Allentown Background Check and Criminal Record Lookup
Allentown background check records are processed through the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas and the Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system. Allentown is Pennsylvania's third-largest city and the county seat of Lehigh County in eastern Pennsylvania. Criminal cases originating in Allentown are filed at the Lehigh County Courthouse, where the Clerk of Courts maintains felony criminal records, misdemeanor appeals, and post-conviction matters. The Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History system operated by the Pennsylvania State Police is the official source for certified Allentown criminal history records. This page covers the local offices and procedures for Allentown background check research.
Allentown Quick Facts
Lehigh County Court Records for Allentown
Criminal background check records for Allentown residents are maintained by the Lehigh County Clerk of Courts at the Lehigh County Courthouse. The Clerk of Courts maintains felony criminal cases, misdemeanor appeals from Magisterial District Courts, summary appeals, and Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) records. Allentown is the county seat of Lehigh County, so the courthouse sits at the center of the city. The Lehigh County Courthouse is located at 455 West Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101. The Clerk of Courts can be reached at (610) 782-3160. Office hours are generally Monday through Friday during normal business hours.
Lehigh County criminal records are searchable through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System (UJS) Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. The UJS Portal provides free name-based searches of Allentown criminal docket sheets. Docket information includes case captions, charges with statutory citations, hearing dates, pleas, dispositions, and sentencing information. For certified copies of specific documents, written requests can be submitted to the Clerk of Courts at the Lehigh County Courthouse. Certification costs $5.00 plus applicable copy fees. In-person requests allow same-day retrieval for many standard documents.
Allentown criminal cases begin at the Magisterial District Court level, where preliminary hearings and summary offense proceedings are conducted. These Magisterial District Court records are also searchable through the UJS Portal. Many background check searches for Allentown residents must review both the Magisterial District Court level and the Court of Common Pleas level to capture the full history of a criminal matter. Cases dismissed at the preliminary hearing stage still generate court records that may appear in an Allentown background check search.
The Lehigh County Prothonotary at (610) 782-3165 maintains civil records including Protection From Abuse (PFA) orders. PFA records are checked during background screening for positions involving vulnerable populations in Allentown. The Prothonotary office is also at 455 West Hamilton Street, Allentown.
Allentown Police Department Records
The official Allentown city government website provides department contacts and public safety resources relevant to background check research. Visit the City of Allentown's official website for information about city departments and records access.
The Allentown Police Department maintains arrest records and incident reports for Allentown. The department is located at 425 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101. The main phone number is (610) 437-7721, and the Records Division can be reached at (610) 437-7750. Incident reports, accident reports, and other police records can be requested through the Records Division. Requests require a written submission with incident details, a valid photo ID, and payment of applicable copy fees. Processing time varies by request type.
Under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, many Allentown Police Department records are accessible to the public. Police blotters, incident reports, and crime statistics are among the records available through RTKL requests. Requests that are denied can be appealed to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov. Allentown police records supplement court-based background check research by providing arrest history and incident information that may not appear in court records if charges were not formally filed. For official background check purposes, only PATCH provides a certified criminal history for Allentown residents.
Allentown City Hall and Public Records Access
Allentown City Hall serves as the administrative center for city government functions, including records access and public information requests. The city government website provides resources for understanding local record-keeping and background check processes in Allentown. Visit the allentownpa.gov website for department listings, forms, and contact information.
Allentown City Hall is located at 435 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101. Various city departments relevant to public records and background check research are housed here. Right-to-Know Law requests for city records can be directed to the appropriate records officer for each city department. The city's Human Resources Department, also at 435 Hamilton Street, can be reached at (610) 437-7539. Allentown has adopted fair chance policies for public employment that delay criminal background check inquiries until after a conditional offer stage. These local policies operate within the framework established by CHRIA at 18 Pa.C.S. §9101 and do not eliminate the background check requirement, but change its timing in the public employment context.
Note: Allentown's fair chance policy applies to city government positions and does not govern private background check requests or background checks conducted for other lawful purposes in Allentown.
PATCH System and Statewide Background Checks for Allentown
The Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) system is the official statewide background check resource for Allentown. Operated by the Pennsylvania State Police under 18 Pa.C.S. §9101, PATCH consolidates criminal history records from courts and law enforcement agencies across all 67 Pennsylvania counties. For Allentown residents, PATCH draws from Lehigh County court records and state police records to generate a comprehensive criminal history report. Requests are submitted at pa.gov/agencies/psp. Standard PATCH results typically return within 7 to 14 business days.
Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law at 18 Pa.C.S. §9122.2 affects what PATCH shows for Allentown background checks. Qualifying misdemeanor convictions that are more than ten years old and for which all financial obligations have been satisfied are automatically sealed. Sealed records do not appear in standard PATCH searches. Serious felonies, violent crimes, and sexual offenses are excluded from Clean Slate eligibility and remain visible in PATCH results for Allentown background check searches. Individuals seeking to review their own Allentown criminal history can request a personal PATCH check to verify what records are currently visible.
Act 153 of 2014 requires three mandatory clearances for positions involving direct contact with children in Pennsylvania, including Allentown organizations. The three clearances are: a PATCH criminal history check from the Pennsylvania State Police, a child abuse history clearance from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services through the COMPASS portal, and an FBI fingerprint-based federal criminal history check through an authorized IDEMIA location. All three clearances must be renewed every 60 months for covered positions in Allentown. PCCD at pa.gov/agencies/pccd provides compliance guidance for Allentown nonprofits and child-serving organizations.
For Allentown residents seeking expungement of criminal records, the petition is filed with the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas at 455 West Hamilton Street. Once the court grants expungement, the Pennsylvania State Police processes the order and removes records from state databases. Limited access under the Clean Slate law happens automatically without a petition for qualifying records, but expungement requires a formal court proceeding in Lehigh County.
Lehigh County Background Check Records
Allentown criminal cases are filed and maintained at the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. The county page covers the full Lehigh County court system, the Clerk of Courts, the Sheriff's Office, fee schedules, and additional county-level resources for background check research in the Allentown area.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Residents of nearby cities access background check records at their own county courthouse. Select a city below to find background check resources in that area.