Susquehanna County Court Records
How To Find Court Records in Susquehanna County in 2026
SusquehannaRecords.us aggregates publicly available information related to court records, property filings, and other government documents maintained by Susquehanna County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Members of the public seeking court records in Susquehanna County may access case information through several official channels, including the Clerk of Courts office, courthouse public access terminals, the statewide Unified Judicial System web portal, and written requests submitted directly to the court. The information available through these sources may include, depending on case type and applicable access rules:
- Criminal case dockets and disposition records
- Civil complaint filings and judgment entries
- Family court orders and domestic relations records
- Probate and orphans' court filings
- Traffic citations and summary offense records
- Magisterial district court case information
Court records in Susquehanna County may be searched through five primary methods. First, the Clerk of Courts office accepts in-person requests and can retrieve case files by party name, case number, or filing date. Second, courthouse public access terminals allow members of the public to search docket information on-site without charge. Third, the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Web Portal provides online access to docket sheets for Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts statewide. Fourth, state-level judicial search tools maintained by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) allow remote docket searches. Fifth, written or mail requests submitted to the Clerk of Courts office may be used to obtain copies of specific filings, subject to applicable fees and processing times. Requestors should provide the full case number, party names, and approximate filing date to facilitate retrieval.
Are Court Records Public In Susquehanna County
Court records in Susquehanna County are public documents under current Pennsylvania law, subject to specific statutory and judicial exceptions. The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101 et seq., establishes the general presumption that government records are accessible to the public. Court records are further governed by the Pennsylvania Rules of Judicial Administration, Rule 509, which defines public access to case records of the Unified Judicial System.
The following categories of records are at present open to public inspection:
- Docket entries and case status information
- Party names and attorney of record
- Hearing dates, continuances, and scheduling orders
- Filed pleadings, motions, and responses
- Court orders, judgments, and final dispositions
- Sentencing entries and probation orders in criminal matters
Certain records are confidential, sealed, or restricted under current law and court rules, including:
- Juvenile delinquency and dependency records
- Adoption proceedings and related filings
- Mental health commitment records
- Expunged or limited access criminal records under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122
- Sealed filings ordered by the court
- Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers and financial account numbers
A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While docket sheets are available through the UJS Web Portal, full document images for Common Pleas Court filings are not uniformly available online and may require an in-person visit or written request to the Clerk of Courts.
What Are Court Records in Susquehanna County?
Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court in connection with judicial proceedings. In Susquehanna County, court records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts for Court of Common Pleas matters and by individual Magisterial District Judges for summary and minor cases. The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System oversees the statewide infrastructure through which these records are created, indexed, and preserved.
A docket entry is a chronological log of all actions taken in a case, while a full case file contains the actual documents filed by parties and the court. Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document the prosecution of offenses under state or local law. Filed pleadings are the initial documents that commence or respond to a case, whereas final judgments represent the court's conclusive resolution of the matter.
Public filings are accessible to any member of the public under applicable access rules, while sealed or restricted filings require a court order or statutory authorization to inspect. Trial court records originate in the Court of Common Pleas or Magisterial District Courts, while appellate records are maintained by the Pennsylvania Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, or Supreme Court, depending on the nature of the appeal.
Court records are created at the moment of filing and updated continuously as the case progresses through hearings, motions, orders, and final disposition. Upon conclusion of a case, the record is closed and transferred to archival custody according to the applicable retention schedule.
Susquehanna County Clerk of Courts
105 Maple Street
Montrose, PA 18801
Phone: (570) 278-4600
Susquehanna County Government
What's Included in a Susquehanna County Court Record?
A court record in Susquehanna County may contain a range of documents and data entries depending on the case type, the court in which the matter was filed, and applicable public-access rules. At a minimum, a publicly accessible court record at present includes the case number, the name of the court and division, the filing date, the names of all parties, the case type, and the current case status.
Beyond these identifying elements, a court record may include docket entries reflecting each action taken in the case, scheduled and completed hearing dates, motions filed by either party, complaints and petitions initiating the action, answers and responses, court orders, judgments, notices of appeal, minute entries from hearings, decrees in equity or probate matters, and similar filings. In criminal matters, the record may reflect the charging document, bail or bond information, plea entries, conviction records, sentencing orders, and any conditions of probation or parole imposed by the court.
