Find Free Philadelphia Public Records (Criminal, Marital, Property, Court & More)

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Free Philadelphia County Public Records Search

Access Philadelphia County Records: marriage, divorce, warrants, arrests, probation, criminal, court, background checks, and all public records.

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Philadelphia public records are available for citizens to access and view and are often accessible at no cost. These public records contain valuable criminal and prisoner information such as warrants, probation information, arrests and court cases. In addition, you can access property records, marriage certificates and divorce records.

Public records can also be provided through background check reports for various purposes.

The two key laws that have granted individuals access to these types of records are the Freedom of Information Act and Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law. While these laws provide certain rights to information, particular records are exempt, and how you access these documents can often be complicated. However, with the right knowledge and resources, you can easily and efficiently access public records on anyone in Philadelphia.

This article will walk you through the simplest and most convenient methods of accessing public records in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania providing several online tools and resources to assist with any documents you are searching for.

This resource was written by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

How To Look Up Philadelphia Arrest Records & Inmate Information at No Cost

You can typically find out if someone is in jail by searching arrest or jail records at the county level.

Before you begin your search, whether online or in person, ensure you have obtained as much information as possible to assist you in finding the desired records. Having a person’s name, the date or location where they were arrested and the arresting agency is information that can increase a searcher’s likelihood that they will find what they are looking for.

While you may be able to get everything you need at the county level, there is a benefit to performing a search via city police departments within that county.

One reason for this is that if a city police department is the arresting agency, you may be able to obtain copies of their police reports. Other times, it’s important to contact the municipal police department because you may need more information to perform your search at the county or state level.

Whatever your reason, below is a detailed review of how you can search for arrest records throughout Philadelphia.

Check if Someone Was Arrested & Taken to a Philadelphia (Free Search)

If your goal is to search for arrest records throughout the city or county, or to see if someone is in jail, an online option is to search for the individual using the Philadelphia Department of Prisons Incarcerated Person Locator.¹

You can find people in the Philadelphia prison system by searching by their Police Identification Number (PID) or their complete name along with their date of birth.

This tool does not allow you to search by someone’s name alone, so if you do not have the person’s exact birthdate or PID, you cannot perform a search using this tool.

You can contact the Classification, Movement and Registration Department at 215-685-8394 if you need additional assistance searching for someone that is incarcerated. You can also reach out to the Community Justice and Outreach Department at 215-685-8396 with additional questions about searching for an incarcerated person.

The Philadelphia Department of Prisons is also available at 215-685-7711 if you need assistance with determining whether someone was arrested and taken to a Philadelphia prison. Another option is to contact one of the four jails operated by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. A searcher can use the contact information below to request information about their jail roster or how to find a particular inmate:

Prison Facility	Address	Phone Number
Curran-Fromhold Correctional Center	7901 State Rd. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19136	215-685-7843
Detention Center	8201 State Rd. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19136	215-685-8436
Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center	8301 State Rd. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19136	215-685-7100
Riverside Correctional Facility	8151 State Rd. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19136	215-685-6911

Obtain Arrest Reports From Police Departments in Philadelphia County Pennsylvania

Arrest reports can also be requested from the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD). You may want to request an arrest report for various reasons. The arrest report itself may answer any particular questions you have, such as why a person was arrested and what charges were brought against them.

As discussed above, you may also need a recent arrest report to get additional information to assist you in your search for an inmate in the Philadelphia Prison System. Among other things, an arrest report will contain the information needed to perform a search with the Philadelphia Department of Prisons Incarcerated Person Locator, such as the person’s full name, date of birth and PID.

To assist with your Philadelphia bookings search, you can get arrest information from the Philadelphia Police Department by submitting an Application For Search and or Extract of Police Incidence or Offense Report.²

The more specific the information you can provide in this request, the greater the likelihood of obtaining the information you are requesting. Specifically, the Department of Records requests that you provide the following information.

• Date & Location of Offense
• Date Reported to the PPD
• Name of All People Involved
• Description of the Incident
• District Control Number (obtained from whichever police district the incident occurred)

You can mail an application, along with a $25 fee, to the address below:

Department of Records
Incident Reports
Rm. 170, City Hall
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

For any questions regarding a report, you can call them at 215-686-2266 or 215-686-1292. You can also contact them in person at the following address:

Philadelphia Police Department
Reports Control and Review
8th & Race St., Rm. 214 PAB.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106

Whether you need more information for your Offense Report, such as the district control number, or you have another question or inquiry regarding arrest reports, you can contact one of the several Philadelphia Police Department Districts in person or by phone.

