How to Search Berks County Court Records
The main tool is the Pennsylvania Judiciary Web Portal Case Search. It is free and public. The portal shows docket sheets for appellate, Common Pleas, and Magisterial District Court cases. A docket sheet sums up the case: court, judge, parties, documents filed, hearings, and case status. The filed documents themselves are not posted, so the portal points you to the right office for copies.
Before you begin, gather what you have. A docket number is ideal. A full party name works for a person or business. A citation number is best for a traffic case. For a criminal matter, an Offense Tracking Number or a complaint number narrows things fast.
- Open the UJS Case Search at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch.
- Choose a search type from the "Search By" menu.
- For a name search, set the county to Berks and add a docket type if the name is common.
- Open the docket sheet and review the parties, charges, and entries.
- Ask the correct Berks office for certified copies of the documents you need.
If a search turns up nothing, try a different spelling, a maiden name, or a date range. Remember that the date filed is not the same as the offense date or hearing date.
Berks County Court Records Search Fields
The portal changes its fields based on the search type you pick. The "Search By" menu drives everything else. Pick the type that matches what you know, then fill in the fields that appear. The table below lists the main fields and how to use them for a Berks search.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search By | Dropdown | Yes | Docket Number, Participant Name, Citation Number, Complaint Number, OTN, Incident Number, Organization, Date Filed, and more |
| Docket Number | Text | When chosen | Common Pleas begins CP, often CP-06 for Berks; district court begins MJ |
| Participant Name | Text | When chosen | Last name required; first name narrows common names |
| Citation Number | Text | When chosen | Enter the dash exactly as printed, such as A5368532-1 |
| County | Dropdown | Optional | Choose Berks to limit results to this county |
| Docket Type | Dropdown | Optional | Civil, Criminal, Landlord/Tenant, Non-Traffic, Summary Appeal, Traffic |
| Date Filed | Date range | Optional | mm/dd/yyyy; range limits apply |
Note: some Common Pleas civil case data, juvenile cases, and expunged cases will not display even when your search terms are correct.
Which Office Keeps Your Berks County Court Record
Berks County uses a split clerk system, and that is the single most useful thing to learn. The Prothonotary keeps civil and family files. The Clerk of Courts keeps criminal files. The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court keeps probate and marriage records. Each office has its own phone line and its own request process.
The Prothonotary is the chief civil clerk. The office files and records civil actions, family matters, judgments, liens, arbitration, license suspension appeals, and appeals to higher court. It collects filing fees and sends notice of entries to the parties.
The Berks County Prothonotary page links to fees, e-filing, and divorce self-help.
That office is your stop for civil suits, judgments, and divorce or custody files. Criminal cases go elsewhere.
The Clerk of Courts keeps the Criminal Division records of the Court of Common Pleas. The office maintains misdemeanor and felony files, certifies and distributes court orders, prepares bills of costs, and runs the financial system for fines, costs, and restitution. Beth A. Jones is the elected Clerk of Courts.
The Berks County Clerk of Courts page covers criminal records and payment hours.
For a deeper profile of each clerk, see the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts pages.
Types of Berks County Court Records
Court records in Berks County run across several case types, and each type follows its own path. Civil and criminal cases dominate the Common Pleas docket. Family, traffic, and small civil cases often start at the district court level. The list below shows the main types and the office behind each.
- Civil Common Pleas records - complaints, judgments, liens, and arbitration through the Prothonotary.
- Criminal Common Pleas records - felony and misdemeanor cases through the Clerk of Courts.
- Magisterial District Court records - traffic, summary offenses, landlord-tenant, and claims under $12,000.
- Family records - divorce and custody files, kept by the Prothonotary.
- Probate and Orphans' Court records - wills, estates, and guardianships through the Register of Wills.
Juvenile, adoption, and mental health records sit outside this public list. They are restricted by statute and stay closed to a normal search.
