Common Questions About Lehigh County Court Records
How do I search Lehigh County court records online?
Start with the free Pennsylvania UJS Web Portal Case Search and filter by Lehigh County. It returns docket sheets for the Court of Common Pleas and the local Magisterial District Courts. The Court of Common Pleas hears felony, misdemeanor, civil, family, and divorce cases. Magisterial District Courts take traffic, summary offenses, and small civil claims. Lehigh County also offers Odyssey Public Access, but that tool needs an account and shows data only through the prior business day. For a full walkthrough, see the court records page.
Can I download court documents from the UJS docket?
No. This is a common point of confusion. The UJS docket sheet lists every document filed in a case, but you cannot download the documents or filings themselves. The docket is an index, not a file cabinet. To get pleadings, orders, or certified copies, you must contact the Clerk of Judicial Records division that holds the record. That is usually the Civil, Criminal, or Register of Wills office. The court dockets page explains what a docket shows and how it differs from the full case file.
Where is the Clerk of Judicial Records office?
The Clerk of Judicial Records is in the Lehigh County Courthouse at 455 W. Hamilton Street, Room 122, Allentown, PA 18101-1614. You can reach the office at 610-782-3148. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except major holidays. Lehigh County uses one consolidated Clerk of Judicial Records instead of separate Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, Register of Wills, and Recorder of Deeds offices. All four divisions sit in Room 122. Learn more on the Clerk of Judicial Records page.
Why does Lehigh County call it the Clerk of Judicial Records?
The name comes from the county Home Rule Charter. In 2008, the county abolished and merged the old Clerk of Courts, Register of Wills, and Recorder of Deeds into one elected office: the Clerk of Judicial Records. So if you are looking for the prothonotary, clerk of courts, register of wills, or recorder of deeds, they are all now divisions of the same office. This one-stop setup is unusual among Pennsylvania counties. The Clerk of Judicial Records page breaks down each division and what it handles.
Which office handles divorce records?
Divorce records go through the Family Court and Civil Division. The Civil Division dockets, indexes, and scans family court cases, and it holds divorce files. For a certified divorce decree or a file copy, contact the Civil Division in Room 122 at 610-782-3148. Many divorce dockets also appear for free on the UJS Case Search portal, though the documents are not downloadable there. See the marriage and divorce records page for search steps, copy fees, and the right contacts.
How much is a marriage license in Lehigh County?
A marriage license application costs $100, and that fee includes two certified copies. Payment is due at the in-person appointment. You can pay by cash, money order, or credit card, with a 2.9% service fee added for MasterCard, Visa, or Discover. Both applicants, each at least 18, must appear together at the Marriage License Office by appointment. The office does not perform weddings. A certified copy ordered later costs $10 each. Full details are on the marriage and divorce records page.
Which court handles probate and estate records?
Probate begins with the Register of Wills Division, which takes estate and inheritance-tax filings. You can reach Register of Wills in Room 122 at 610-782-3170. Contested estates, guardianships, trusts, and adoptions go to the Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas. Register of Wills records in Lehigh County date all the way back to 1812. There is no fully open online probate search, so older estate files may need a call or visit. The Orphans' Court page covers the process and the records each division keeps.
How do I find an inmate in Lehigh County Jail?
The official jail page does not publish an online roster in the sources reviewed. To check on someone in custody, call the Lehigh County Jail. General information is 610-782-3270, and records information is 610-782-3263. The jail is at 38 North Fourth Street, Allentown, PA 18102, and it has a capacity of 1,352. Note that the Pennsylvania DOC inmate locator will not find county jail inmates; it only covers state-sentenced inmates and parolees. The inmate records page explains each search route in more depth.
Does the PA DOC locator show county jail inmates?
No. This trips up a lot of people. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections inmate locator only lists people sentenced to a state prison or those on state parole. Someone held in the Lehigh County Jail will not appear there. County jail custody must be checked by calling the jail directly at 610-782-3270 or records at 610-782-3263. For release dates, you can also register with PA SAVIN through VINELink. See the released inmates page for notification setup and state locator tips.
