How to Search Luzerne County Court Records
Court searching in Luzerne County is split across state and county systems. For docket sheets statewide, use the Pennsylvania UJS Web Portal Case Search. It covers Common Pleas criminal dockets, Magisterial District Court dockets, traffic citations, and appellate matters. Luzerne County uses the court code 40, so a Common Pleas docket reads like CP-40-CR-0009999-2024. For civil case images and the civil index, use the county Prothonotary online viewer at searchiqs.com/paluz. The two systems do not overlap much, so pick the one that fits the case.
Before you start, gather what you know. A docket number gives the fastest hit. If you lack one, a full name works. Knowing the case type helps too. Criminal, traffic, and civil sort into different docket types. The county portal asks for an account and charges per document to view or print. The state portal is free to search and view dockets.
The Pennsylvania courts maintain the public docket system. Their case search page is the starting point for most case types in Luzerne County.
The portal lets you choose a search type, set the county to Luzerne, and pick a docket type before you run the query. Results open as docket sheets you can view or print at no cost.
- Open ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch and pick a Search By type.
- Enter the docket number if you have it. If not, choose Participant Name.
- Set County to Luzerne, or Judicial District 11, to narrow the list.
- Choose the Docket Type, such as Criminal, Traffic, or Civil.
- Open the matching docket and view or print the docket sheet.
Luzerne County Court Records Search Fields
The UJS case search opens with a Search By menu that drives the rest of the form. Pick how you want to look, and the page shows the fields you need. A docket number search needs just the number. A name search adds a county and a date range. The portal warns that some cases will not show. Juvenile cases, expunged cases, limited-access cases under Act 5 of 2016, and Common Pleas civil cases may not display for legal or technical reasons. Here are the main fields on the state court records search for Luzerne County.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search By | Dropdown | Yes | Docket Number, Participant Name, Citation Number, OTN, Date Filed, Attorney, and more |
| Docket Number | Text | If selected | Example: CP-40-CR-0009999-2024 (40 is the Luzerne code) |
| Citation Number | Text | If selected | Includes a dash, such as A5368532-1 |
| County | Dropdown | Conditional | Choose Luzerne |
| Judicial District | Dropdown | Conditional | Luzerne is 11 |
| Docket Type | Dropdown | Conditional | Civil, Criminal, Landlord/Tenant, Non-Traffic, Summary Appeal, Traffic |
| Participant Name | Text | Conditional | Last and first name; date range optional |
| Date Filed | Date range | Conditional | mm/dd/yyyy; 180-day max range |
| Case Status | Dropdown | Conditional | Active, Closed, Inactive, Adjudicated |
Types of Luzerne County Court Records
The Court of Common Pleas is the general trial court for Luzerne County, the 11th Judicial District. It hears criminal, civil, family, and Orphans' Court matters. Below it sit the Magisterial District Courts, the local minor courts that handle traffic, small claims, and early criminal steps. Record custody is split across separate county offices. That split shapes where each record type lives and how you reach it.
The Prothonotary keeps civil and family records. The Clerk of Courts keeps criminal, juvenile, and dependency records. The Register of Wills holds probate and marriage records, and the Recorder of Deeds holds land records. Knowing which office owns a record saves time. The main court records types in Luzerne County break down like this.
- Civil records: complaints, judgments, liens, mortgage foreclosures, name changes, and magisterial appeals, kept by the Prothonotary.
- Family records: divorce, custody, support filings, and Protection From Abuse, also with the Prothonotary and limited online.
- Criminal records: Common Pleas charges, dispositions, sentencing, bail, and costs, kept by the Clerk of Courts.
- Magisterial District Court records: traffic and non-traffic citations, landlord-tenant, and small claims up to $12,000.
- Probate and marriage records: wills, estates, short certificates, and marriage licenses at the Register of Wills.
What Luzerne County Court Records Show
A docket sheet packs a lot into a few lines. At the top you get a docket number, the court and county, the case caption, the filing date, and the case status. Below that come the parties and their roles, the attorneys, and a running list of docket entries. Criminal dockets add an OTN, the charges, the grading, and the disposition. Traffic dockets add the citation number, the offense, and the amount due or paid. The county Prothonotary keeps the source documents for civil cases.
The Prothonotary office page explains the office role and its public access. You can read more on the Prothonotary office page at the county site.
The page lists the office hours, duties, and the fact that civil records went computerized on March 1, 2005. Filings made on or after that date are searchable online, with some older records online too. This sample inventory shows the core fields you will see on a Luzerne County court record.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Docket Number | The case ID; Common Pleas uses CP-40, magisterial dockets use MJ-111xx |
| Case Caption | The party names and the case title |
| Filing Date | The date the case was first filed with the court |
| Case Status | Active, closed, inactive, or adjudicated |
| Parties and Roles | Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, or the Commonwealth |
| Docket Entries | Hearings, motions, orders, continuances, and bail actions |
| Financials | Costs, fines, restitution, and bail amounts |
| Disposition | The outcome, such as a judgment, plea, or verdict |
The county also runs an online civil viewer for document images. You can search the index by party name or case number on the Prothonotary SearchIQS viewer.
The viewer needs an account and a subscription, with per-document fees to view or print. It is the place to pull civil filings that the free state docket search does not show.
Public Access Framework for Luzerne County Court Records
Pennsylvania uses two tracks for records. Ordinary agency records fall under the Right-to-Know Law, found at 65 P.S. 67.101 et seq. Agencies must answer a request within 5 business days. Court case records are different. They follow the Case Records Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System, set at 204 Pa. Code 213.81. Court cases come through the UJS portal and the row offices, not through a Right-to-Know request. Knowing the right track keeps your request from getting bounced.
Anyone can search the public docket system. No reason or ID is needed to look. Fees come in when you want copies. Under the court access policy, photocopy and print fees shall not exceed $0.25 per page unless set otherwise. At the Prothonotary, copies you make run $0.50 per page, and a certified copy costs $9.00 for the first page. The UJS public records policies spell out the full rules.
Note: A UJS docket search is not an official background check; for that, use the state PATCH system run by the Pennsylvania State Police.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Luzerne County
Not every court file is open. Several categories stay shielded by law. Juvenile case records are restricted under 42 Pa.C.S. 6307. Expunged records come out under 18 Pa.C.S. 9122. Limited-access and Clean Slate records seal files from public view under sections 9122.1 and 9122.2. Family-court documents face remote-access limits, and probate records are limited online to dockets, orders, and opinions. Adoption and mental-health records are confidential too. The UJS search warns that juvenile, expunged, limited-access, and Common Pleas civil cases may not show at all.
Expungement and limited access are not the same. Expungement removes eligible criminal history record information. Limited access seals a record from public view but keeps it open to courts and law enforcement. Clean Slate automates sealing for qualifying records, while petition-based limited access needs a filing. The Luzerne County Clerk of Courts processes both, and eligibility for limited access generally requires being 10 years arrest-free. Even when a record is hidden from the public, criminal-justice agencies still keep access. To view a sealed file you are party to, contact the Clerk of Courts or speak with counsel.
In-Person Court Record Requests
You can also pull records in person. The Prothonotary handles civil and family files, with public work stations on site. Bring a name or a docket number, and bring payment for any copies. The office sits in the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre. For criminal files, the Clerk of Courts is in the same building on the second floor, reachable at 570-825-1585. Both offices keep weekday hours and close on holidays.
Prothonotary & Clerk of Courts
Luzerne County Courthouse, 200 North River Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711
570-825-1745
Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.