Philadelphia County Arrest Records
Philadelphia County arrest records are among the most requested public documents in Pennsylvania. The county is home to over 1.5 million people, making it the largest county in the state. As a consolidated city-county, Philadelphia handles its own law enforcement, courts, and detention. You can search Philadelphia County arrest records through the Philadelphia Police Department, the court system, and state databases. This page covers where to look, what you will find, and how to get the records you need.
Philadelphia County Quick Facts
PATCH Criminal History for Philadelphia County
The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History system, known as PATCH, is the primary tool for searching arrest records across the state. Philadelphia County records are part of this statewide database. PATCH was built under Pennsylvania's Criminal History Information Act and is maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police. The system lets the public request criminal history on any person with a Pennsylvania record.
The Pennsylvania State Police created PATCH to give the public a clear path to criminal records. You can submit a request online at epatch.pa.gov. The standard fee is $22 per search. Results include all Pennsylvania arrests and dispositions tied to a person. For Philadelphia County residents, this is often the fastest way to get a full criminal history without visiting a courthouse.
The PATCH system covers both Philadelphia County arrests and statewide records. Non-criminal justice requestors may see edited results, as the law limits some details for the public. Criminal justice agencies get full access. If you need court disposition data, the Unified Judicial System portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us is also useful for searching Philadelphia County criminal dockets by name or case number at no charge.
The source for PATCH access in Philadelphia County is available at epatch.pa.gov. Below is a screenshot of the PATCH portal, which is the starting point for any statewide criminal history request that covers Philadelphia County arrests.
PATCH results reflect arrests made anywhere in Pennsylvania, so a search on a Philadelphia County resident will show records from other counties as well if they exist. The PATCH helpline is 1-888-QUERY-PA (1-888-783-7972) for help with your request.
Note: PATCH results may not show pending charges or very recent arrests until dispositions are entered into the system by the reporting agency.
Philadelphia Department of Prisons Records
The Philadelphia Department of Prisons operates several facilities that hold people arrested in Philadelphia County. These include Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility and Riverside Correctional Facility, among others. The department maintains an inmate locator so you can find out if a person is currently held in one of the city's jails.
You can search for an incarcerated person using the Philadelphia Police Department's Incarcerated Person Locator. The tool is available through the city's website and accepts first name, last name, and date of birth. You can also search by the six or seven-digit police identification number, known as a PID. The locator page at phila.gov covers all Philadelphia Department of Prisons facilities.
The Philadelphia Department of Prisons reported 30,846 arrests in Philadelphia County in 2024. The top offense categories that year included drug and narcotics charges at 5,516 arrests, larceny at 3,882, and aggravated assault at 3,362. These numbers reflect activity that generates Philadelphia County arrest records processed through the city's jail system.
The city's incarcerated person locator is one starting point for checking on a Philadelphia County arrest. The image below shows the city portal where you can search for someone held in the Philadelphia Department of Prisons.
For persons in state prison rather than a city facility, use the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections inmate locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov. Federal inmates can be searched through the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.
Philadelphia Sheriff and Active Warrant Search
The Philadelphia Sheriff's Office handles active arrest warrants in Philadelphia County. The office is located at 100 South Broad Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19110. You can call (215) 686-3560 to ask about active warrants for a specific person.
Warrant searches at the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office use the person's first and last name. Warrant inquiries are typically free of charge to the public. Philadelphia County arrest warrants stay active until the subject is picked up, surrenders voluntarily, or the court recalls the warrant. A warrant also becomes inactive if the subject dies. Knowing the status of a warrant is separate from viewing full Philadelphia County arrest records, but the two are related.
The main city website at phila.gov connects you to the Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement resources for Philadelphia County. The image below shows the city portal where Sheriff and arrest-related services are listed.
The Sheriff's Office also handles civil process service, including service of court papers in active Philadelphia County criminal cases. The office coordinates with the Philadelphia Police Department on matters involving active warrants.
