Use the Right Allegheny County Court Search Before Looking Up a Name
An Allegheny County case can exist even when the first search returns nothing. Criminal Court of Common Pleas cases and magisterial cases use Pennsylvania’s UJS Web Portal, while civil, family, probate and Orphans’ Court records use Allegheny County’s separate Department of Court Records system.
This guide helps you choose the correct database, search a participant name, understand an Allegheny docket number, locate older files, request certified copies and contact the exact Pittsburgh office that maintains the record.
Which Allegheny County Record Do You Need?
Select the card that matches the case. The most common search failure is using Pennsylvania’s statewide criminal portal for a civil, divorce, probate or will record that is stored in a separate county system.
Use participant name, docket number, organization name, offense tracking number or another supported identifier.
Follow the criminal searchSelect Participant Name and Allegheny County to locate a district court docket sheet.
Search the minor judiciaryThe county portal maintains civil and family dockets, filings and scanned images unless access is restricted.
Open the civil/family routeRegistration is required for online case searching; a separate mail form is available for will searches.
Find probate and will recordsAllegheny County Uses More Than One Court-Record System
The Allegheny County Department of Court Records has three divisions—Civil/Family, Criminal and Wills/Orphans’ Court—but those divisions do not all use the same public search page.
Criminal Court of Common Pleas, Magisterial District Court, traffic, non-traffic, landlord-tenant and qualifying minor cases.
Civil lawsuits, divorce, custody-related court filings, judgments, liens, appeals and other Common Pleas civil/family records.
Estates, wills, guardianship, Orphans’ Court proceedings and related probate records.
Pennsylvania appellate cases use the UJS appellate search; federal cases use PACER and the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Use This Allegheny County Name-Search Workflow
Before entering a name, identify the likely court level. A criminal prosecution, traffic citation, eviction and divorce can all involve different dockets and search tools.
- Identify the case category. Look for words such as criminal, civil, family, divorce, custody, landlord-tenant, traffic, probate, estate, will or guardianship.
- Check the court named on existing paperwork. A citation, complaint, hearing notice, judgment or attorney letter may identify the Court of Common Pleas, a Magisterial District Court or Pittsburgh Municipal Court.
- Start with the least restrictive name search. Enter the last and first name. Avoid adding an uncertain middle name, birth date or filing year during the first attempt.
- Select Allegheny as the county. On the statewide UJS portal, use the county filter to exclude same-name cases filed elsewhere in Pennsylvania.
- Repeat the name in alternate formats. Try the full legal name, no middle name, middle initial, former surname and common spelling variations.
- Open the docket sheet rather than relying on the result row. Confirm the docket number, filing office, case type, participant role, filing date, charges or claims and case status.
- Save the full docket number. The complete number is the fastest way to return to the case and request documents.
- Switch systems when the result does not match the case type. Move to the DCR civil/family or Wills/Orphans’ system instead of repeatedly searching UJS.
Three searches that prevent false “no record” results
Search the first and last name with Allegheny selected as the county.
Remove the middle name, try the middle initial and test a former or alternate surname.
Move to Civil/Family or Wills/Orphans’ Court if the case is not criminal or magisterial.
Search Allegheny County Criminal Court Records
The Allegheny County Criminal Division identifies the Pennsylvania UJS Web Portal as its official online docketing and record system. It covers criminal Common Pleas records for Allegheny County and other Pennsylvania counties.
- Open UJS Case Search. Choose the Criminal Courts of Common Pleas search rather than the Magisterial District Court search.
- Select Participant Name. Enter the person’s last and first name. Add Allegheny County to narrow the search.
- Review each possible match. Compare the filing date, docket number, charges, status and court office.
- Open and save the docket sheet. The docket sheet can show the case caption, participant details, charges, attorneys, calendar events, bail, disposition and financial information.
- Use the county file office for actual documents. A public docket sheet is not necessarily the complete criminal case file or a certified record.
In-person criminal file access
Criminal files from the current year and the four previous years are kept in Room 220 of the Allegheny County Courthouse. Older criminal files can still be available, but they must be ordered from storage. Public computer terminals are available for criminal-record research.