How To Access Criminal Cases in Philadelphia County Pennsylvania

You can search Philadelphia public records for not just arrest information, but for criminal case records too. While criminal records may contain much of the information you can view in an arrest record, there is also additional data you can obtain when you look up someone’s criminal record.

Criminal records typically provide a holistic picture of charges brought against an individual and how they were resolved. This includes a person’s sentence and whether they are incarcerated in a prison or on probation.

You can also check for specific information on a criminal record, such as if someone has a warrant for their arrest. If the case is still pending, you can get information on upcoming court dates.

Depending on the type of criminal record information you are looking for, you may have to search with different custodians. In Philadelphia, that often includes performing a search with Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System and the PA Department of Corrections. You can also use certain tools to conduct a more specific search, such as utilizing sex offender registries to determine whether or not a person is registered as a sex offender.

Below, you can view the various ways to search if someone has a criminal record in Philadelphia and throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

Perform a Free Criminal Records Search in Philadelphia County PA via the Municipal Court Electronic Filing System

A searcher can perform a Philadelphia County case search for criminal records using the Philadelphia Municipal Court Electronic Filing System.³

To perform a criminal records search, you will first want to select “Defendant” under the first drop-down menu for “Type.” For “Case Type,” you will want to select the Criminal option.

After that, you can opt to include a date range and enter the individual’s name.

After you perform a search using this tool, you can get information about the person’s criminal record; this includes a description of the charges, the results and the filing date for a particular charge. You can also see details regarding all docket entries for a particular criminal case.

Additional information regarding the defendant will be available as well, including their address. This could help confirm you are viewing the criminal records of the correct person, especially if the person has a common name.

A searcher may also decide to check for criminal records in person. The Philadelphia County criminal court system is divided into two different sections for criminal cases. The Philadelphia Municipal Court – Criminal Division handles misdemeanor cases and felony cases that carry with it sentences up to 5 years. This court also handles non-traffic summary charges.

The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Trial Division – Criminal has jurisdiction over all felony cases as well as any appeals from the Philadelphia Municipal Court. Both courts are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. You can contact either court by calling 215-686-7000 or go in person to request criminal records.

Both courthouses are located in the same building at the below address:

Stout Center for Criminal Justice
1301 Filbert St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

The Philadelphia Municipal Court is located in Room 208, and the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas is located in Room 203.

View Prior Charges & Criminal Convictions via the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania (Web Portal)

Individuals can also search for criminal convictions by performing a Philadelphia County judicial records inquiry with the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal.⁴

You can use this search tool to find criminal convictions from both the Philadelphia Municipal Court and the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

Begin your search by selecting what criteria you want to search by (e.g., name, docket number, attorney, etc.). Then select Philadelphia for the County. For docket type, you can then select “criminal.”

Other options you can use to narrow down your search results are the filing date range, case status or a particular calendar event date range. Once you enter all the information you have available, you will see your search results.

From there, you can see specific criminal case information as well as some general information about the defendant in the matter. Here, you can also get the complaint and incident number, which may be helpful if you are looking to request an arrest or offense report. Also, this search tool provides you with the option to download a PDF of both the docket sheet and the court summary.

How To Check if Someone Has an Arrest Warrant in Philadelphia County PA

If you want to look up information regarding Philadelphia County warrants, you can search for relevant information using the Philadelphia Municipal Court Electronic Filing System or the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal.

You can use these search tools and follow the steps provided earlier for performing a criminal record check.

Once you get your search results, check the docket entry and any other section where court events are detailed. If a warrant was issued for someone’s arrest, it should show up as a specific event in a person’s criminal record.

Another means to find out if someone has a warrant in Philadelphia is through the county sheriff’s office. The Philadelphia County Sheriff’s Office website offers a Top Priority List showing list of fugitives with their full names, offense, mugshot, date of birth and other identifying information.

You can also call the Philadelphia Warrant Unit at 215.683.3726 or visit the sheriff’s office directly at:

Philadelphia County Sheriff’s Office
100 South Broad St., 5th Fl.
Philadelphia, PA 19110

Additionally, contacting the Philly Police Department may also provide the information you need.

If you do not find what you are looking for, you could also try reaching out to the particular court that is responsible for handling the criminal case of the person in question. They may be able to answer specific questions about a warrant that was recently issued.

How To View Probation Information in Philadelphia County

Similar to a warrant search, if you are looking for probation information in Philadelphia, you can start online by searching through the Philadelphia Municipal Court Electronic Filing System or the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal.

