What Are Philadelphia County Arrest Records?
Philadelphia County arrest records contain information gathered by local law enforcement agencies about apprehensions made by officers in the county after a suspected criminal involvement. These records may be in the form of collated data on county incidents or discuss an individual’s arrest history. Philadelphia arrest records on county incidents are often published periodically and show statistics that are broken down into different groups like crime category, age, race, and others. However, records on individuals contain personal information, summary of warrants and arrests, alleged crime, and other related information.
The Sheriff’s Office and Police Departments are responsible for creating Philadelphia County arrest records after apprehending suspects within their jurisdictions. The Department of Records of the City of Philadelphia also maintains certain police records and makes these available to the public upon request. Citizens can request for police records in person and by mail. To initiate a police record check, start by downloading and completing the request form. Bring this to Room 168 of City Hall. The office remains open between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Mail requests should go to:
Department of Records
Police Records Unit
Room 168, City Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19107
The fee for a police record report is $35 payable in cash, money order, or business check to the City of Philadelphia.
Crime Statistics
In 2018, Philadelphia county recorded 355 murders and nonnegligent manslaughter, 1,019 rapes, 5,267 robberies, and 31,579 assaults. Property crime figures for the city and county included 6,499 burglaries, 37,023 larceny-thefts, 5,154 auto thefts, and 430 cases of arson. Compared to 2017 statistics, murder (12.3%), assaults (2.1%), larceny-theft (1.4%), auto thefts (2.7%), and arson (4.1%) rates increased in the county. During the same period, there were lower incidences of robbery (12.7%), rape (7.9%), and burglary (1.4%).
What Are Philadelphia County Criminal Records?
Philadelphia County criminal records pertain to documents that contain information on criminal activities gathered by law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional centers in the county. For instance, the police departments manage Philadelphia arrest records, court clerks document trials and dispositions, while the county jail holds information on sentences and compliance status.
In Philadelphia County, there is no single repository for all parts of criminal records. Rather individuals will have to get specific information from different repositories, for instance, a case or conviction information from courts. However, the Pennsylvania State Police maintains a central database of criminal information. The database is made public through the PATCH system. However, like most Philadelphia public records, some custodians may require fees before providing needed documents.
How Do I Get Philadelphia County Criminal Records?
Individuals can get Philadelphia County criminal records from the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial system and the PATCH system operated by the state police. Individuals can get free criminal information from the court system by visiting the website and going to the Docket Sheets section. After this, individuals should change the search type from docket number to participant name. Mandatory information for this search is the subject's first and last name. Users should fill these and may choose to facilitate the search by also including other information. Added options include county (Philadelphia), date of birth, case category, docket type (select criminal), approximated case date, and case status.
Results will show related cases and include information like docket number, filling date, county, parties, case status, offense tracking number (OTN), birth date, and police/complaint number. Selecting a case’s “court summary” option on the far left of the listed results will provide more comprehensive information like arrest date, case status, disposition date, sentence date, sentence type, and so on.
Another way to get criminal records is by using the PATCH system to conduct criminal history record checks online as a volunteer or individual/company. Individuals can also make requests for background checks by sending volunteer, individual, or certified record application forms and fees in certified checks or money order to:
Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository
1800 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9758
How to Find Philadelphia County Sex Offender Information?
Pennsylvania laws empower the State Police to maintain an up-to-date registry of sex offenders living in the state and make this database publicly available. To fulfill this mandate, the State Police maintains a searchable registry on Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law website. Use the provided name search tool to find specific registered sex offenders living in any of the counties in the state. Users should head to the County Search page to see a complete list of registered sex offenders residing in Philadelphia County. Select Philadelphia from the drop-down list of Pennsylvania counties or click Philadelphia on the county map supplied on the page.
How Do I Visit an Inmate in Philadelphia County Jail?
Individuals incarcerated in any prison system managed by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons can have one-hour visits per week, which may be done as a single one-hour visit or split into two 30-minutes visits. Family and friends can visit the inmate, with the exclusion of:
- Persons who pose security threats or can cause detrimental effects on inmates
- Persons who were incarcerated in any county prison facility within the past six months
- Persons who are on conditional release, parole, or probation
- Persons who have had their privileges suspended due to misconducts
While visiting hours are generally on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., general population visits start at 10 a.m., and protective custody visits are from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Moreover, visiting days depend on the first letter of the inmates’ last name. Inmates with surname initials from A to C have visits on Mondays, D to H on Tuesdays, I to M on Wednesdays, N to S on Thursdays, and T to Z on Fridays.