Search Magisterial District and Pittsburgh Municipal Court Cases
Allegheny County’s minor judiciary includes 46 magisterial districts plus Pittsburgh Municipal Court. These courts handle many traffic, non-traffic, landlord-tenant, small civil and preliminary criminal matters.
Search a Magisterial District Court docket
- Open Pennsylvania’s UJS Case Search. Select Magisterial District Court Cases.
- Choose Participant Name. Enter the person’s last and first name.
- Select Allegheny County. This removes results from other Pennsylvania judicial districts.
- Review the docket type. Common categories include civil, landlord-tenant, criminal, traffic and non-traffic.
- Open the docket sheet. Confirm the magisterial district number, filing office, hearing information and disposition.
Pittsburgh Municipal Court
Pittsburgh Municipal Court handles traffic, non-traffic and criminal matters within its jurisdiction. The court is located at 660 First Avenue, Pittsburgh, and its Criminal, Traffic and Non-Traffic sections have separate telephone numbers.
| Office | Telephone | Use this contact for |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Municipal Court main line | 412-350-6715 | General municipal court and criminal-section questions. |
| Traffic Division | 412-350-6720 | Traffic matters filed in Pittsburgh Municipal Court. |
| Non-Traffic Division | 412-350-6710 | Non-traffic summary matters and city ordinance cases. |
| Arraignment Court | 412-350-3240 | Arraignment Court information; emergency PFAs and Arraignment Court operate 24 hours. |
Search Allegheny County Civil, Family and Divorce Records
Civil and family records are maintained by the Allegheny County Department of Court Records, Civil/Family Division—the office that performs functions historically associated with the Prothonotary.
| What you have | Best route | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Complete civil or family case ID | Direct case lookup Use the case-ID fields on the DCR search page. |
Enter the complete standard or non-standard case ID accurately. |
| Party name but no case number | Account or clerk assistance Register or log in to the DCR system, or contact Civil/Family records. |
The public landing-page search visibly requests a case ID rather than only a party name. |
| Need scanned filings | DCR retrieval system | Images are unavailable when a case is sealed or statutes or local rules restrict access. |
| Case filed before 1995 | Archived indices Use the pre-1995 index PDFs or contact the division. |
Older index pages may require manual PDF searching and follow-up file retrieval. |
Practical civil/family search sequence
- Check existing paperwork for the docket number. Allegheny civil and family dockets often use local formats that differ from statewide criminal docket numbers.
- Open the DCR Civil/Family portal. Use the visible Case Search when you have the case ID.
- Register when broader retrieval is required. The DCR system provides filing, docket and document-retrieval functions to registered users.
- Confirm the division and document type. A divorce decree, custody order, civil complaint, judgment or tax lien may be maintained under a different docket category.
- Contact Civil/Family records when only a name is available. Prepare the name, approximate filing year, case category and any known opposing-party information.
Search Wills, Estates and Orphans’ Court Records
Estate, probate, will, guardianship and Orphans’ Court records are maintained by the Wills/Orphans’ Court Division. The online system requires registration and login for case searching.
Online probate and Orphans’ Court search
- Open the Wills/Orphans’ Court portal. The login page states that users must register before performing a case search.
- Search the decedent or estate name. Try the full legal name and spelling variations.
- Confirm whether the result is an estate or Orphans’ Court proceeding. Probate administration and Orphans’ Court litigation can use different filings and fees.
- Save the estate or case number. Use it when requesting a will, letters, inventory, petition or certified record.
Mail request for a will search
Allegheny County provides a Will Search Request Form that can be completed, printed and mailed. The published search fee is $10, paid by money order to the Department of Court Records; personal checks are not accepted.
Decode an Allegheny County Criminal Docket Number
A complete docket number is more reliable than a name search. Allegheny County criminal Common Pleas cases commonly use a format such as CP-02-CR-0001234-2026.
Court level: Court of Common Pleas.
County code: 02 identifies Allegheny County.
Docket type: criminal case.
Sequence number: the unique case sequence assigned for that docket year.
Filing year: the year associated with the docket.
Where to find the docket number
- Criminal complaint or information
- Hearing notice
- Bail or sentencing order
- Divorce decree or family order
- Civil complaint, judgment or praecipe
- Estate or probate correspondence
- Attorney letter or court-generated notice
Confirm the Record Before Treating It as a Match
A same-name result can belong to a different person. Pennsylvania docket sheets also warn that recent filing-office entries may not be immediately reflected online.
