Erie County Pennsylvania Arrest Records
Erie County arrest records are available through the Clerk of Courts at the Erie County Courthouse, the Erie County Sheriff's Office, and the statewide Pennsylvania court and PATCH portals. Erie is the second largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia. The county seat is the city of Erie, and the courthouse is at 140 West 6th Street. With 13 Magisterial District Courts and a large urban police force, Erie County produces a significant volume of criminal records each year. This page explains how to access them.
Erie County Quick Facts
Erie County Court and Arrest Records
The Clerk of Courts at the Erie County Courthouse handles criminal records for the Court of Common Pleas. The courthouse is at 140 W 6th Street, Erie, PA 16501. Thirteen Magisterial District Courts serve Erie County, handling preliminary hearings, DUI cases, third-degree misdemeanors, and landlord-tenant matters. Each MDJ produces its own docket records, which feed into the statewide system.
Criminal court dockets from Erie County are available through the UJS Case Search portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. You can search by participant name, case number, or complaint number. Free access to docket sheets is available at any time. The portal updates frequently with new case information. Court calendars showing upcoming Erie County hearings are published there as well. Civil and family dockets are also accessible through the portal for Erie County.
| Courthouse |
Erie County Courthouse 140 W 6th Street Erie, PA 16501 |
|---|---|
| Records | Criminal court cases, MDJ dockets, family court matters |
| UJS Portal | ujsportal.pacourts.us |
Erie County Sheriff and Warrant Lookup
The Erie County Sheriff's Office at www4.erie.gov/sheriff offers an online warrant database that is searchable by last name. Each active warrant entry includes a photo, full name, last known address, physical description, date the warrant was received, warrant number, and the reason for the warrant. Physical description fields include race, gender, height, weight, hair color, and eye color. This is a public tool that anyone can use.
The Sheriff's Office is located at 140 W 6th Street, Erie, PA 16501, which is the same building as the courthouse. In addition to warrant information, the office coordinates civil process service, processes concealed carry permits, and arranges prisoner transport. If you are looking for a recently booked person in Erie County, the Sheriff's Office is the right point of contact. For a person already transferred to a state facility, use the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections inmate locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov.
The Erie County Sheriff's Office at www4.erie.gov/sheriff provides the online warrant database, booking information, and contact details for the Erie County jail and law enforcement services.
The Sheriff's online warrant tool is one of the most direct ways to look up active Erie County warrants without visiting the courthouse in person.
Note: The online warrant database shows currently active warrants only. For warrants that have been cleared or older arrest records in Erie County, contact the Clerk of Courts or use the UJS portal to search court dockets.
Pennsylvania PATCH Criminal History
The Pennsylvania State Police runs the PATCH system, which includes all Erie County arrest records in its statewide database. Order a criminal history check online at epatch.state.pa.us for $22. A PATCH report covers arrests from all Pennsylvania counties, so you get a complete picture of a person's record across the state, not just Erie County. For mail requests, use Form SP 4-164 and send it to the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository, 1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9758.
Local law enforcement in Erie County includes the Erie Police Department and several suburban departments. Millcreek Township Police and Harborcreek Police also maintain arrest records and submit data to the state system. The Pennsylvania State Police cover highways and rural parts of Erie County. Because Erie City is a major urban area, the Erie Police Department produces a large share of the county's total arrest records each year. All of these agencies report to the PATCH database maintained at the state level by the Pennsylvania State Police at pa.gov/agencies/psp.
Notarized PATCH copies are available for an additional fee. Standard response time for mail requests can take several weeks, so online ordering through the PATCH website is faster when you need results quickly for Erie County.
Right-to-Know and Public Records in Erie County
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law at openrecords.pa.gov entitles you to request records from government agencies in Erie County. Submit a written request to the Open Records Officer of the specific agency that holds the record you need. Most agencies must respond within five business days, though extensions are allowed for large or complex requests. If your request is denied, you can appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records.
Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101, the Pennsylvania Criminal History Record Information Act governs how arrest records in Erie County and across the state are collected, stored, and distributed. This law sets limits on what can be shared and with whom. Some criminal records are restricted under this statute even if you submit a formal Right-to-Know request. Active investigation files, juvenile records, and sealed cases fall outside the scope of standard public access in Erie County.
For Erie County arrest records that became court cases, the UJS portal is the most direct public access point. For records held by the Sheriff or local police departments, contact those agencies directly or submit a Right-to-Know request if needed.
What Erie County Arrest Records Show
Arrest records in Erie County are not the same as criminal convictions. An arrest record shows that a person was taken into custody, charged with a crime, and processed through the booking system. It does not mean the person was convicted. The full case history, including charges, hearings, plea agreements, trial outcomes, and sentences, is found in the court docket accessible through the UJS portal or the Erie County Courthouse.
A typical arrest record or booking entry in Erie County may include:
- Full name and date of birth
- Date, time, and location of arrest
- Charges filed at the time of arrest
- Arresting agency and officer name
- Booking facility and housing location
- Bond or bail amount set
- Next court date if scheduled
Court dockets from the Erie County Clerk of Courts and MDJ offices contain more detail than a basic arrest record. They show the full case history from filing through disposition. If a case was resolved by plea, trial, or dismissal, that outcome appears in the docket. Certified copies of Erie County court documents must be obtained directly from the Clerk of Courts at 140 W 6th Street in Erie.
Cities in Erie County
The city of Erie is the largest municipality in Erie County and serves as the county seat. Most Erie County arrest records originate from within city limits. The Erie Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the city.
Arrest records for the city of Erie go through the same Clerk of Courts and Sheriff systems as the rest of Erie County. The courthouse at 140 W 6th Street serves both the city and the surrounding county.
Nearby Counties and Border States
Erie County sits in the northwest corner of Pennsylvania and borders Ohio and New York. If you need records from a nearby county or are unsure which jurisdiction handled an arrest, the links below will help.