Search Union County Court Records

Search Union County Court Records Online

The main online channel for Union County court records is Pennsylvania UJS Case Search. It is the Unified Judicial System public docket search, and it covers statewide appellate, Court of Common Pleas criminal, Magisterial District Court, citation, traffic, participant, docket number, OTN, SID, and other search modes. The local Union County Court of Common Pleas page also links court calendars, local rules, and statewide search tools. The portal is free for public docket review. It is not a private background-check product, and Pennsylvania courts warn that new entries from filing offices may not appear at once.

Union County civil, divorce, custody, judgment, and some Orphans' Court documents may require a direct request to the Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, or Clerk of Orphans' Court office. The county's record and document filing instructions state that mail and in-person filing are accepted, fax and email filings are not accepted for filing of record, and mailed filings should include a self-addressed stamped envelope when return copies are needed.

1. Open UJS Case Search and choose the search type that matches the record: participant name, docket number, citation number, OTN, complaint number, or date filed.
2. Use Union County as the county filter when the portal offers county or judicial district choices. For lower court files, use the Magisterial District Court office if known.
3. Review the docket sheet for court name, case type, parties, filing date, status, events, charges, disposition, and payment details.
4. For full papers, certified copies, civil files, family files, or older records not shown online, contact the courthouse clerk office rather than relying only on the web docket.
5. For county agency records outside court case files, use Union County's Right-to-Know channel. Court case records follow UJS public access rules.

The county's official filing page is a useful source for local record practice.

Those filing rules explain why a docket search and a document request are different tasks in Union County court records work.

Union County Court Records Search Fields

UJS Case Search is broad because Pennsylvania uses one statewide public search interface for many court levels. Exact docket numbers work best when a case caption or notice already gives the number. Participant-name searches are useful when the docket number is unknown, but common names may need a date, county, or court filter. OTN and SID searches are most relevant to criminal cases. Citation-number search is the most direct route for traffic tickets.

Types of Union County Court Records

Union County court records are split by court function. Criminal records are tied to the Clerk of Courts and the Court of Common Pleas after charges move beyond early Magisterial District Court proceedings. Civil actions, judgments, liens, writs, divorce, custody, and many family filings are tied to the Prothonotary function. Orphans' Court records cover marriage licenses, estates, guardianships, adoptions, accounts, and small estate petitions, with estate opening also linked to the Register of Wills.

The Pennsylvania courts overview explains the state court structure behind that split. Union County uses the Court of Common Pleas for general trial jurisdiction, while Magisterial District Courts handle traffic, summary non-traffic matters, landlord-tenant cases, small civil claims, preliminary arraignments, and preliminary hearings.

The statewide court structure matters because a Union County court record may begin in a lower court and later move to Common Pleas.

• Criminal court records can show complaints, charges, grading, pleas, disposition, sentencing, fines, costs, restitution, and probation events.
• Court charge records after arrest may show OTN, preliminary arraignment, bail, preliminary hearing status, and whether charges were held for court.
• Civil court records include actions at law, judgments, liens, writs, appeals, petitions, custody, and divorce filings.
• Traffic court records are usually searched by citation number and often begin in Magisterial District Court.
• Orphans' Court records include marriage, estate, guardianship, adoption, account, and small estate matters, with some categories restricted.

What Union County Court Records Show

A public docket is usually a case summary, not the whole court file. It may identify the court, county, caption, parties, case type, filing date, status, events, and financial entries. Criminal docket sheets can include charges, statute citations, offense dates, charge grades, disposition, plea, sentence, bail, counsel, and costs. Civil and family records may show filing events and orders, but full papers often require a clerk request.

Public Access to Union County Court Records

Pennsylvania separates court case access from general county agency records. The UJS public records policy hub is the starting point for case record policy, statewide case-management data, financial records, access forms, and confidentiality rules. The Case Records Public Access Policy, effective January 1, 2022, governs public access, remote access, confidential documents, and confidential information in Pennsylvania court records.

Union County Right-to-Know requests are still useful for county agency records that are not court case files. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records describes the Right-to-Know Law for state and local agency records. Union County policy routes written requests to the Government Center, Attn: Open Records, and states that the county responds within five business days when the request is specific enough to identify the records.

Right-to-Know access is a fallback for agency records, while court case access is usually handled through UJS policy and the proper court office.

Restricted Union County Court Records

Not every court record is public, and not every public record is available remotely. Juvenile delinquency and dependency files are restricted under Pennsylvania law. Adoption files are not ordinary public lookup material. Personal identifiers, financial account numbers, minors' names, and confidential documents must be handled under the UJS public access policy. Union County filing instructions also require a Certification of Compliance with filings, even when no confidential form is attached.

Criminal records may also be sealed, expunged, or subject to limited access. Expungement removes eligible criminal history record information, while limited access removes many records from public view but can leave access for criminal justice agencies and other authorized users. For a local filing issue, the Clerk of Courts can identify filing requirements and fees, but legal advice must come from an attorney.

Union County Court Record Requests

For certified copies, older files, civil records not visible online, family records, and Orphans' Court materials, use the Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Clerk of Orphans' Court office. The office is on the first floor of the courthouse and is listed as the keeper of civil, criminal, and Orphans' Court records. Diane Miller is listed as Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts.

The 2026 Prothonotary fee bill lists a $13 search fee, a $9 certification fee, and an exemplification fee of $28. It also lists separate civil, custody, and divorce filing fees. Copy fees vary by line item, so cite the current fee bill or ask the office before ordering copies.