Search | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (2024)

FAQs

Does Pennsylvania have public records? ›

Presumption of Openness. Under the Right-To-Know Law, all records are presumed to be public records unless disclosure is barred by: (1) state or federal law or regulation; (2) judicial order; (3), privilege, e.g., attorney-client or doctor-patient; or (4) one of the exceptions in Section 708 of the Right-to-Know Law.

In 2024, Pennsylvania's maximum rebate will be $1,000 compared to 2023's $650. The income cap also changed for renters and homeowners, meaning more people will qualify. Now, renters and homeowners can receive the rebate as long as they make $45,000 a year or less.

Search and view individual court case information (including docket sheets)—for free—please go to the UJS web portal. Search, view and print Unified Judicial System (UJS) contract summaries, detailed expenditure data, monthly salary and annual compensation reports.

Records of Commonwealth and local agencies are presumptively public, as are financial records of judicial agencies and legislative records of legislative agencies. These records must be released unless privileged, made confidential by some other law, or exempt under Section 708(b) (Sections 102, 305, 306, 3101.1).

Online Request

The Pennsylvania State Police have established a web-based computer application called "Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH)".

All Federal court records are available online at PACER.gov, an electronic public access service that is overseen by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. This includes all Federal civil court cases, criminal charges, as well as bankruptcies. In all, there are over 500 million documents on PACER.

Eligible taxpayers who filed tax returns for either 2019 or 2018 will automatically receive an economic impact payment of up to $1,200 for individuals or $2,400 for married couples and up to $500 for each qualifying child.

The program's recent expansion became effective on January 16, 2024, when the new claim season opened. The rebate program is open to eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older, widows and widowers age 50 and older, and individuals with disabilities age 18 and older.

Treasury's Bureau of Unclaimed Property can be reached by email at [email protected] or toll-free at 800-222-2046. An entity outside of the Pennsylvania Treasury Department is contacting Holders of Unclaimed Property with what appears to be a phishing scam.

Pennsylvania criminal history information may be obtained using the state's web-based application dubbed PATCH (Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History) or by submitting a request form to the police department in person or via mail.

Are mugshots public record in Pennsylvania? ›

To see a mugshot online, you need the inmate's name and the date of their arrest. Mugshots are public records, which means you should receive access to them.

Divorce records in Pennsylvania are open to access upon request by any member of the public. This access applies to informational copies. Legal or certified copies are issued only to persons named in the record and their legal representatives.

The Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, 65 Pa. C.S. §§ 701-716, requires agencies to deliberate and take official action on agency business in an open and public meeting. It requires that meetings have prior notice, and that the public can attend, participate, and comment before an agency takes that official action.

Police investigative reports. Audio tape recordings of 911 telephone calls. Urinalysis reports from halfway houses. Legal opinions from solicitors and attorneys that are not essential components of agency decisions • Inmates' medical and mental health records.

Private individuals have a First Amendment right to observe and record police officers engaged in the public discharge of their duties.

Are Criminal Records Public In Pennsylvania? Criminal records are public records under the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law. Public records are free to view or copy by this rule in Pennsylvania except for criminal records restricted by law or court order.

Many states simply file open or public records under the Public Records Requests law. Several states across the country are using this term including: Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California (CPRA), Idaho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

You have a right to capture images in public places, but you don't always have a right to record what people say. Pennsylvania's Wiretap Law makes it illegal to record private conversations - which can include conversations in public places - without the consent of all parties to the conversation.

Requests for public records must be made to individual County departments, agencies, commissions and committees. If you are unable to identify the appropriate department and need assistance, the Office of Countywide Communications, can direct you to the appropriate department, agency, commission or committee.