What a Berks County Docket Sheet Shows
A docket sheet is a summary, not the full file, but it carries a lot of useful data. The fields below are the ones a public Berks docket commonly displays. Use them to confirm you have the right case before you order copies.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Docket Number | The case ID; CP for Common Pleas, MJ for district court |
| Court / County | The court level and county, set to Berks when filtered |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, or Commonwealth and defendant |
| Case Status | Active, Closed, Inactive, or Adjudicated |
| Filing Date | When the case opened |
| Judge / Issuing Authority | The Common Pleas judge or magisterial district judge |
| Disposition | The outcome of a charge or the whole case |
| Docket Entries | Filings, hearings, orders, and payments in date order |
The docket lists filed documents, but it does not let you download them. Copies come from the Clerk of Courts, the Prothonotary, or the Register of Wills, depending on the case.
Where to Take Your Berks County Docket Number
The docket number tells you which office to call. A CP number that reads as criminal goes to the Clerk of Courts. A CP civil or family number goes to the Prothonotary. An MJ number goes to the listed Magisterial District Court. The table below maps each result type to its custodian and the next step.
| Search Result | Custodian | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| CP criminal docket | Clerk of Courts | Use the docket number to request certified criminal copies |
| CP civil or family docket | Prothonotary | Request civil, divorce, or custody documents |
| MJ traffic or landlord-tenant docket | Magisterial District Court | Contact the MDJ office named on the docket |
| Orphans' Court category | Register of Wills | Call 610-478-6600 for probate or estate access |
| Sheriff sale or civil process | Sheriff's Office | Contact the Civil Division at 610-478-6240 |
For the local district courts, the Court of Common Pleas page lists every magisterial district judge and office.
Requesting Copies and Paying Costs
Once you have a docket number, requesting copies is straightforward. Match the case type to the office. For a criminal case, ask the Clerk of Courts. For a civil or family case, ask the Prothonotary. Bring the docket number, the party names, and the document title. Certified copies cost more than plain copies and are the ones courts accept.
Fines and costs are paid through the Clerk of Courts. You can pay in person, by mail, or online.
The county explains payment options on its how to pay court fines page.
Online ePay through the UJS portal adds a $2.75 convenience fee to the total. Credit cards work in person and online, but not by phone, and no in-person card payments are taken after 4:00 PM.
Public Access to Berks County Court Records
Court case records in Pennsylvania follow the Unified Judicial System Case Records Public Access Policy, not the ordinary county Right-to-Know process. The policy opens case records to the public while it shields confidential data. You can make an oral request to the custodian for simple records, but a complex or large request may need writing. The request must describe the record well enough for staff to find it.
The unified judicial system itself is set out in statute, which lists every court in the state.
You can read the governing statute at 42 Pa.C.S. § 301.
Note: The county can arrange for you to view many court documents at no charge; copy and certification fees are separate from inspection.
Sealed and Confidential Court Records
Not every Berks County court record is open. Juvenile delinquency and dependency files are restricted under 42 Pa.C.S. § 6307. Expunged cases are removed under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122. Clean Slate limited access cases under Act 5 of 2016 drop out of public results. Adoption files, sealed search warrant affidavits, grand jury matters, and mental health commitments also stay closed.
If you have a right to a restricted record as a party, attorney, or guardian, contact the custodian and be ready to show your authority. Pennsylvania expungement runs through the Court of Common Pleas where the case occurred, and the Clerk of Courts processes the signed order. Limited access restricts sharing rather than destroying the record.
Family Court and Self-Help Filing
Divorce and custody are civil family matters, so they are filed with the Prothonotary. Self-represented filers can submit custody and divorce documents by mail or in person, while attorneys e-file. Self-represented filers will be allowed or required to e-file after August 1, 2026 once the county posts notice.
The county runs a self-help page for family filers.
The Family Court self-help page lists the Prothonotary's filing location and the Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service. For the divorce process itself, see the marriage and divorce records page.