Delaware County Public Records /Delaware County Court Records

Delaware County Court Records

How To Find Court Records in Delaware County in 2026

Members of the public seeking court records in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, may access publicly available case information through several official channels. DelawarePARecords.us provides a directory of resources and publicly available information related to court records maintained by Delaware County's judicial system. Depending on the case type and the applicable public-access rules, records may include criminal dockets, civil case filings, family court matters, probate proceedings, and related judicial documents. The availability and completeness of any particular record depends on the court that handled the matter, the current status of the case, and whether any sealing, expungement, or confidentiality order applies.

Court records in Delaware County may be searched through the following methods:

Clerk of Court or Court Records Office — The Clerk of Courts for Delaware County maintains official case files for the Court of Common Pleas. Members of the public may visit the clerk's office in person to request access to case files by providing the case number, party name, or filing date. Staff can assist in locating records within the court's filing system.
Courthouse Public Access Terminals — Public 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.
Online Court Search — The Delaware County public access portal provides online access to criminal dockets from the Court of Common Pleas and other Pennsylvania courts. Civil and criminal case information may be searched by party name, case number, or docket type.
State-Level Judicial Search Tools — The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System's web portal offers statewide docket search capabilities for Common Pleas courts, Magisterial District Courts, and appellate courts. Users may search by docket number, party name, or date range across multiple court levels.
Written or Mail Requests — Members of the public who are unable to appear in person may submit written requests to the Clerk of Courts. Requests should include the full name of the parties involved, the approximate filing date, and the case type. Fees for copies and certified documents apply and must be submitted with the request.

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

Are Court Records Public In Delaware County

Court records maintained by Delaware County's Court of Common Pleas are subject to public access under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101 et seq., which establishes the public's right to inspect and copy records held by Commonwealth agencies, including judicial agencies where applicable. Pennsylvania court rules further govern access to case records through the Pennsylvania Rules of Judicial Administration, particularly Pa.R.J.A. No. 509, which addresses public access to case records of the Unified Judicial System.

Records that are public under current law include:

Docket entries and case status information
Party names (plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent)
Scheduled hearing dates and courtroom assignments
Filed motions, complaints, petitions, and answers
Court orders and judgments
Sentencing information in criminal matters
Probate filings and estate inventories

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

Juvenile delinquency and dependency records
Adoption proceedings and related filings
Certain 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 family matters

A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While docket entries and case status information are available through the Delaware County public access portal, full document images may not be available online for all case types. Members of the public seeking complete case files may be required to inspect records in person at the courthouse or submit a formal request to the Clerk of Courts.

What Are Court Records in Delaware County?

Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court in connection with a judicial proceeding. In Delaware County, court records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts for the Court of Common Pleas, the 32nd Judicial District of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as by Magisterial District Courts for matters within their limited jurisdiction.

A docket entry is a chronological log of all actions taken in a case, including filings, hearings, orders, and dispositions. A full case file includes the actual documents filed by the parties and the court, such as complaints, motions, exhibits, and signed orders. These are distinct: a docket provides a summary of case activity, while the case file contains the underlying documents.

Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, covering matters such as contract disputes, personal injury claims, landlord-tenant actions, and domestic relations. Criminal court records arise from prosecutions brought by the Commonwealth and include charging documents, plea records, trial transcripts, and sentencing orders.

Filed pleadings are documents submitted by parties to initiate or respond to litigation. Final judgments are the court's official resolution of a matter. Public filings are accessible to members of the public under applicable rules, while sealed or restricted filings are withheld from public inspection by court order or statute.

Trial court records are maintained at the Court of Common Pleas level. Appellate records for matters appealed from Delaware County are maintained by the Pennsylvania Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, or Supreme Court, depending on the nature of the appeal. The Delaware County Courts page provides access to case records and court information for the 32nd Judicial District.

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 and retained according to the applicable judicial records retention schedule.

What's Included in a Delaware County Court Record?

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

Case identification: Case number, court name and division, filing date, and case type
Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and counsel of record
Case status: Current disposition, pending hearings, or closed status
Docket entries: A chronological log of all filings, hearings, orders, and actions taken in the case
Hearing information: Scheduled and past hearing dates, courtroom assignments, and continuances
Filed documents: Complaints, petitions, answers, motions, briefs, notices, and supporting exhibits where publicly accessible
Court orders and judgments: Signed orders, final judgments, decrees, custody rulings, probate orders, and sentencing entries
Outcome information: Dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, sentences, appellate decisions, and post-conviction relief orders
Financial and administrative data: Filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly shown

Records that are excluded or restricted from public access include sealed filings, expunged criminal matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, protected personal identifiers, and certain exhibits that contain confidential information. The Government Open Records portal provides a mechanism for submitting formal requests for access to county records where direct online access is not available.

