Lehigh County Arrest Records Database

Lehigh County arrest records are public documents filed with the Clerk of Judicial Records at the Lehigh County Courthouse in Allentown. As one of the third most populous counties in Pennsylvania, Lehigh sees a significant volume of criminal case activity each year. The courthouse at 455 W. Hamilton Street holds both civil and criminal divisions under one roof. You can search Lehigh County criminal records free online through the Pennsylvania UJS portal or visit the courthouse in Allentown during business hours for copies of filed documents.

Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records

Michelle Graupner serves as the Clerk of Judicial Records for Lehigh County. The office is in Room 122 of the Lehigh County Courthouse, 455 W. Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101. Hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday, closed on major holidays. The Criminal Division within this office is the place to go for Lehigh County arrest records and criminal case files. The Civil Division and Register of Wills Division are also in Room 122.

The Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records page at lehighcounty.org has full contact information for each division. For criminal records, call the Criminal Division at 610-782-3077. Chief Deputy Jill Herschman and Assistant Chief Deputy Catherine Ruth staff the criminal side of the office. For civil records, the Civil Division number is 610-782-3148. Both divisions handle records requests and can process copy orders during business hours.

The Clerk of Judicial Records office page at lehighcounty.org lists all divisions, contacts, and hours for the Lehigh County Courthouse records office in Allentown.

This image is sourced from the Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records page at lehighcounty.org, which provides official contact information and access procedures for criminal and civil records in Lehigh County.

Lehigh County Court Records

The Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas is at 455 W. Hamilton Street, Allentown, and can be reached at 610-782-3000. The court has 14 Magisterial District Courts spread across the county, each handling lower-level cases including traffic, summary offenses, and preliminary hearings for misdemeanors and felonies. All criminal records from these courts are accessible to the public under Pennsylvania Rule of Judicial Administration 509.

The Lehigh County court records page at lehighrecords.us/court-records covers what types of records are available, how access works, and what fees apply. Record types include case files, docket sheets, court orders, judgments, transcripts, exhibits, and sentencing records. The page also covers civil litigation, family law, probate, traffic, and small claims records held by the Clerk of Judicial Records in Allentown.

Exemptions from public access in Lehigh County include juvenile records, mental health proceedings, adoption files, sealed records, sensitive personal data such as Social Security Numbers, and grand jury materials. Outside of those categories, most adult criminal case records in Lehigh County are open to any member of the public who requests them at the courthouse or online.

The Lehigh County court records page shows the full access policy and what records are available from the Court of Common Pleas in Allentown.

This image is from lehighrecords.us/court-records, which explains the public access rules and search methods for criminal and civil case records in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

Access methods for Lehigh County records include in-person visits with a valid photo ID, a formal records request form submitted by mail or in person, and online searches through the UJS portal. Copy fees apply for paper documents.

Note: The Orphans' Court Division for Lehigh County is also at 455 W. Hamilton Street and can be reached at 610-782-3170 for probate and estate matters.

Search Lehigh County Arrest Records Online

Pennsylvania's free court record portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us covers all Lehigh County criminal dockets. You can search by participant name, case number, or filing date. Results show case type, charges, assigned judge, hearing schedules, and dispositions. Both Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Court dockets are searchable from the same portal. No account or fee is required to search basic case information.

Lehigh County has 14 Magisterial District Courts that handle preliminary hearings, traffic cases, and summary offenses across the county. Dockets from all 14 locations appear in the UJS portal under MDJ docket searches. Court calendars for upcoming Lehigh County hearings are also published online. For copies of actual filings, you still need to go to Room 122 at the Allentown courthouse or submit a written request.

If someone arrested in Lehigh County was later sent to a state correctional facility, the Department of Corrections inmate locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov lets you search by name to confirm current custody status.

Pennsylvania Criminal History Checks for Lehigh County

The PATCH system at epatch.state.pa.us includes all Lehigh County arrest records submitted by local police agencies. Allentown Police, Bethlehem Police, State Police, and numerous municipal departments throughout the county report to the PSP Central Repository. An electronic PATCH check costs $22 and gives an instant result. This is the quickest way to get a Pennsylvania criminal history report covering all Lehigh County arrests.

For a full printed report, complete Form SP 4-164 and mail it to the PSP Central Repository with the $22 fee. Notarized copies cost $5 more. Personal record reviews use Form SP 4-170 at $20. Volunteers can check records for free using Form SP 4-164A. The Pennsylvania State Police at pa.gov/agencies/psp has all forms and instructions.

The rules for criminal history records in Pennsylvania come from 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101, the Criminal History Record Information Act. This law governs how arrest records in Lehigh County and across the state are gathered, stored, and made available to the public.

Open Records Requests in Lehigh County

The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law gives the public the right to request records from government agencies in Lehigh County. This includes the Clerk of Judicial Records, local police departments, and the Lehigh County Sheriff's Office. Requests can be submitted in writing to each agency's Open Records Officer. Standard copy fees are $0.25 per page, and agencies have five business days to respond. Appeals go to the Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov.

Most adult criminal case records in Lehigh County are publicly available. Records that are exempt include those involving juveniles, sealed matters, ongoing investigations, and certain personal identifiers. For the majority of standard arrest and court records in Lehigh County, a request to the Clerk of Judicial Records in Allentown is the most direct approach.

The state RTKL framework at openrecords.pa.gov explains the rights of requesters and the obligations of public agencies across Pennsylvania, including those in Lehigh County.

Cities in Lehigh County

Lehigh County is home to Allentown, the third largest city in Pennsylvania and the county seat. Part of Bethlehem also falls within Lehigh County, though much of Bethlehem is in neighboring Northampton County. Both cities have their own police departments and contribute a large share of the criminal cases filed in the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas each year.

For city-specific arrest records from Allentown or Bethlehem, visit those city pages or contact the respective police department directly. Cases from those cities are also searchable through the UJS portal under Lehigh County dockets.

Nearby Counties

Lehigh County borders several other eastern Pennsylvania counties. Records for arrests in neighboring areas are held by each county's own Clerk of Courts. If you are unsure which county applies, check the location of the arrest or the court where the case was filed.

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