Luzerne County Arrest Records
Luzerne County arrest records are maintained by the Clerk of Judicial Records at the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Luzerne County is a large county in northeastern Pennsylvania with significant population and criminal case activity. The courthouse at 200 North River Street holds both civil and criminal divisions. Records from the Court of Common Pleas and 17 Magisterial District Courts are available to the public online through the UJS portal or in person at the courthouse. This page explains how to find, search, and request Luzerne County criminal records.
Luzerne County Quick Facts
Luzerne County Clerk of Judicial Records
Paula Radick serves as the Clerk of Judicial Records for Luzerne County. The office is at the Luzerne County Courthouse, 200 North River Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711. Phone is (570) 825-1500. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Both the Civil Division and Criminal Division operate from the same address. The Clerk of Judicial Records maintains files, indexes pleadings, and provides custody of records for the Civil, Criminal, and Orphans' Court divisions of the Court of Common Pleas.
The office also maintains records for the Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, Recorder of Deeds, and Register of Wills functions. This consolidated structure means most public records related to Luzerne County court activity are managed from one building on North River Street in Wilkes-Barre. The Criminal Division holds the arrest-related case files that are most often sought by the public. Staff can help search by name or case number and process copy requests during regular business hours.
Luzerne County's administrative code gives the Clerk of Judicial Records the authority to file, index, and maintain custody of all pleadings and records for the court's major divisions. This makes the office the central source for all Luzerne County criminal case records.
| Office |
Luzerne County Clerk of Judicial Records Luzerne County Courthouse 200 North River Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 Phone: (570) 825-1500 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | luzernerecords.us/court-records |
Luzerne County Court Records
Luzerne County court records are public under Article V, Section 10 of the Pennsylvania Constitution and the Case Records Public Access Policy, which took effect on January 6, 2018. The Luzerne County court records page at luzernerecords.us/court-records details what records are available, how to access them, and what exemptions apply. Available records include most civil case files, criminal case files from the post-charging stage, judgments, orders, docket sheets, and hearing schedules.
Luzerne County criminal case records show charges, case numbers, hearing dates, and dispositions. Family court documents, juvenile records, mental health proceedings, sealed records, and confidential information under section 213.81 are not open to public access. Outside of those categories, arrest-related case records in Luzerne County are accessible to any member of the public who requests them at the courthouse or through approved online tools.
The Luzerne County court records page provides guidance on how to get records from the Court of Common Pleas in Wilkes-Barre and outlines the different access methods available to the public.
This image is from luzernerecords.us/court-records, which outlines how to access criminal case files and public records from the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas in Wilkes-Barre.
Access methods for Luzerne County court records include in-person visits, mail requests, and electronic access through the UJS Web Portal. Free access is also available at public terminals in the Luzerne County Law Library and at the courthouse itself. The PAePay system handles online fee payments for certain Luzerne County court transactions.
Note: The Luzerne County Court Calendar is published online and can be useful for checking scheduled hearings in active criminal cases filed in Wilkes-Barre.
Search Luzerne County Arrest Records Online
The free Pennsylvania UJS portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us covers all Luzerne County criminal dockets from the Court of Common Pleas and the 17 Magisterial District Courts across the county. Search by participant name, case number, or filing date. Results show the case type, charges, court, judge, and key dates. No account or fee is needed for basic docket searches. This is the best starting point for searching Luzerne County arrest records without a trip to Wilkes-Barre.
Luzerne County has 17 Magisterial District Courts, more than most Pennsylvania counties, reflecting the county's large geographic size and population. MDJ dockets cover traffic cases, summary offenses, and preliminary hearings. All of these are searchable through the same UJS portal. Traffic court records, small claims, and civil dockets from the lower courts are also available. Court calendars for upcoming Luzerne County hearings are published on the portal.
For PACER federal court records from cases prosecuted in federal court with a Luzerne County connection, visit the federal PACER system. Federal charges are separate from state criminal records and are not found in the UJS portal.
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections inmate locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov is free to search and shows current custody status for people held in state facilities after a Luzerne County conviction.
Pennsylvania Criminal History Check for Luzerne County
The PATCH system at epatch.state.pa.us contains all Luzerne County arrest records submitted by law enforcement agencies in the county. Wilkes-Barre Police, Hazleton Police, the Pennsylvania State Police, and multiple municipal departments throughout the county all report arrest data to the PSP Central Repository. An online PATCH check costs $22 and returns a "Record" or "No Record" result within minutes.
For a full printed criminal history report, complete Form SP 4-164 and mail it to the PSP Central Repository with the $22 fee. Notarized copies add $5 to the cost. A personal review of your own criminal history uses Form SP 4-170 and costs $20. Nonprofit volunteers may check criminal histories for free using Form SP 4-164A. All forms are available from the Pennsylvania State Police at pa.gov/agencies/psp.
Pennsylvania's criminal history record law, 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101, governs how arrest records in Luzerne County are collected and made available. The Right-to-Know Law at openrecords.pa.gov covers requests to public agencies like the Clerk of Judicial Records and local police departments. Standard copy fees are $0.25 per page and agencies have five business days to respond.
Pennsylvania State Police and Luzerne County Records
The Pennsylvania State Police patrol highways and rural areas throughout Luzerne County. Troop P and other regional State Police units cover parts of Luzerne County and submit all arrest data to the PSP Central Repository. The State Police are an important source of arrest records for areas of the county outside of Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, and other municipalities with their own police departments.
The Pennsylvania State Police website at pa.gov/agencies/psp has information about PATCH, the criminal history check process, and how to submit a mail request using the SP 4-164 form. The PSP also manages the state sex offender registry and other criminal justice data tools that connect to Luzerne County arrest histories.
The Pennsylvania State Police information page at pa.gov/agencies/psp shows how to access statewide criminal history records that include Luzerne County arrests from all local and state agencies in the county.
This image is from pa.gov/agencies/psp, the Pennsylvania State Police website, which manages the PATCH criminal history system used to check arrest records from Luzerne County and all other Pennsylvania counties.
Whether you are looking for a Wilkes-Barre city arrest or a case from a rural township in Luzerne County, the State Police Central Repository receives reports from all agencies. A PATCH check through epatch.state.pa.us covers them all in a single search.
Note: Luzerne County has a Law Library at the courthouse that offers free public access terminals for searching court records and UJS dockets without a computer or internet connection at home.
Nearby Counties
Luzerne County is one of the largest counties in northeastern Pennsylvania and shares borders with several other counties. If you need records for an arrest that happened near a county boundary, check the court records for the county where the arrest occurred. Each county has its own Clerk of Courts and docket system.