While there is no option to specifically search for individuals on probation, you can narrow down your search by selecting criminal cases that are closed.

Once you get your search results, check the docket entry and sentencing information to see if there are any details that indicate that an individual was placed on probation.

Probation typically occurs for misdemeanor cases. Since the Philadelphia Municipal Court handles misdemeanor cases, you can also try to contact them at 215-683-7290 or at the below address:

Philadelphia Municipal Court
Stout Center for Criminal Justice
1301 Filbert St., Rm. 208
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

For additional questions about finding probation information, you can contact the Philadelphia Adult Probation Department. You can contact them by phone at 215-683-1000 or in person at the location below.

Philadelphia Adult Probation Department
714 Market St., Sixth Floor
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106

When contacting them, be prepared to provide the full name and date of birth of the person whose probation information you need.

While there is no probation search tool, Pennsylvania does provide a Parolee Locator Search Tool for previously incarcerated persons who have been released from prison to community supervision.⁵ You can use this tool to search by name, parole number, or inmate number to get information about a particular parolee in Pennsylvania.

How To Perform a Criminal Background Check in Philadelphia County Pennsylvania

Anyone can execute a personal criminal background check using the tools outlined in this article and following the steps provided to conduct a free criminal record check.

This type of informal background check can be conducted using online search tools and requesting records in person or by mail. While personal background checks may be used for a variety of reasons, the basic purpose is to learn more about a particular person, whether that be a neighbor, colleague or friend.

There are several instances when a personal background check will not suffice. For instance, if you need a criminal record check for any of the below reasons, you will need a professional background check.

• State or Federal Licensing Requirements
• Insurance
• Childcare or Elderly Care Positions (including as a volunteer)
• Housing Screening
• Employment Screening

To conduct a background check in Philadelphia, you can make a request with the Philadelphia Police Department of Records by submitting a Records Check Request. You can use this form to request either a police records check or a letter of conduct. Both of these requests cost $40.00 and are limited to records within Philadelphia County.

Once you complete the request form, you can send your fee (along with a check made payable to the City of Philadelphia) to the below address.

City of Philadelphia
Department of Records
167 City Hall
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

Note: You can also use this form to make a request for fingerprints.

If you would like a more comprehensive background check, you could also request one from the Pennsylvania State Police. You can submit your background check through their ePATCH Portal whether you are requesting a general criminal record check or one needed as a volunteer (volunteer background checks are free).

You can also submit a request by mail by completing either a standard Criminal History Request Form or a Request for Volunteers. You can mail your form and fees to the below address.

Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository – RCPU
1800 Elmerton Ave.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110

A standard background check from the Pennsylvania State Police costs $22.00.

Retrieve Public Criminal Records Throughout Pennsylvania Using the State & Federal Search Tools

In addition to Philadelphia public records, you can also search for criminal records throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

It may be that you were unable to find Philadelphia criminal records for the person you are searching for. Alternatively, you may have found public criminal records in the county, and you now want to determine whether or not the person has any other criminal records.

There are various Pennsylvania state resources, as well as federal resources, you can use to search federal and state criminal records throughout the state. Use the resources below to find these additional public records throughout Pennsylvania.

• Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal – Use this tool to search criminal records throughout Pennsylvania. You can search any criminal records throughout the state or search in a particular Pennsylvania county.
• PA Department of Corrections Inmate & Parolee Locator – You can utilize this search tool to find someone’s mugshot and gather other criminal information for inmates and parolees under the supervision of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
• PA Sex Offender Registry (Megan’s Law website) – The Pennsylvania State Police provide this tool to search for data about individuals registered as convicted sex offenders in the state. Perform an offender search by a specific county, someone’s name, or via other search options.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) – A searcher can use this tool to find federal inmates.⁷ This search tool can be used to find anyone incarcerated in federal prisons throughout the United States.
• United States Sex Offender Registry – This tool provides the same data as the Pennsylvania Sex offender registry, except it allows you to expand your search throughout the United States.⁸

In addition to finding new information, these Pennsylvania public records may be used to further assist you with a more narrow arrest or criminal record search in Philadelphia.

How To Run a Philadelphia County Pennsylvania Court Case Lookup

There are a couple of online options for searching Philadelphia court records on individuals in either the city or county. Use the tools below to perform a free public records search of Philadelphia cases:

• Philadelphia Municipal Court Electronic Filing System – Here, you can search a variety of municipal court cases, including criminal, landlord-tenant and code enforcement cases.
• Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal – Search civil, criminal and other types of cases in Philadelphia County using this online search tool.

