Searching Montgomery County Court Records
How do I search Montgomery County court records?
Use the Pennsylvania UJS Case Search, the free statewide portal. Choose a Search By type such as Participant Name, Docket Number, or Citation Number, and set County to Montgomery for name searches. It covers appellate, Common Pleas criminal, and district court cases. For the full walkthrough and search fields, see the court records page.
Where do I search civil cases or liens?
Civil Common Pleas cases may not appear on UJS, so the county uses the Prothonotary Civil Viewer for civil dockets. You can search an individual or a business, view docket entries for free, and pay per page to view a pleading. For older or certified civil records, call Civil Records at 610-278-3361 or see the Prothonotary page.
What does the Civil Viewer charge for filings?
Docket entries are free. Actual pleadings cost $0.50 for the first page and $0.10 for each additional page, and you get only one view per fee, so save or print when the page opens. MasterCard, Visa, and American Express are accepted. The court records page explains the tool in detail.
Why does a case not appear online even though I know it exists?
UJS hides some cases even with the right name, including juvenile, expunged, and limited-access cases, and some civil Common Pleas cases. The case may also be too new to post, too old for the online index, or held only on paper at a local office. An empty result does not prove a case never existed.
Clerk Offices and Certified Copies
What is the difference between the Prothonotary and the Clerk of Courts?
The Prothonotary is the elected civil clerk, handling civil suits, divorce, custody, judgments, liens, name changes, and PFA filings. The Clerk of Courts is the elected criminal clerk, keeping official criminal case records for the Court of Common Pleas. Two offices, two record types. See the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts pages.
Where do I get certified copies of criminal court records?
Contact the Montgomery County Clerk of Courts at the courthouse, 2 E. Airy Street, second floor, Norristown, phone 610-278-3346. The office provides certified criminal records and can explain the fees. A free online docket print is not a certified copy. More is on the Clerk of Courts page.
How do I request county administrative records?
Use the county Right-to-Know process for agency records, not for court records. The county provides a Right-to-Know form, and law-enforcement requests go to the District Attorney's open-records officer. Court case records follow a separate judiciary policy. The public records page walks through each lane and the fees.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
Which office handles wills and probate?
The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court, led by Tina Lawson, handles wills, intestate estates, letters of administration, inheritance-tax filings, estate accounts, short certificates, guardianships, adoptions, and marriage licenses. Estate questions go to 610-278-3400. The Orphans' Court page covers the process and forms.
How do I apply for a marriage license?
Complete the online application and finalize it during a Webex video conference, or use walk-in service. Apply at least two weeks before the ceremony, since applications can be rejected and appointments must be scheduled. The license is not valid until three days after issuance. See the marriage and divorce records page.
What does a Montgomery County marriage license cost?
The marriage license fee is $85. A certified marriage record is $25 for a one-seal copy or $50 for a two-seal combination of the application and certificate. Marriage records for licenses issued in the county from 1885 to the present are open to the public. More detail is on the marriage and divorce records page.
Where do I get my divorce record?
Divorce is a civil matter at the Prothonotary, not the Register of Wills. Divorce docket entries can be searched through the Civil Viewer, and certified copies come from the Prothonotary at 610-278-3361. Marriage records are with the Clerk of Orphans' Court; divorce records are with the Prothonotary. See the marriage and divorce records page.
Criminal Records and Warrants
Can I use UJS as a background check?
No. UJS and Montgomery County both warn that docket information is not an official background check. The official criminal-history check comes from Pennsylvania State Police through the PATCH system. A certified disposition from the Clerk of Courts can meet some needs but is case-specific. The arrest records page explains the difference.
How do I file an expungement, and what is Clean Slate?
The Clerk of Courts accepts expungement petitions, with a filing fee of $176.50 that includes service on one agency, plus $13.50 per additional agency. Clean Slate is different; it limits public access to eligible records but does not erase them. The arrest records page covers the rules and the sealing-versus-expunging difference.
How do I search active bench warrants?
Use the Sheriff's Active Bench Warrants page, which embeds a searchable table. You can search across all fields or by column, including type, name, town, issue date, and docket number. To report a tip, call the Warrants Division at 610-278-3340. The warrant records page has the full guide.
What courts handle landlord-tenant and small claims?
The 29 Magisterial District Courts handle landlord-tenant suits and civil claims where damages do not exceed $12,000, along with traffic and summary criminal cases. The district court that covers the address hears the case. The Court of Common Pleas page lists all 29 district courts.
Traffic, Jail, and Inmate Questions
How do I find a traffic ticket?
Use UJS Case Search and choose Citation Number, entering the number with its dash. You can also pay eligible tickets through PAePay. Montgomery County traffic cases are handled by the Magisterial District Courts. The traffic court records page explains searching, paying, and contesting a ticket.
Does Montgomery County publish an inmate roster?
The official Correctional Facility pages reviewed do not post a public current-inmate roster. Call the facility at 610-635-7100, option 2, for county custody questions. State inmates show on the PA DOC locator, and federal inmates show on the Bureau of Prisons locator. The inmate records page has the tools.
How do I send mail to an inmate?
Address personal mail for tablet scanning to Montgomery County Correctional Facility, the inmate name and booking number, P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131. Include the full facility name, the inmate identifier, and your own full name and return address, or the mail is returned. The inmate records page lists the visiting and mail rules.
More Montgomery County Records Questions
How do I access a juvenile court file?
Call the Juvenile Clerk of Courts before you arrive so staff can locate and prepare the file, and bring a valid photo ID. The office is at the Montgomery County Youth Center, 540 Port Indian Road, Eagleville, and juvenile cases are not open to public search by law. The Clerk of Courts page covers juvenile records.
What should I do if a UJS docket report will not open?
Check your browser. The UJS portal needs JavaScript, cookies, and a current PDF reader, and a pop-up blocker can stop a report from opening. Trying another browser or device often fixes it. The report is usually not missing; the window was likely blocked. The court records page has more search tips.
Does the Register of Wills keep birth certificates?
Only for a narrow historical range. The Register keeps birth records for people born in the county between 1893 and 1915. Birth records after 1915 are kept by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Prothonotary does not issue birth certificates at all. The Orphans' Court page explains the office's records.
How do I find which district court covers an address?
Montgomery County publishes a "Find My Magisterial District Court" tool that matches an address to the right office, and a citation usually names the court. There are 29 district courts, each covering specific towns. The Court of Common Pleas page lists every district court and its judge.
Who can help with civil legal problems if I cannot afford a lawyer?
Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania serves low-income residents of Montgomery and nearby counties, with a helpline at 877-429-5994. The Public Defender handles criminal defense, not general civil legal aid, and the county Law Library can point you to forms but cannot give legal advice or choose a form for you. The arrest records page lists more help for criminal matters.