office, or other maintaining office when the docket is not enough.
Erie County Court Records Search Fields
CourtPro search fields are designed for Erie County records held through the Prothonotary and, after the 2025 expansion, related Register of Wills, Orphans' Court, and Marriage Bureau materials. UJS Case Search has a broader statewide search set for criminal, appellate, and MDJ dockets.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Include similar sounding results | Option | No | Useful when names may be spelled differently across Erie County court records. |
| Case # | Text | No | Use when the exact Erie County docket or case number is known. |
| Parcel # | Text | No | Helpful for court records tied to property or parcel-based civil filings. |
| Case Type | Dropdown | No | Narrows CourtPro results by the type of Erie County court record. |
| Participant name | Text | No | Available in UJS Case Search for statewide docket lookups. |
| Docket number | Text | No | Available in UJS for criminal, appellate, and Magisterial District Court docket sheets. |
| Offense tracking number | Text | No | Used in UJS for criminal case searches when that number is known. |
Types of Erie County Court Records
Erie County court records are divided by court level and clerk responsibility. The Court of Common Pleas handles major criminal, civil, family, juvenile, and Orphans' Court matters. Magisterial District Courts handle preliminary criminal proceedings, many traffic and summary offenses, landlord-tenant cases, lower-value civil matters, and preliminary arraignments.
Civil court records are maintained by the Prothonotary, criminal Common Pleas records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts, MDJ records are searched through UJS and the assigned MDJ office, and agency records outside the judiciary should be requested through Erie County NextRequest.
- Civil records include Court of Common Pleas filings maintained by the Erie County Prothonotary.
- Criminal court records include Common Pleas case files, motions, pleadings, transcripts, filings, bail bonds, and appeals maintained by the Clerk of Courts.
- Family and divorce records are under the Prothonotary, but remote access can be limited.
- Orphans' Court and estate records are available through CourtPro and the Orphans/Register offices.
- Magisterial District Court records include traffic, summary, landlord-tenant, lower-value civil, and preliminary criminal matters searched through UJS and the assigned MDJ office.
What Erie County Court Records Show
Public docket fields can identify the case and show the main history of the matter, but a docket is not always the full file. Erie County court records may show parties, attorneys, docket entries, scheduled events, disposition, sentence or order summaries, financial obligations, and case status. Family and probate remote fields are narrower and may show only party location information, counsel details, docket number, general entries, orders, opinions, filing date, and case type.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The docket or case identifier used by the court or clerk office. |
| Court and County | The court level and Erie County location tied to the filing. |
| Filing Date | The date the case, pleading, or record was filed with the court. |
| Case Type | The record category, such as civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic, or summary matter. |
| Parties and Attorneys | Names of litigants, defendants, petitioners, respondents, or counsel when public. |
| Docket Entries | A chronological list of filings, events, orders, hearings, or actions in the case. |
| Disposition | The outcome or current resolution shown on the public docket. |
| Financial Obligations | Costs, fines, restitution, or other court-imposed balances when listed. |
Public Access Framework for Erie County Court Records
Judicial case records in Erie County follow the Case Records Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. Section 67.101 et seq., applies to county agency records, but judicial case records follow judiciary policy rather than the county agency process.
Criminal history dissemination is governed by CHRIA, 18 Pa.C.S. Section 9121. Expungement, limited access, Clean Slate, and juvenile record limits are governed by 18 Pa.C.S. Sections 9122, 9122.1, 9122.2, and 9123. UJS financial records are governed by Pa.R.J.A. 509. The Clerk of Records may conduct an office search for $20 when a records office search is needed.
Note: Secure UJS reports require approved access, even though public docket sheets are free through UJS Case Search.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Erie County
Some Erie County court records are not open for public inspection. Adoption records are impounded by law and available only by court order. Juvenile, sealed, expunged, and limited-access criminal records are restricted. Public filings should not include Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, or identifying details for jurors, witnesses, or victims.
Restricted records generally require a court order, a qualifying party status, or another authorized basis before access is granted. For criminal expungement or limited access matters, the Clerk of Courts provides forms and instructions in Room 103, including criminal expungement, ARD expungement, and limited access orders. A limited access petition requires a Pennsylvania State Police Access and Review background check dated within 60 days.
In-Person Court Record Requests
In-person Erie County court record requests go to the office that maintains the file. The Erie County Courthouse is at 140 West Sixth Street, Erie, PA 16501. The Prothonotary in Room 120 handles civil, family, and divorce records. The Clerk of Courts in Room 103 handles criminal Common Pleas files, adult criminal searches, summary appeals, Superior Court appeals, bail bond filings, and expungement or limited access forms.
Erie County Prothonotary
Erie County Courthouse, Room 120
140 West Sixth Street
Erie, PA 16501
814-451-6250
Clerk of Records: Aubrea Hagerty-Haynes
Erie County Clerk of Courts
Erie County Courthouse, Room 103
140 West Sixth Street
Erie, PA 16501
814-451-6221
Adult criminal search fee: $10