Administrative and financial information may also appear in a court record where publicly shown, including filing fees assessed, court costs, fines, restitution orders, and bond amounts. The following categories are at present excluded or restricted from public access in whole or in part:
- Sealed filings and orders entered under seal
- Expunged records and limited access orders
- Juvenile case files and dependency records
- Adoption records and related proceedings
- Protected personal data including financial account numbers and Social Security numbers
- Certain exhibits containing sensitive or proprietary information
- Mental health and involuntary commitment records
Types of Courts in Susquehanna County
Susquehanna County is served by a two-tier court structure under the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. The Pennsylvania court system consists of the Magisterial District Courts at the local level and the Court of Common Pleas at the county level, with appellate jurisdiction exercised by the Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, and Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
The Court of Common Pleas of Susquehanna County is the court of general jurisdiction and handles the following categories of cases:
- Felony and misdemeanor criminal prosecutions
- Civil actions exceeding the jurisdictional limit of the Magisterial District Court
- Family court matters including divorce, custody, support, and protection from abuse
- Orphans' court proceedings including estates, guardianships, and adoptions
- Juvenile delinquency and dependency matters
- Appeals from Magisterial District Court decisions
The Magisterial District Courts serving Susquehanna County exercise limited jurisdiction over summary criminal offenses, traffic violations, landlord-tenant disputes, and civil claims up to $12,000. The official record for Magisterial District Court cases is maintained by the presiding Magisterial District Judge, while the Clerk of Courts maintains the official record for all Court of Common Pleas proceedings.
Court of Common Pleas – Susquehanna County
105 Maple Street
Montrose, PA 18801
Phone: (570) 278-4600
Susquehanna County Court of Common Pleas
How to Search Susquehanna County Court Records for Free?
Members of the public may inspect court records in Susquehanna County at no charge through in-person review at the Clerk of Courts office or through courthouse public access terminals located within the courthouse. The UJS Web Portal maintained by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts provides free online access to docket sheets for both Common Pleas and Magisterial District Court cases statewide.
The following table summarizes current access methods and associated costs:
| Access Method | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| In-person docket inspection | Free | Available during courthouse hours |
| Courthouse public terminal | Free | Located in courthouse public areas |
| UJS Web Portal docket search | Free | Docket sheets only; no document images |
| Photocopies of filed documents | $0.25–$0.50 per page | Fees set by court or clerk schedule |
| Certified copies | $5.00–$15.00 per document | Varies by document type |
| Mail or written request | Varies | Postage and copy fees apply |
Fees for copies and certified documents are established pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. § 1725, which authorizes the court to set and collect fees for services rendered by the clerk. Members of the public seeking fee waivers based on financial hardship may submit a written request to the court for consideration.
How Long Does Susquehanna County Keep Court Records?
Court records in Susquehanna County are retained according to the judicial records retention schedules established by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. Retention periods vary by case type and the nature of the record.
Under the applicable retention schedules, the following periods at present govern major record categories:
- Criminal felony case files: Retained permanently or for a minimum of 20 years following final disposition
- Criminal misdemeanor case files: Retained for a minimum of 10 years following final disposition
- Civil case files: Retained for a minimum of 10 years following final disposition
- Family court and domestic relations records: Retained for a minimum of 20 years or until the youngest child reaches majority, whichever is later
- Probate and orphans' court records: Retained permanently in many jurisdictions
- Traffic and summary offense records: Retained for a minimum of 5 years
- Docket books and minute records: Retained permanently as official court records
Paper files may be destroyed after imaging, microfilming, or transfer to archival storage, provided the record has been preserved in an approved format. Destruction of a record is distinct from sealing, redaction, or expungement. Sealing restricts access while preserving the record; expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 results in the removal and destruction of criminal history record information under specific eligibility criteria. Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, county archives, or the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg.
How To Find a Court Docket in Susquehanna County
A court docket is the official chronological index of all actions, filings, and proceedings in a case. It differs from a full case file in that it records what occurred and when, rather than containing the actual documents filed. The docket serves as the authoritative record of case history and is maintained by the Clerk of Courts for Common Pleas matters and by the Magisterial District Judge for summary proceedings.
Dockets for Susquehanna County cases are at present searchable through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Web Portal, which is maintained by the AOPC and approved by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. To locate a docket through the portal, a user may search by:
- Party name (first and last name)
- Case number or docket number
- Date of birth (for criminal matters)
- Filing date range
- Court type and county
A court docket at present contains hearing dates and continuances, motion filings and responses, minute entries from proceedings, case status updates, attorney appearances, bail and bond information in criminal matters, and scheduling orders. A docket does not include full document images for most Common Pleas filings, sealed entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits filed under restriction.
Motion calendars and hearing rosters for the Court of Common Pleas of Susquehanna County may be available through the court administrator's office. As the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts notes, the UJS Web Portal "provides the public with access to docket information for cases filed in the Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts throughout the Commonwealth." Members of the public seeking docket information for cases not yet indexed online may submit a written request to the Clerk of Courts or visit the courthouse public access terminal during regular business hours.
Susquehanna County Courthouse – Court Administrator
105 Maple Street
Montrose, PA 18801
Phone: (570) 278-4600
Pennsylvania Courts – Courts of Common Pleas