Adults can visit inmates around these periods, but children under the age of 18 cannot visit during school hours and must come along with a parent or legal guardians (with proof). A maximum of two adults and two minors may visit the inmate at a time, but guardians must always supervise the children as misconduct will lead to termination of visits. The different correctional facilities in Philadelphia are:
Curran-Fromhold Correctional Center (CFCF)
7901 State Road
Philadelphia, PA 19136
Specific visiting hours: Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visitors must be checked in by 7:30 p.m.
Philadelphia Detention Center
8201 State Rd.
Philadelphia, PA 19136
Specific visiting hours: Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors must be checked in by 4:30 p.m.
Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (PICC)
8301 State Rd.
Philadelphia, PA 19136
Specific visiting hours: Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors must be checked in by 4:30 p.m.
Riverside Correctional Facility (RCF)
8151 State Rd
Philadelphia, PA 19136
Specific visiting hours: Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays youthful offender visits from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visitors must be properly dressed, and upon arrival, present government-issued IDs and provide the inmate's number and name, after which visitors must wait in the waiting area for clearance by the staff. Usually, facilities have lockers in this area. Therefore, visitors may place personal belongings or contraband items in a locker. Visitors will also undergo full-body search or metal detector screening, and if there are no issues, the individual is taken into the visiting room. As long as the inmate is not facing penalties for violating a jail rule and wants to see the visitor, the visit will go on as planned. The only physical contact permitted is a brief kiss and embrace at the start and end of visitation and hand-holding during the visit.
Note: Inmates can receive visits on holidays like Christmas, New Year, and Thanksgiving. Individuals with complaints about improper fondling or search should call the Office of Community Justice Outreach (CJO) at (215) 685-7288 or (215) 685-8909.
Where and How to Find Philadelphia County Inmate Information?
The Philadelphia Prison System provides a handy search tool to help the public find inmates booked into county and city correctional facilities. Search for an inmate by name or police identification number to see information such as the inmate's detention facility, booking number, and date of birth. For more help locating an inmate, call one of the following numbers: (215) 685-8434, (215) 685-7957, (215) 685-7958, and (215) 685-8692 (Spanish). To obtain more inmate records, contact the Office of Community Justice and Outreach at any of these numbers: (215) 685-7093, (215) 685-7080, and (215) 685-7711.
What Are Philadelphia County Court Records?
Philadelphia County court records are documentation of judicial actions that are carried out by courts in the county during proceedings or otherwise. These records may be in any format from electronic to print and are maintained by local court clerks and in the state’s unified judicial system. Examples of these Philadelphia County public records are docket sheets, case files, transcripts, orders, affidavits, briefs, and pleadings.
The Philadelphia County Court System makes up the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. It has two courts: the Criminal Court of Common Pleas and the Municipal Court. The Office of Judicial Records is responsible for maintaining case records for both courts. Philadelphia County Municipal Court provides public access to its records via an online electronic filing system. Users need to register on the website to access civil court case dockets from the Municipal Court.
The Office of Judicial Records also requires citizens to fill request forms when requesting electronic case records maintained by the Court of Common Pleas and the Municipal Court. For a one-time request, download the non-recurring application form. Citizens and agencies planning on regularly requesting court records should download the recurring application form. The Office of Judicial Records charges 25 cents per page for copies of case records obtained through non-recurring requests.
Recurring reports of court records have flat-rate fees. The charge for recurring reports is $300 per month, while there is an additional $85 per week/day for recurring reports requested weekly and daily.
Location of All Courts in Philadelphia County
Courts of Common Pleas and Divisions in Philadelphia County
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas – Family Division
1501 Arch Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: (215) 686-4000
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas – Office of Judicial Records – Civil
City Hall
Broad and Market Streets, #284
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215) 686-6654
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas – Office of Judicial Records – Criminal
Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice
1301 Filbert Street, #310
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215) 683-7703
Fax: (215) 683-7713
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas – Orphans’ Court Division
City Hall
Broad and Market Streets, #415
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215) 686-2230
Municipal Courts and Divisions in Philadelphia County
Philadelphia Municipal Court – Civil Division
1339 Chestnut Street, #1020
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215) 686-2910
Fax: (215) 569-9254
Philadelphia Municipal Court – Criminal Division
Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice
1301 Filbert Street, #208
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215) 683-7290
Fax: (215) 683-7293
Philadelphia Municipal Court – Traffic Division
800 Spring Garden Street,
P.O. Box 56301
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Phone: (855) 868-1675
What Are Philadelphia County Vital Records?