What is the Community Corrections Center?
The Community Corrections Center is a 400-bed facility that was renovated in 2011. The county describes it as a cost-effective alternative to secure confinement for sentenced individuals. It offers rehabilitative programs, work opportunities, community service work, and structured use of community resources. It is separate from the main Lehigh County Jail and serves a different population. For capacity figures, daily counts, and how the county reports its numbers, see the inmate population page.
Does Lehigh County publish active warrants online?
No official active warrant search portal was found in this research pass. There is no public warrant lookup tool for the county. If you think there may be an open warrant, you can review docket status on the free UJS Case Search, contact the issuing Magisterial District Court or the Criminal Division, and talk to a lawyer or the Public Defender. Do not rely on a single online search to confirm or rule out a warrant. The warrant records page explains the safe ways to check.
How do I find recent arrest records?
Arrest and criminal case dockets appear for free on the UJS Case Search once a case is filed. Computerized criminal records in Lehigh County go back to 1990, with limited index data to 1962. Keep in mind that an arrest is not a conviction; the docket shows charges and their outcome. For certified records or older files, contact the Criminal Division of the Clerk of Judicial Records. The arrest records page covers booking, mugshots, the charge-versus-conviction difference, and what is public.
Are court records always Right-to-Know requests?
No, and this is widely misunderstood. Pennsylvania court case records are governed mainly by UJS public access policies and court rules, not by the Right-to-Know Law. The RTKL covers county agency and government records, like county administrative files. For a case file, you start with the Clerk of Judicial Records or the court where the case was filed. County agency records go through the county Open Records Officer instead. The public records page lays out which path fits which record.
Can I contact a judge about my case?
No. Common Pleas judges are barred by judicial ethics rules from discussing cases with the public. They also cannot have one-sided contact with a party or attorney outside of court. If you need the court to do something, you must file a proper legal motion or request, not call or email the judge's chambers. The Public Defender or your own counsel can help with filings. The Court of Common Pleas page describes the court, its divisions, and how cases move through it.
What are Magisterial District Courts?
They are the first level of Pennsylvania's court system. In Lehigh County, the Magisterial District Courts handle summary offenses, preliminary hearings for more serious crimes, civil claims up to $12,000, landlord-tenant disputes, and emergency protection orders. Many traffic and small civil matters start here. Lehigh County has fourteen of these offices, with districts numbered 31-1-01 through 31-3-03. A "Find My MDJ" tool on the court site locates yours by home address. The court records page shows how to pull dockets from these courts.
Which court covers traffic tickets?
Most traffic and summary citations start in the Magisterial District Court for the area where the ticket was issued. You can look up a traffic case for free on the UJS Case Search by name or citation number. Remember that the court traffic record and your PennDOT driver record are two different files. DUI cases are criminal matters and route through the Court of Common Pleas. The traffic court records page covers ticket lookups, paying or contesting a citation, and CDL rules.
How do I clear an old Pennsylvania criminal record?
Pennsylvania expungement is governed by 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 and related limited-access laws. Expungement affects Pennsylvania arrests and convictions only, not out-of-state or federal records. In most cases you need a petition and a signed court order before the State Police change your criminal history. Expungement removes qualifying records, while limited access or Clean Slate sealing hides eligible records from most public view without destroying them. Eligibility depends on the offense, disposition, and waiting periods. See the arrest records page for more on sealing and expungement.
Which federal court covers Lehigh County?
Federal cases for Lehigh County go to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The Allentown federal courthouse is the Edward N. Cahn U.S. Courthouse at 504 W. Hamilton Street. The county courthouse does not handle federal cases. Federal records are searched through PACER, not the state UJS system, and bankruptcy records go through the Eastern District bankruptcy court. For state and county case files, start with the court records page and the Clerk of Judicial Records.
Still Have Questions?
For the right office, see Clerk of Judicial Records. For broader access rules, see public records. For records-by-topic, browse court records, criminal records, inmate records, warrant records, marriage and divorce, or probate.