Note: Warrant information from the Sheriff's Office reflects only warrants issued through Philadelphia County courts and may not include warrants from other jurisdictions.
Philadelphia Police Records Unit
The Philadelphia Police Records Unit handles local record checks and letters of good conduct. This is different from a full PATCH criminal history check. The local check covers only Philadelphia County arrests recorded by the city police department.
To request a local police record check, you must submit a Police Records Check Request Form. The fee is $40 per request. You may pay by cash, business check, money order, or certified check. In-person and mail requests go to the Department of Records, Public Safety Records Unit, City Hall, Room 170, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Processing takes about ten days. The local check is restricted to the subject of the record or someone who has the subject's signed consent.
For a full statewide criminal history, individuals can use Form SP4-170 through the Individual Access and Review option. The fee for that service is $20. Proper identification is required, and processing may take three months or longer. Most people who want a complete picture of Philadelphia County arrest records should use PATCH for the broad search and the Police Records Unit for the local-only check.
The Philadelphia Police Records Unit resource page explains the forms and fees in detail. The image below shows that resource portal.
The local records check at the Police Records Unit only shows Philadelphia-specific data. It will not include arrests made in other counties or other states. Use PATCH for a broader search of Pennsylvania arrest records.
Philadelphia County Court Records and Public Access
Philadelphia County operates under the First Judicial District. Court records for criminal cases are governed by the court's public access policy. Philadelphia Rule of Judicial Administration 401, 402, and 403 set the rules for access. Requestors must identify the specific records they seek with enough detail for the custodian to locate them.
Requests for court records are submitted to the applicable court and division email addresses. Fees for case records follow the First Judicial District's Public Access Fee Schedule. If access is delayed or denied, the court must give the requestor a specific reason. You can challenge a denial by filing a motion with the Administrative Judge of the applicable division. Court locations include City Hall, Stout Center, Family Court, and the Widener Building.
The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law at openrecords.pa.gov also provides a path for requesting public records from government agencies in Philadelphia County. The Criminal History Record Information Act, 18 Pa.C.S. Section 9101, governs how criminal history data is collected and shared in Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia Department of Prisons also publishes its own statistics and program information at phila.gov/departments/philadelphia-department-of-prisons. That page covers re-entry services, visitation procedures, and inmate mail policies. The image below shows the department's web page.
For arrest record information tied to active cases, the UJS portal gives free access to criminal dockets for Philadelphia County. You can search by party name or case number. The docket shows charges, court dates, and dispositions as they are entered by the court.
Note: Some Philadelphia County court records may be sealed or redacted under state law, particularly records involving juveniles or cases where charges were withdrawn.
State Resources for Philadelphia Arrest Data
Beyond the local systems, several state-level resources help people search Philadelphia County arrest records. The Pennsylvania State Police publishes Public Information Release Reports at pa.gov/agencies/psp. These reports contain data on crime and arrests across the state, including Philadelphia County.
The Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov handles appeals when a public records request is denied. If you request Philadelphia County arrest records from a government agency and the request is denied, you can appeal to the OOR. The OOR reviews the denial and can order the agency to release records if the denial was not lawful.
Philadelphia County is unique in that the city and county governments are merged. This means the Philadelphia Police Department, the Sheriff's Office, and the Department of Prisons all fall under city government rather than a separate county structure. Records requests that might go to a county sheriff elsewhere in Pennsylvania may go to the Philadelphia Police Department or the city's Department of Records instead.
Cities in Philadelphia County
Philadelphia County is a consolidated city-county. The city of Philadelphia covers the entire county. All arrest records and court filings for Philadelphia County originate here.
Philadelphia is the only municipality in Philadelphia County. As a consolidated city-county, all arrest records and criminal court cases are processed through city agencies that serve the entire county.
Nearby Counties
Philadelphia County borders several Pennsylvania counties and the state of New Jersey. If a person was arrested just outside the city, their records would be held by a different county. Check the location of the arrest before deciding where to search.