These search tool can pull up any criminal, civil, and family court cases for that individual within the Philadelphia County Court System. The results show basic case information like docket numbers, filing dates, and case types.

Another option is to look up cases in person. Here is the contact information for Philadelphia courts if you want to find court cases in person. Provide as much identifying information about the person/case as possible, like full name, date of birth, docket number, etc. to get the most accurate results.

• Court of Common Pleas – Family Division
• Court of Common Pleas – Trial Division
• Court of Common Pleas Orphans’ Court Division
• Philadelphia Municipal Court – Civil Division
• Philadelphia Municipal Court – Criminal Division 
• Philadelphia Municipal Court – Traffic Division 

How To Acquire Philadelphia County Vital Records Surrounding Marriage, Divorce, Birth & Death

Philadelphia public records also include certain vital records such as birth certificates, death certificates, and records of any marriages or divorces.

People often search for these types of records to check if someone is married or to assist them with a genealogy search.

Sometimes, people need these records for essential reasons. For instance, if someone is being added to a person’s health insurance, they often have to provide a certificate of birth for a child, or a marriage record for a spouse. This identifies their relationship to the insurance policyholder.

Alternatively, you may need a certificate of death if you are making a claim under an insurance policy or handling the probate of an estate. Below you’ll find details on how to search and request these types of records, who may access them and other important information.

Obtain Marriage & Divorce Records or Certificates Through the Philadelphia Register of Wills

Marriage records are public information in Philadelphia. If you want to find out if someone is married, you can use the Marriage License Search Tool provided by the Register of Wills.⁹ To use this tool to search Philadelphia marriage records, you can enter the party’s name you are searching.

In addition, if you are searching for records from 2007 to the present, you can set a date range.

Once you enter at least a partial name, you can see your search results. The search results will simply confirm whether or not the person was married and provide you with the marriage license number, which you can use to request a marriage record from the Register of Wills.

Note: The online search tool is limited to marriage records from 1995 to the present.

The fees for a marriage record are as follows: $25 per certified copy; $50 per exemplified copy (used internationally); and an additional $15 research fee if you request a marriage record by mail.

To request a marriage record with the Register of Wills, important information to have is the name of both parties as well as the date of the marriage. You can either request a marriage record by mail or in person.

By Mail: To request a record by mail, you can either write a letter with the party names and date of marriage or complete a Marriage Record Request Form.¹⁰

The requester can then send the letter or request form, along with a $15 search fee (money order made out to the “Clerk of Orphans Court”) and a self-addressed stamped envelope, to the address below:

Marriage Record Department
City Hall, Rm. 415
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

After your request is processed, the requester will be notified whether or not a record was found. If a record was found, you can fill out the request form for the type of marriage record you want, along with the applicable fee and mail it to the above address. In approximately 7-10 business days, you will receive your marriage record.

In-Person: You can also request a record in person at the same address where you would mail your application. They are available for marriage record requests, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

If you have additional questions, contact the Marriage Record Department at 215-686-2234. For a marriage record from 1860 to 1885, you can conduct your search through the Philadelphia City Archives.¹¹

When it comes to divorce records, the online search tools provided for Philadelphia case record searches do not provide a specific option for searching these types of cases. To perform a search for Philadelphia County divorce records, you can start by contacting the Philadelphia Family Court by phone at 215-686-7466. If you want to go in person, they are located at the following address.

Philadelphia Family Court
1501 Arch Street, 11th Floor
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102

You can also submit a Request for Access to Case Records Form to the address above. There is a section in the form that will ask you to describe the information you are requesting. The more information you have–such as party name and approximate date of divorce–the more likely they will be able to provide a copy of the record.

Divorce decrees are available from 1885 to the present and can be obtained from the Philadelphia Office of Judicial Records. To make a request, you can do so by either mail or in person at the location listed below.

Office of Judicial Records — Civil Filing Center
Rm. 296, City Hall
Broad & Market Streets
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

However you make your request, you will need to provide either the case number for the divorce decree or the name of the spouses and the year when the divorce decree was filed.

The cost of a certified copy of a divorce decree is $41.58, which is made payable to the Office of Judicial Records. If you have any additional questions, you can contact them by email at [email protected] or by phone at 215-686-4252.

Acquire Birth & Death Records in Philadelphia via the Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Records Division

The primary custodian for birth and death records is the Pennsylvania Department of Health.¹² They maintain birth and death records from 1906 to the present. To request a birth or death record, you must be one of the following eligible applicants.

