Find Northumberland County Arrest Records
Northumberland County arrest records are kept at the courthouse in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, at the junction of the north and west branches of the Susquehanna River. The county seat of Sunbury is the center of the local court system, which serves a central Pennsylvania region that includes Shamokin and several smaller communities. This guide walks you through the ways to search Northumberland County criminal records, including online docket tools, in-person courthouse requests, and the statewide PATCH criminal history database.
Northumberland County Quick Facts
Northumberland County Courthouse Records
The Northumberland County Courthouse at 201 Market Street, Sunbury, PA 17801 is where you go for criminal court records and other public records in the county. The main phone number is 570-988-4100. Regular hours are Monday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Tuesday through Friday 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Call ahead before you visit because hours can change. A security guard and scanner are at the entrance, so bring valid photo ID.
The Prothonotary office at this address handles civil court records, including Appearance Dockets, Execution Dockets, original papers filed, Quarter Sessions records, and Sheriff's Deed Books. Records date from the county's founding and are indexed on site. For criminal case records, you work with the Clerk of Courts who operates out of the same courthouse. Two-hour metered parking is available at the back of the building for visitors who drive to Sunbury.
The Northumberland County courthouse page has the address, phone numbers for each office, and basic visitor information. This is a good starting point if you are planning a trip to Sunbury to search for Northumberland County arrest records.
The Northumberland County courthouse in Sunbury holds all criminal court records for the county, including dockets, case files, and historical records going back to the county's founding.
| Courthouse |
Northumberland County Courthouse 201 Market Street Sunbury, PA 17801-3406 Phone: 570-988-4100 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Tuesday-Friday 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Register of Wills | Phone: 570-988-4143 |
| Website | northumberland.pagenweb.org/courthouse.html |
Searching Northumberland County Arrest Records Online
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Portal is the primary free resource for online searches of Northumberland County criminal dockets. Visit ujsportal.pacourts.us and search by participant name, case number, or filing date. Results cover the Court of Common Pleas and all Magisterial District Courts serving Northumberland County.
Criminal dockets in the UJS Portal show charges filed, hearing dates, dispositions, and any sentences imposed. Civil dockets for lawsuits and small claims are also available. Traffic court records from local district courts can be found through the MDJ docket search. Court calendars for upcoming hearings are published on the portal. All basic searches are free, and the system is updated regularly to reflect new filings and outcomes in Northumberland County cases. If you need actual copies of documents, contact the Clerk of Courts at the Sunbury courthouse after you have found the case online.
Note: If an older Northumberland County case does not appear in the online portal, contact the Clerk of Courts directly. Some historical records from before the digital era are held only in paper files at the courthouse.
PATCH Criminal History in Northumberland County
The Pennsylvania PATCH system is the statewide criminal history database operated by the Pennsylvania State Police. A PATCH check pulls arrest and conviction records from every county in Pennsylvania, including Northumberland. The fee is $22 per request. You can submit online at epatch.state.pa.us or by mail using Form SP 4-164.
Northumberland County law enforcement includes Sunbury Police, Shamokin Police, and several other municipal departments. The Pennsylvania State Police also cover rural areas of the county. All arrest data from these agencies flows into the statewide PATCH database. Their main page is at pa.gov/agencies/psp. Notarized copies of PATCH results are available at an additional fee for official or legal use. Mail requests go to the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Records and Identification.
The Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system at epatch.state.pa.us covers all Northumberland County arrest records in the statewide criminal history database for a $22 fee.
A PATCH report is one of the most complete ways to review someone's criminal history in Pennsylvania. It includes records from all 67 counties, not just Northumberland. This matters if the person you are researching has lived in or been arrested in other parts of the state. The report covers all dispositions too, so you can see whether charges were dismissed, reduced, or resulted in conviction.
Types of Records at Northumberland County Courthouse
Northumberland County holds a broad range of public records at the Sunbury courthouse. Criminal records and arrest dockets are the focus for most people looking up someone's background. But the courthouse also has records that may connect to criminal cases.
The Prothonotary maintains Appearance Dockets, Execution Dockets, and original papers for civil cases. Quarter Sessions records are historical documents tied to the older court structure in Pennsylvania. Sheriff's Deed Books show property transfers related to court orders and judgments. Fictitious business name filings are also at this office. For Northumberland County arrest and criminal case records specifically, the Clerk of Courts handles all filings from arraignment through sentencing and maintains them for public access.
The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphan's Court is a separate office at the courthouse. The phone number for that office is 570-988-4143. The Recorder of Deeds handles deed and mortgage indexes. These offices are all in the same building at 201 Market Street in Sunbury, which makes it convenient to access multiple record types in one visit to Northumberland County.
Right-to-Know Requests and Access Laws
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law gives anyone the right to request public records from state and county agencies. Arrest records, criminal dockets, and court files in Northumberland County are generally public under this law. A formal written request is one route to records that are not available online or that you need in certified form.
To request Northumberland County court records, write to the Clerk of Courts at 201 Market Street, Sunbury, PA 17801. For police arrest records, contact Sunbury Police, Shamokin Police, or the appropriate State Police barracks. The Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov has standard request forms and a directory of open records officers. The Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. section 67.101 requires agencies to respond within five business days.
The Pennsylvania Criminal History Record Information Act at 18 Pa.C.S. section 9101 covers how criminal records are kept and who can access them. Most adult arrest records in Northumberland County are public under this law. Records that have been expunged are not available through standard public searches. If you are looking for records for someone who was a juvenile at the time, those records may be sealed and not accessible to the general public.
For anyone convicted and serving a state sentence after a Northumberland County case, use the Department of Corrections inmate locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov to find their current facility and sentence information.
Nearby Counties
Northumberland County sits at the center of a group of counties in the Susquehanna River valley. Each neighboring county has its own court system and arrest records. Search by the county where an arrest took place to find the right docket.