Butler County Pennsylvania Arrest Records
Butler County arrest records are public documents maintained by the Clerk of Courts at the Butler County Courthouse. The Clerk keeps criminal and juvenile records for the Court of Common Pleas, and the county provides multiple ways to access criminal history. You can search online through the state court portal, submit a formal records request, or visit the courthouse in person. This page explains where Butler County booking records are stored, what each office handles, and how to get the criminal history you need.
Butler County Quick Facts
Butler County Clerk of Courts
The Butler County Clerk of Courts is an independent public official established by the Pennsylvania Constitution. The Clerk is elected by county voters to a four-year term. The office serves as the official custodian of records for the Criminal and Juvenile Divisions of the Butler County Court of Common Pleas. All felony arrests, misdemeanor cases, and summary offense appeals that move through the court become part of the case files maintained by this office.
The Clerk processes expungement petitions when someone asks to have an arrest record cleared. The office also handles limited access orders, Clean Slate program eligibility records, and pardon information packets. Staff coordinate with the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole on supervision records linked to Butler County criminal cases. For anyone looking for criminal records in Butler County, the Clerk's office is the main point of contact at the courthouse in Butler, Pennsylvania.
More information about the Clerk's services is available at butlercountypa.gov.
The Butler County Clerk of Courts page shows the office's mission, services, and how to access criminal and juvenile records at the Butler County Courthouse.
The Clerk of Courts is the official keeper of all criminal division records in Butler County and processes expungements, limited access orders, and Clean Slate requests.
| Office |
Butler County Clerk of Courts Butler County Courthouse Butler, PA |
|---|---|
| Website | butlercountypa.gov |
| Civil Records | Prothonotary Office |
| Criminal Records | Clerk of Courts Office |
Butler County Open Records Office
Butler County has a dedicated Open Records office that handles Right-to-Know requests. You can email requests to openrecords@co.butler.pa.us. Requests can also be submitted in person, by mail, or by fax. Maria Malloy serves as Open Records Officer for county administration. The office responds within five business days under 65 P.S. § 67.101, the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law.
There is one important fact about Butler County that differs from some other counties. Butler County does NOT hold police reports. If you need a police report, you must contact the specific municipality or law enforcement agency that made the arrest. Butler County government does not have those records. For criminal records and case files, contact the Clerk of Courts or the District Attorney's Office. The Open Records office handles requests for general county government documents.
The Butler County open records page provides the Right-to-Know request form, contact information, and clear guidance on which office holds which types of records in the county.
Butler County's Open Records office makes clear that police reports must be requested from individual municipalities, not from the county government, which is an important distinction for those searching for booking records.
Note: For records related to a criminal investigation, contact the Butler County District Attorney's Office, which maintains its own separate Open Records process.
Butler County Criminal Record Checks
The Butler County government website lists two main tools for criminal record checks. For personal use, the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal is recommended. For official use, the Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History system applies. Both of these tools are accessible to the public, though they have different costs and return different types of data.
The UJS portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us is free for basic searches. You can look up Butler County criminal dockets by case number, participant name, organization name, or date. Results show charges, hearings, bail decisions, and final dispositions. The portal covers all 14 Magisterial District Courts in Butler County as well as the Court of Common Pleas. Court calendars with upcoming hearings are also available there.
The PATCH system at epatch.state.pa.us runs a full statewide criminal history check for $22. Arrests made in Butler County by municipal police, the Sheriff, or the Pennsylvania State Police are all included in this database. Mail requests use Form SP 4-164. This is the most thorough way to search a person's full Pennsylvania criminal record, covering all agencies and all counties.
The Butler County criminal record checks page explains the difference between personal and official use tools, lists available services, and links to fee schedules and filing information.
Butler County distinguishes between UJS portal searches for personal use and PATCH for official criminal history checks, helping residents understand which tool fits their needs.
Butler County Court Records Access
Butler County handles court record requests according to Pennsylvania Rule of Judicial Administration 509. Civil case records go through the Prothonotary. Criminal case records go through the Clerk of Courts. District Court matters are handled by the specific Magisterial District Judge's office. Administrative court records are requested through the Court Administrator. Each of these offices keeps its own set of public records.
Butler County has 14 Magisterial District Courts spread across the county. When someone is arrested in Butler County, their first appearance is before one of these district judges. The MDJ sets bail and schedules a preliminary hearing. If the case moves forward, it goes to the Court of Common Pleas for trial or plea proceedings. Records from both levels are searchable through the UJS portal.
Published records on the Butler County website include minutes, agendas, excess funds lists, and budget documents. For court-specific records, the offices described above are the right contacts. The full directory of elected offices and contact information is available at butlercountypa.gov.
The Butler County government website provides the full directory of county agencies, court contacts, and resources for accessing criminal records and case files throughout the county.
Butler County's court records system divides responsibilities clearly between the Prothonotary for civil matters and the Clerk of Courts for criminal records, with 14 district courts feeding cases into the central system.
Pennsylvania Law and Criminal History Rights
Two laws govern how you can access criminal records in Butler County and across Pennsylvania. The Criminal History Record Information Act, 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101, sets the rules for how criminal history is gathered, stored, and released by law enforcement and courts. This law applies to all arrests in Butler County. It also defines what information is public and what requires special authorization to access.
The Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101, gives the public access to most government records in Pennsylvania. Butler County must respond to Right-to-Know requests within five business days. Copies cost $0.25 per page. If a request is denied, you can appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. Active criminal investigations, juvenile records, and some law enforcement files may be withheld under exemptions in the law.
If you are looking for someone held in a state prison after a Butler County conviction, search the Department of Corrections inmate locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov. This free tool covers all state correctional institutions across Pennsylvania.
Note: Clean Slate and expungement requests in Butler County go through the Clerk of Courts, and eligibility depends on the specific charges and how much time has passed since the case closed.
Cities in Butler County
Butler County includes the City of Butler as the county seat along with several boroughs and townships such as Cranberry Township, Zelienople, Slippery Rock, and Mars. Arrest records for all Butler County municipalities are filed with the Clerk of Courts at the central courthouse. You can search criminal history for any Butler County community through the UJS portal or by visiting the courthouse in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Nearby Counties
Butler County sits north of Pittsburgh and is surrounded by several other Pennsylvania counties. If you need criminal records for a neighboring area, each county has its own Clerk of Courts and court system. The UJS portal searches across all Pennsylvania counties from one place.