Confirm Common Pleas, Magisterial District, Pittsburgh Municipal, Orphans’ Court or appellate jurisdiction.
Check that the docket identifies Allegheny County rather than another Pennsylvania county.
Determine whether the name belongs to a defendant, plaintiff, petitioner, respondent, landlord or tenant.
Compare the year with the event, arrest, dispute, marriage, separation or death being researched.
Confirm criminal, civil, family, landlord-tenant, probate, traffic or another docket type.
Read the final outcome. A charge, complaint or petition does not prove conviction or judgment.
Request Plain or Certified Allegheny County Court Copies
The correct copy office and fee depend on the division. A UJS docket sheet is useful for research, but it is not automatically a certified copy of the underlying complaint, order, decree, will or judgment.
| Record or service | Published fee or rule | Where to request it |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal certification | $20 | Department of Court Records, Criminal Division. |
| Civil/Family certified copy | $20 | Civil/Family Division at the City-County Building. |
| Certified divorce decree | $20 | Civil/Family Division; provide the divorce docket information. |
| Will search by mail | $10 Money order; no personal checks. |
Wills/Orphans’ Court Division using the Will Search Request Form. |
| Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration copy | $25 under the current probate fee schedule. | Wills/Orphans’ Court Division. |
| Older file retrieval | Current storage-retrieval rate may apply. | The division holding the file; confirm cost before ordering. |
Prepare this information before requesting a copy
- Complete docket or case number
- Correct court division
- Names of the parties or decedent
- Approximate filing year
- Exact document title
- Whether certification is required
- Number of copies
- Your telephone, email and mailing information
Allegheny County Court-Record Offices and Contact Details
Downtown Pittsburgh contains several court-record offices within a short area, but they are not all in the same building or room.
436 Grant Street, Room 114
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2469
General office: 412-350-5323
File and research questions: 412-350-5320
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., except county holidays.
414 Grant Street, First Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2469
Telephone: 412-350-5729
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., except county holidays.
414 Grant Street, First Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2469
Telephone: 412-350-4180
Probate appointments: 412-350-4195
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; applications are not processed after 4:00 p.m.
437 Grant Street, 340 Frick Building
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Telephone: 412-350-5485
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
660 First Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Telephone: 412-350-6715
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; emergency PFAs and Arraignment Court are available 24 hours.
Current year and four prior years: Room 220, Allegheny County Courthouse.
Older files must be ordered from storage before review.
What to Do When No Allegheny County Case Appears
Wrong record system
A civil, divorce, family, estate or will case may not appear in the UJS criminal and magisterial search. Use the county DCR portal.
Name entered differently
Remove the middle name, try an initial, former surname, maiden name or business-name variation.
Wrong county filter
The event may have occurred in Allegheny County but the case may have been filed in another Pennsylvania county.
Older civil record
Use the DCR archived indices for civil and family records filed before 1995.
Older criminal file
Files older than the current year plus four prior years must be ordered from storage.
Restricted or expunged record
The docket or document may be sealed, expunged, subject to limited access or otherwise unavailable to the general public.
Pittsburgh Municipal case
Contact Pittsburgh Municipal Court when the citation or hearing notice identifies that court rather than a county Common Pleas division.
Federal case
Use PACER and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania rather than county systems.
Run this recovery sequence
- Search the first and last name without a middle name.
- Select Allegheny County in the UJS portal.
- Check both Common Pleas criminal and Magisterial District Court categories.
- Read the court name printed on any citation or notice.
- Switch to the Civil/Family DCR portal for civil, divorce or family cases.
- Switch to Wills/Orphans’ Court for estates, wills and probate.
- Search the pre-1995 civil indices when the matter is old.
- Call the correct division with the approximate year and case type.
- Ask whether an older file must be ordered from storage.
- Check appellate or federal systems when appropriate.