• The Person Listed on the Record (for birth certificates)
• Spouse
• Sibling
• Children
• Parents or Step-Parents
• Grandparent or Great-Grandparent
• Grandchildren or Great-Grandchildren
• Authorized Attorney or Legal Representative
• Power of Attorney
• Extended family members who can show a direct relationship to the person (for death records)
• Individuals able to prove a direct financial relationship to the decedent (for death records)

You can request either type of record through their online vital record ordering process.

If you’d like to make a request by mail, complete either an Application for Birth Certificate or Application for Death Certificate and mail it to the appropriate address below.

Division of Vital Records
Birth Certificate Processing Unit
PO Box 1528
New Castle, Pennsylvania 16103

Division of Vital Records
Death Certificate Processing Unit
PO Box 1528
New Castle, Pennsylvania 16103

To make a request in person, you can bring your completed application to the below address, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Philadelphia Division of Vital Records
110 N. 8th St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

The cost of birth and death certificates is $20. Online requests require an additional $10 processing fee.

For birth or death records from 1860 to 1915, you can search with the Philadelphia City Archives. A requester can fill out a birth or death record application and mail it or bring it in person to the address below.

Philadelphia Department of Records
City Archives
548 Spring Garden St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19123

They are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM.

How To Check Property Ownership & Taxes in Philadelphia County at No Cost

If you would like to conduct a property record search, you can do so through the Philadelphia Office of Property Assessment’s Public Records Repository.

You have three general options when searching for property records using this tool. Use the map to either select a specific property or to search in a selected radius.

The other option is to search property information by typing in either an address, the Department of Records registry map number or the property account number. Once you perform a search, there is a lot of information you can get regarding a particular piece of real property.

For starters, the public index will provide you with general information about the property owner(s) and the value of the property (including the market value for the last ten years). You can also see when the property was last sold and the sale price.

You can also get valuable tax information. The search tool will indicate the estimated taxes for the next year as well as provide a link where you can get even more tax information, such as the current balance and whether there are any liens or debts.

Finally, a searcher can use this tool to get detailed information about the property itself. This includes–among other things–the year the property was built, size and building description.

For additional information, contact the Office of Property Assessment at 215-686-4334 or visit the address below.

Office of Property Assessment
601 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106

If you simply want to look up the taxes for a particular piece of property, you can do so directly using their property tax balance search tool.¹⁵

Using Philadelphia Public Records Responsibly & Understanding Your Rights

Public records in Philadelphia can provide you with a vast array of information. This information can be a powerful tool, so it is important that you have a clear understanding of your responsibility when it comes to handling and using these records.

In addition, if you are concerned about people using your public records, it is vital to understand your rights.

Rights & Responsibility for Personal Use of Public Records: As a searcher, you have the right to search and use the public records information you find for any personal reason you want. That means if you want to learn more about someone, you have the right to do so as long as you are not using these public records for any type of illegal activity (e.g., stalking, harassment, etc.).

While consent is not required, you have to use the records ethically and must also not attempt to use any public records for professional use. That means, for example, you cannot perform your own personal search to use it to make employment decisions or to decide whether or not to rent to a particular individual.

Rights & Responsibility for Professional Use of Public Records: Professional use typically involves a formal request for records at the county, state or federal level to be used for limited purposes.

For instance, professional background checks are needed when someone wants to obtain a security clearance or to meet certain state or federal requirements (e.g., obtaining background checks for people working with minors or the elderly). Also, a professional background check may be used by a company to confirm the accuracy of an individual’s tenant or employment applications.

When it comes to professional use of public records, there are more detailed rights and responsibilities. For instance, as a requester, you must ensure you’re not discriminating against someone based on information uncovered in a background check. If so, the person being searched has the right to file a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Also, unlike personal use, professional use through formal background checks requires consent from the person being searched. The Federal Trade Commission enforces this requirement, and if a person finds out a background check has been performed without their consent, they can report this violation to the FTC.

Finally, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) provides several rights to people subject to searches involving one’s creditworthiness.¹⁶ First, if someone is using the information found in your file against you, they must inform you. Additionally, you have a right to know what is in your file (including your credit score) and may dispute any information the person believes to be either unverifiable, incomplete or inaccurate.

Whether searching an online directory or going in person to check public records, there is an ethical responsibility searchers must adhere to. Now that you understand how to find and properly use Philadelphia public records, you have an invaluable tool at your disposal that can benefit you in many different situations.

Check out the Pennsylvania state public information search tutorial for further guidance on finding these and other records throughout the state.