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 Court of Common Pleas, 32nd Judicial District, which exercises general jurisdiction over criminal, civil, family, orphans' court (probate), and juvenile matters. Below the Court of Common Pleas, Magisterial District Courts handle limited-jurisdiction matters including summary criminal offenses, traffic violations, landlord-tenant disputes, and civil claims up to $12,000.

The official record for Court of Common Pleas matters is maintained by the Clerk of Courts. Magisterial District Court records are maintained by the individual district justice offices. Appellate matters from Delaware County proceed to the Pennsylvania Superior Court (for most civil and criminal appeals) or the Commonwealth Court (for matters involving government agencies).

What Types of Cases Do Delaware County Courts Hear

The Court of Common Pleas hears felony and misdemeanor criminal prosecutions, major civil litigation, domestic relations and family law matters, juvenile delinquency and dependency cases, and orphans' court proceedings including estates, guardianships, and adoptions. Criminal dockets from the Court of Common Pleas are maintained by the Criminal Division, which is responsible for case files in all criminal cases processed from the local District Justices.

Magisterial District Courts handle summary offenses, traffic citations, preliminary hearings in criminal matters, landlord-tenant disputes, and small civil claims. These courts are courts of limited jurisdiction; appeals from Magisterial District Court decisions are heard de novo by the Court of Common Pleas.

Delaware County Court of Common Pleas — 32nd Judicial District
201 W. Front Street
Media, PA 19063
Phone: (610) 891-4000
Delaware County Courts

How to Search Delaware County Court Records for Free?

Members of the public may search Delaware County court records at no cost through several methods. In-person inspection of docket entries and case status information at courthouse public access terminals is available without charge during regular business hours. The Delaware County public access portal provides free online access to criminal dockets and other publicly available case information.

The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System's statewide web portal also provides free docket searches for Common Pleas courts and Magisterial District Courts across the Commonwealth. Searches may be conducted by party name, docket number, or date range without charge.

Fees apply for the following services:

Service	Approximate Fee
Plain copy of a court document	$0.25–$0.50 per page
Certified copy of a court record	$5.00–$10.00 per document
Clerk research fee (extended)	Varies by request
Electronic document retrieval (where applicable)	Varies

Fee schedules are established under Pennsylvania court rules and may be confirmed directly with the Clerk of Courts. Pursuant to 42 Pa. C.S. § 1725, the Pennsylvania General Assembly authorizes courts to establish and collect fees for court services, including copies and certifications.

How Long Does Delaware County Keep Court Records?

The retention of court records in Delaware County is governed by the Pennsylvania Judicial Records Retention Schedule established by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Retention periods vary by case type and the nature of the record.

Criminal case files for felony convictions are retained permanently or for extended periods, while misdemeanor and summary offense records may be retained for shorter periods following final disposition. Civil case files are retained according to schedules that account for the nature of the judgment and any applicable appeal periods. Orphans' court records, including wills, estate inventories, and guardianship files, are retained permanently in many instances due to their ongoing legal significance.

Docket books and minute records are retained permanently as the official record of court proceedings. Paper case files may be destroyed after imaging, microfilming, or transfer to archival storage, provided the record has been preserved in an accessible format. The destruction of a paper file does not constitute expungement; the record continues to exist in its archived or imaged form.

Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, county archives, or the Pennsylvania State Archives. Expungement, by contrast, is a separate legal process under 18 Pa. C.S. § 9122 that results in the physical destruction or return of arrest and prosecution records upon court order, and is distinct from routine archival retention or record sealing.

How To Find a Court Docket in Delaware County

A court docket is the official chronological index of all actions taken in a case. It differs from a full case file in that it records what happened and when — filings, hearings, orders, and dispositions — without necessarily containing the full text of each document. The docket serves as the authoritative record of case activity and is the primary tool for tracking the status of a proceeding.

Dockets for Delaware County Court of Common Pleas cases are accessible through the Delaware County public access portal, which provides online docket search for criminal matters. To locate a docket, members of the public may search by the defendant or party name, docket number, or case type. The system returns a list of matching cases with docket entries showing filing dates, hearing dates, motions filed, orders entered, and current case status.

For in-person docket searches, public access terminals at the courthouse allow users to search the court's case management system. Clerk of Courts staff may also assist in locating a docket by case number or party name during regular business hours.

A court docket entry reflects the date and nature of each action but does not include the full text of filed documents unless document imaging is available through the portal. Sealed entries, confidential attachments, and restricted filings do not appear in the public docket view. Hearing calendars and daily court schedules may be separately available through the court administrator's office.

The Criminal Division of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas maintains dockets for all criminal cases processed through the local District Justices, including preliminary hearings, arraignments, pre-trial motions, trial proceedings, and sentencing. Civil docket searches for matters in other Pennsylvania jurisdictions may be conducted through the CourtConnect civil case search tool, which allows searches by party name, business name, or case type.