Jefferson County Pennsylvania Arrest Records
Jefferson County arrest records are held by the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Brookville, Pennsylvania. Located in the north-central part of the state, Jefferson County is a rural county with several active local police agencies and State Police coverage throughout. If you need to search arrest records, look up a criminal case, or access public court dockets in Jefferson County, this guide covers the local offices and state tools available to you.
Jefferson County Quick Facts
Jefferson County Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts
Kayla Kromer serves as the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts for Jefferson County. The office is located at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 200 Main Street, Suite 102, Brookville, PA 15825. The main phone number is 814-849-1606. The Prothonotary maintains all criminal case files that come through the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas, including those that start at the Magisterial District Court level and are appealed or bound over to Common Pleas.
The Jefferson County Prothonotary handles criminal summary appeal cases. If a defendant wants to appeal a decision from a Magisterial District Judge, they have 30 days from the date of sentencing to file. The filing fee is $52 and is non-refundable. If the 30th day falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day is allowed. The affiant section on the appeal form refers to the police agency that brought the charges. The issuing authority refers to the magistrate who heard the original case.
The Jefferson County Prothonotary page on the county website has office details, forms, and instructions for filing summary appeals and requesting records in Brookville.
The Jefferson County Prothonotary at 200 Main Street in Brookville is the official custodian of criminal case files, including all charges, plea entries, and final dispositions for cases heard in Jefferson County.
| Office |
Jefferson County Prothonotary & Clerk of Courts 200 Main Street, Suite 102 Brookville, PA 15825 Phone: 814-849-1606 |
|---|---|
| Official | Kayla Kromer, Prothonotary & Clerk of Courts |
| Website | jeffersoncountypa.gov |
Jefferson County Court Public Access
Jefferson County operates a public access program for court records in the county. This program follows the Pennsylvania Court's public access policy and administrative orders. When certain documents are filed that may be confidential, a Confidential Document Form is required. Forms for this process are available on the Public Records page of the UJS website.
Court records in Jefferson County are generally accessible to the public under state law. Some records may be restricted or treated as confidential depending on the type of case or the nature of the documents. Fee schedules for copying records follow state guidelines. Right-to-Know requests are accepted and must receive a response within five business days. If your request is denied, you may appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records.
The Jefferson County Public Access page on the county website explains the policies, available forms, and procedures for requesting court records and public documents related to arrests and criminal cases in Jefferson County.
The Jefferson County Courts public access page provides forms, policies, and procedures for anyone seeking access to criminal case records and arrest-related documents filed with the court in Brookville.
Note: Right-to-Know requests for Jefferson County records cost $0.25 per page for paper copies, following the state fee schedule set under the RTKL at 65 P.S. § 67.101.
Online Search for Jefferson County Criminal Records
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us gives free public access to Jefferson County criminal dockets. The portal covers the Court of Common Pleas as well as all Magisterial District Courts that serve Jefferson County. You can search by name, case number, or filing date without creating an account or paying a fee.
Criminal dockets in the UJS system show the charges filed, all scheduled hearing dates, and the outcome of each case. If someone was arrested and formally charged in Jefferson County, that record will appear in the system. MDJ dockets cover traffic court and summary offense matters at the local level. The portal also publishes court calendars so you can look up scheduled hearings in Jefferson County. Civil dockets including lawsuits and small claims are also searchable through the same portal.
Jefferson County Arrest History Through PATCH
Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History, or PATCH, is run by the Pennsylvania State Police and provides the most thorough criminal history information tied to Jefferson County arrests. PATCH pulls from a statewide database that includes records from all contributing agencies. Local law enforcement in Jefferson County includes the Punxsutawney Police Department, Brookville Police Department, multiple municipal departments, and Pennsylvania State Police who cover the rural and unincorporated parts of the county.
The fee for a PATCH check is $22. Online requests go through epatch.state.pa.us. If you prefer to submit by mail, use Form SP 4-164 and send it to the Pennsylvania State Police. Results include all Pennsylvania arrests tied to the person you are searching, not just those in Jefferson County. Notarized copies are available for an added fee if you need an official copy for a legal matter.
The Pennsylvania State Police at pa.gov/agencies/psp provides direct access to the PATCH system and other statewide law enforcement resources. This is the best tool for a complete criminal history check on someone with ties to Jefferson County.
Laws That Cover Jefferson County Arrest Records
Two state laws shape how Jefferson County arrest records are accessed and shared. The first is CHRIA, the Criminal History Record Information Act, codified at 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101. CHRIA sets rules for how criminal history data is stored, who can request it, and how errors can be challenged. It limits full criminal history reports to authorized users while still allowing the public to view court dockets and case dispositions.
The second is the Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. § 67.101. Under this law, most records held by Pennsylvania government agencies are open to the public. You can submit a formal request to any Jefferson County office for records that are not otherwise exempt. The RTKL sets a five-day response deadline. If the county denies your request, you receive written notice of the reason and can appeal to the Office of Open Records.
Some arrest and law enforcement records may be exempt under both laws. Active investigations, juvenile records, and certain sensitive materials may not be released. Knowing which office holds the record you need and which law covers it will help you get the right result when searching Jefferson County arrest information.
Inmate Locator for Jefferson County Cases
People arrested in Jefferson County who receive state sentences are transferred to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections system. The DOC runs a free inmate locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov. Search by name or inmate number to find the current facility, sentence length, and scheduled release date for anyone serving a state sentence in Pennsylvania.
Inmates serving county sentences are held at the Jefferson County Jail in Brookville. That facility operates separately from the state system. For questions about local custody in Jefferson County, contact the jail directly. The DOC locator only shows state inmates and does not cover people held at the county level.
Nearby Counties
Jefferson County shares borders with several Pennsylvania counties in the north-central region. If a case crosses county lines or you are not certain which county filed the record, check the location of the underlying incident. Criminal records are filed with the court in the county where the offense occurred.