Lackawanna County Arrest Records
Lackawanna County arrest records are managed by the Clerk of Judicial Records at the Lackawanna County Government Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Located in the northeast part of the state, Lackawanna County is home to Scranton, one of Pennsylvania's largest cities. The county operates a full court system with more than 30 Magisterial District Courts and a Court of Common Pleas. This guide covers how to search for arrest records, criminal case dockets, and public records in Lackawanna County using both local offices and state-level tools.
Lackawanna County Quick Facts
Lackawanna County Clerk of Judicial Records
Lauren Mailen serves as the Clerk of Judicial Records for Lackawanna County. This office is the official keeper of all criminal, civil, and family court records in the county. The office is located on the first floor of the Lackawanna County Government Center at 123 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
The Clerk of Judicial Records office operates three separate divisions. The Civil Division can be reached at 570-963-6723. The Criminal Division handles criminal case records and can be reached at 570-963-6759. The Family Court Division covers domestic and juvenile matters at 570-963-5695. For general inquiries, the main number is 570-963-6723, and the fax is 570-963-6387. Email can be sent to mailenl@lackawannacounty.org.
The criminal division of the Clerk's office dockets and maintains all criminal case files for cases heard in the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas. This includes the original charging documents, docket entries for each hearing, plea records, and final dispositions. If someone was arrested in Lackawanna County and formally charged, the case file is here. You can view the record in person during business hours or request copies for a fee.
The Lackawanna County Clerk of Judicial Records page lists contact information for each division, available forms, and guidance for submitting records requests in Scranton. The office has 29 court forms available for common filings and requests.
The Lackawanna County Clerk of Judicial Records at 123 Wyoming Avenue in Scranton operates the Criminal, Civil, and Family Court divisions that together hold the full set of court-based arrest and case records for Lackawanna County.
| Office |
Lackawanna County Clerk of Judicial Records 123 Wyoming Avenue, 1st Floor Scranton, PA 18503 Phone: 570-963-6723 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
| Official | Lauren Mailen, Clerk of Judicial Records |
| Website | lackawannacounty.org |
Lackawanna County Public Records Office
Lackawanna County maintains a central public records operation at 123 Wyoming Avenue in Scranton. The Department of Records is on the first floor and can be reached at 570-963-6702. The Open Records Officer is located on the sixth floor of the same building and can be reached at 570-963-6800. Both offices are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Lackawanna County public records include court records, property records, vital records, business records, tax records, and law enforcement records. The process for requesting records starts with identifying the right department, submitting a formal Right-to-Know request, and providing specific information about what you need. The county follows the state's five-day response deadline under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law.
Additional offices at the same Government Center address include the Recorder of Deeds, Register of Wills, and Assessment Office on the third floor at 570-963-6726. While these are not direct sources of arrest records, they hold related documents that may come up during a broader records search in Lackawanna County.
The Lackawanna County public records page at the county website outlines each department, their hours, and how to submit requests for different types of records in Scranton.
The Lackawanna County public records portal covers a wide range of record types available at the Government Center in Scranton, including law enforcement records and court documents tied to arrests in Lackawanna County.
Note: Right-to-Know requests for Lackawanna County records cost $0.25 per page under state fee guidelines, and the county has five business days to respond before you can file an appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records.
Search Lackawanna County Criminal Dockets Online
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us provides free access to Lackawanna County criminal case dockets. With more than 30 Magisterial District Courts serving the county, Lackawanna has one of the larger district court networks in Pennsylvania. The portal covers all of them along with the Court of Common Pleas in Scranton.
You can search for any criminal case in Lackawanna County by entering a person's name, case number, or filing date. No login or payment is required for a basic search. Criminal dockets in the system show the charges filed, all hearing dates, and final dispositions. If a person was arrested in Lackawanna County and formally charged, the case will appear here. Traffic and summary offense records from the MDJ level are also searchable through the portal. Court calendars for upcoming hearings in Lackawanna County are posted as well.
PATCH Criminal History for Lackawanna County
The PATCH system run by the Pennsylvania State Police is the most complete source for criminal history information tied to Lackawanna County. PATCH stands for Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History. It pulls from a statewide database that includes records from all contributing agencies. Local law enforcement in Lackawanna County includes the Scranton Police Department, multiple municipal departments throughout the county, and Pennsylvania State Police who cover highways and rural sections of the county.
A standard PATCH check costs $22. You can run one online at epatch.state.pa.us. Mail requests use Form SP 4-164, which you send to the Pennsylvania State Police. The result shows every Pennsylvania arrest on file for the subject, regardless of which county the arrest occurred in. Notarized copies of the PATCH result are available for an extra fee if you need an official version for a court or legal matter.
The Pennsylvania State Police website at pa.gov/agencies/psp has direct links to PATCH and other public safety resources relevant to Lackawanna County and the rest of Pennsylvania.
Public Records Law and Lackawanna County Arrests
Two Pennsylvania laws govern how arrest records are accessed in Lackawanna County. The first is the Criminal History Record Information Act, or CHRIA, at 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101. CHRIA controls how criminal history data is stored and who can access it. It allows individuals to review and challenge errors in their own criminal history record. It also restricts who can receive full background reports through official channels.
The second is the Right-to-Know Law, found at 65 P.S. § 67.101. Under this law, most records held by Lackawanna County agencies are open to the public. You can submit a request for law enforcement records, court documents, or other public files without needing to be a party to the case. The RTKL sets a five-day response window. If Lackawanna County denies your request, you receive a written explanation and can appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov.
Some records remain protected under both laws. Active investigations, juvenile records, and certain sensitive materials are not subject to release. Knowing which office holds your record and which law applies will help you get the information you need more quickly in Lackawanna County.
Inmate Records and Lackawanna County Cases
People arrested in Lackawanna County who receive state prison sentences are transferred to a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections facility. The DOC runs a free inmate locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov. Enter a name or inmate number to find the current facility, sentence information, and projected release date for anyone serving a state sentence in Pennsylvania. This tool covers all state prisons and is available to the public at no cost.
Inmates serving county sentences in Lackawanna County are held at the Lackawanna County Prison. For questions about local custody, contact the prison directly. The DOC online locator only covers people in the state system. County jail records are maintained separately by the Lackawanna County Prison and are not part of the DOC database.
Cities in Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County is home to Scranton, one of Pennsylvania's major cities and the county seat. Criminal cases involving Scranton residents or incidents that occurred in the city are filed with the Lackawanna County Clerk of Judicial Records. Scranton has its own police department, and the Scranton Police contribute arrest data to the statewide PATCH system.
Scranton is the county seat of Lackawanna County and one of the largest cities in northeast Pennsylvania. All criminal cases originating in Scranton are processed through the Lackawanna County Clerk of Judicial Records at the Government Center on Wyoming Avenue.
Nearby Counties
Lackawanna County borders several other counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. If you are not sure which county has the arrest record you are looking for, check where the incident occurred. Each county maintains its own court records independently, and cases are filed in the county where the offense took place.