Vital records in Philadelphia County refer to government-generated certificates or documents that provide information on life events in the county, such as marriages, births, divorces, and deaths, amongst others. Unlike some Philadelphia public records, these records are not always available to the public. For instance, marriage and divorce records are open, while birth and death documents are strictly accessible by persons with valid interests or claims. Moreover, access to certified records also depends on claims, interest, and legal authorization.
Where and How to Get Philadelphia County Divorce Records
The Office of Judicial Records is in charge of issuing records of divorces granted by the Court of Common Pleas in the county from 1885 to date. The office accepts mailed and in-person applications for certified copies of divorce decrees for $41.58 made through money orders, certified checks, and credit cards (over-the-counter only). Requests should contain the case number of the divorce if known, and if unknown, provide the names of the party and approximate date of divorce. Individuals may then address the request to:
Office of Judicial Records, Civil Filing Center
Room 296, City Hall
Broad & Market Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Mailed requests should include a self-addressed stamped envelope, while a check or money order should be made payable to the “Office of Judicial Records." Individuals can call or email the office at (215) 686-4252 or efsupport@courts.phila.gov for further inquiries. Records of divorces granted before 1875 are available at the Philadelphia City Archives located at
3101 Market Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: (215) 685-9401
Where and How to Get Philadelphia County Marriage Records
The Marriage License Bureau is in charge of issuing certified and exemplified copies of marriage records in Philadelphia County. The office accepts mail requests that contain the names on marriage licenses, marriage dates, and self-addressed stamped envelopes. Send a mail request for a marriage record to:
Marriage License Bureau
Room 415 City Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Include two checks in the mail. Make a $15 check payable to "The Clerk of Orphan's Court" to cover searching the county's marriage records. The second check covers copy cost and is payable to the same official. Make it a $25 check when requesting a certified copy of a marriage license. The fee for an exemplified copy is $50. The Philadelphia Department of Archives maintains records of marriages from July 1860 to December 1915.
Where and How to Get Philadelphia County Birth Records
The Division of Vital Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health is the office responsible for issuing copies of birth records for all of the state's counties. Its' records extend back to 1906. To request copies of a birth certificate, start by downloading and filling the Application for a Birth Certificate (also available in Spanish). Bring the completed application to the office of the Philadelphia Division of Vital Records located at 110 N. 8th Street, #108, Philadelphia, PA. Alternatively, send the application by mail to:
Department of Health
Division of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103
The fee for each certified copy of a birth record is $20. Checks or money orders are acceptable forms of payment. Make payable to Vital Records. The Philadelphia Department of Archives maintains records of births from July 1860 to June 1915.
Where and How to Get Philadelphia County Death Records
The Division of Vital Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health is the office responsible for issuing copies of death records for all of the state's counties. Its' records extend back to 1906. To request copies of a death certificate, start by downloading and filling the Application for a Death Certificate (Spanish). Bring the completed application to the office of Philadelphia Division of Vital Records located at 110 N. 8th Street, #108, Philadelphia, PA. Alternatively, send the application by mail to:
Department of Health
Division of Vital Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103
The fee for each certified copy of a death certificate is $20. Check or money orders are acceptable forms of payment. Make payable to Vital Records. The Philadelphia Department of Archives maintains records of deaths from July 1860 to June 1915.
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
Are Property Records Open to the Public in Philadelphia County?
According to the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law, all Philadelphia County property records are available to the public for inspection and copying. To inspect or obtain a property record, interested individuals may submit requests to the custodian’s office. Records that contain confidential or sensitive information may be protected from public view.
Where and How to Find Property Records in Philadelphia County
In Philadelphia County, the Office of Property Assessment maintains property records and determines the value of every piece of property within the county. It maintains an online repository, where interested individuals may find information about Philadelphia properties. The Philadelphia Department of Records also maintains property records and makes copies available to requesters at its public reference room at $2 per page.
Philadelphia Department of Records
ATTENTION Room 154
1400 John F Kennedy Blvd,
Philadelphia, PA 19107
How to Look Up Philadelphia County Property Records
In Philadelphia County, the Office of Property Assessment maintains an online repository, where interested individuals may find information about Philadelphia properties. The repository provides the valuation and physical details of Philadelphia properties, and interested persons may seek out Philadelphia County property records by address, city block, or OPA/BRT account number.
Office of Property Assessment
601 Walnut St.
Suite 300 W.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Location of Philadelphia County Township Property Assessors
Office of Property Assessment
601 Walnut St.
Suite 300 W.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Philadelphia Department of Records
ATTENTION Room 154
1400 John F Kennedy Blvd,
Philadelphia, PA 19107