These Allegheny County Records Use a Different Office
| Record needed | Why the court search is not enough | Better route |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest or criminal-history report | A docket shows court activity and is not a complete statewide criminal-history report. | Use Pennsylvania State Police PATCH or the appropriate access-and-review process. |
| Police incident report | Police reports are maintained by the investigating law-enforcement agency. | Contact the police department, sheriff or other agency that created the report. |
| Current jail custody | A court docket does not provide real-time Allegheny County Jail status. | Use Allegheny County Jail inmate information. |
| Marriage record | Marriage records use the Marriage License/Passports section rather than the ordinary court docket search. | Use Allegheny County’s marriage-record search and ordering system. |
| Deed, mortgage or land record | Real-estate records are maintained by the county real-estate recording office. | Use Allegheny County land-record resources. |
| Federal criminal, civil or bankruptcy case | Federal courts are separate from the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. | Use PACER, the Western District of Pennsylvania or the federal bankruptcy court. |
Use Allegheny County Court Information Carefully
Online docket sheets can contain allegations, withdrawn charges, dismissed cases, duplicate names, amended claims and delayed entries. They are useful research tools, but they require context.
- Do not assume a criminal charge resulted in conviction.
- Do not assume a civil complaint resulted in judgment.
- Do not assume a same-name docket belongs to the intended person.
- Do not treat an online docket sheet as a certified copy.
- Do not use this website as a consumer-reporting or background-screening service.
Use the site’s court records glossary to understand docket, disposition, judgment, expungement and sealed-record terms, and review the FCRA and consumer-reporting notice before using public-record information in a decision-making context.
Frequently Asked Questions About Allegheny County Court Records
Can I search Allegheny County court records by name for free?
Yes. Pennsylvania’s UJS public portal provides free docket-sheet searches for criminal Common Pleas and Magisterial District Court cases. Civil, family, probate and will records use Allegheny County’s separate DCR systems, and registration may be required for broader access.
Why does my civil or divorce case not appear in the UJS criminal search?
The UJS public portal’s Common Pleas docket search focuses on criminal cases. Allegheny County civil, divorce and family records are maintained through the county Civil/Family DCR system.
How do I search an Allegheny County traffic or landlord-tenant case?
Use Pennsylvania’s Magisterial District Court docket search, select Participant Name and choose Allegheny County. Confirm the district court number and case category on the docket sheet.
What does 02 mean in an Allegheny criminal docket number?
In a Common Pleas docket such as CP-02-CR-0001234-2026, 02 identifies Allegheny County. CP means Court of Common Pleas and CR identifies the criminal docket type.
How do I find an Allegheny County case filed before 1995?
Use the Department of Court Records archived Civil/Family indices. The index pages can be searched within the PDF, but the actual file may require a separate retrieval request from the division.
Where are older Allegheny County criminal files stored?
The current year and four prior years are available in Room 220 of the Allegheny County Courthouse. Older criminal files must be ordered from a storage facility before they can be reviewed.
How much is a certified Allegheny County court copy?
The current Criminal Division fee schedule lists certifications at $20. Civil/Family pages list a $20 certified copy and a $20 certified divorce decree. Other charges can apply, so confirm the total with the division before paying.
Can I search Allegheny County wills online without an account?
The Wills/Orphans’ Court login page states that registration is required for case searching. A separate Will Search Request Form is available for mail requests with a published $10 money-order fee.
Can the Criminal Records office give me case details by phone?
The office accepts questions about case files, criminal records and ordering files, but Allegheny County states that case-related information will not be discussed by telephone.
Are sealed, expunged or limited-access cases public online?
Not necessarily. Sealed, expunged and limited-access records can be removed from public search or have restricted documents. Contact the record-holding court about lawful access; staff cannot override a court order or statutory restriction.
How This Allegheny County Guide Was Verified
- Pennsylvania UJS — Case Search
- Pennsylvania Courts — Court Case Information
- Allegheny County — Court Records
- Allegheny County — Criminal Records
- Allegheny County — Civil and Family Court Records
- Allegheny County — Wills and Orphans
- Allegheny County Department of Court Records Portal
- Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania
- Allegheny County Magisterial District Court Directory
- Pittsburgh Municipal Court
Read the site’s source verification policy for the review process used on official links, fees, offices and access restrictions.
Search systems, name-search routes, division responsibilities, archived-record access, office locations, telephone numbers, public hours and published copy fees were reviewed against current Allegheny County, Fifth Judicial District and Pennsylvania Courts sources.
Court links, office procedures, fees and public-access rules can change. The current record-holding court or Department of Court Records source controls when it differs from this guide.