Philadelphia Criminal Background Check Records
Philadelphia background check records are processed through the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas and the Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system. Philadelphia is a consolidated city-county and the largest city in Pennsylvania, with approximately 1.6 million residents. Criminal court records are maintained by two divisions: the First Judicial District Criminal Division for felony cases and the Philadelphia Municipal Court for misdemeanors and preliminary hearings. Anyone searching for a background check on a Philadelphia resident must navigate this two-tier court system for complete records. The Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History system is the official source for certified criminal history covering Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Quick Facts
Philadelphia Courts and Criminal Records
Philadelphia's court structure is unlike any other Pennsylvania city. Because Philadelphia is a consolidated city-county, its court system operates as the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. This district includes the Court of Common Pleas and the Philadelphia Municipal Court. For background check purposes, both courts hold records that may be relevant. Felony cases go to the Criminal Division of the Court of Common Pleas at the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center. Misdemeanor cases and preliminary hearings are handled by the Philadelphia Municipal Court. Both courts are located at 1301 Filbert Street in Philadelphia.
| Court | Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 1301 Filbert Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 |
| Criminal Division Phone | (215) 683-7600 |
| Municipal Court Phone | (215) 683-7700 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | courts.phila.gov |
Criminal records in Philadelphia are accessible through in-person visits, written requests, and the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System (UJS) Portal. The UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us provides free name-based searches of Philadelphia docket sheets. Docket sheets show case captions, charges, hearing dates, and dispositions. For official background check purposes, the UJS Portal is supplemental. The Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system remains the authoritative source for certified criminal history reports in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Police Department also maintains arrest records and incident reports. The Police Administration Building is at 750 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Incident reports and police records can be requested under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law through the Philadelphia Police Department's records division. For comprehensive Philadelphia background check research, reviewing both court records and police records gives the most complete picture available.
Note: Philadelphia Municipal Court handles misdemeanor cases up to the second degree, and its records are fully searchable through the UJS Portal alongside Court of Common Pleas records.
Philadelphia City Government and Background Check Resources
The City of Philadelphia maintains several departments that handle public records relevant to background checks. The official Philadelphia city government website provides information about records requests, public safety resources, and the Department of Records. Visit the City of Philadelphia's official website for a directory of city departments.
Philadelphia's Department of Records, located at City Hall Room 156, Philadelphia, PA 19107, manages city archives and administrative records. Reach the Department of Records at (215) 686-2262. For public records requests under the Right-to-Know Law, Philadelphia's Open Records Office can be reached at (215) 686-2276 or by email at openrecords@phila.gov.
Philadelphia also maintains the Department of Prisons, which operates multiple correctional facilities including the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, the Detention Center, and the Riverside Correctional Facility. The Department of Prisons provides inmate lookup, visitation information, and release date inquiries for individuals currently held in Philadelphia custody. This information can supplement court-based background check research for Philadelphia residents.
Pennsylvania PATCH System for Philadelphia Records
The Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) system is the primary tool for obtaining official criminal background check results in Philadelphia. PATCH is operated by the Pennsylvania State Police under the authority of 18 Pa.C.S. §9101. It covers criminal history records from all 67 Pennsylvania counties, including Philadelphia, and consolidates them into a single searchable database. PATCH returns conviction and arrest data drawn from state police records, making it more comprehensive than a single-county court search.
To submit a PATCH request, individuals create an account at the Pennsylvania State Police portal at pa.gov/agencies/psp and submit the required identification and fees. Standard requests typically return results within 7 to 14 business days. Rush processing is available in some cases. PATCH results reflect only state criminal history. Records from other states do not appear unless the person has a Pennsylvania conviction record from time spent in the state.
Philadelphia residents who want to review their own criminal history through PATCH may request a personal record check. Knowing what appears in a PATCH result can help individuals identify records that may qualify for expungement or limited access under Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law at 18 Pa.C.S. §9122.2. Qualifying misdemeanor convictions older than ten years are automatically sealed from public PATCH results. Expungement removes records entirely, while limited access seals them from standard background check searches while preserving access for law enforcement.
Note: PATCH results are not the same as FBI-based fingerprint checks. For positions requiring federal criminal history clearances, including school employees and childcare workers under Act 153 of 2014, fingerprint-based submissions through IDEMIA are required in addition to the PATCH check.
Philadelphia Municipal Court Records
The Philadelphia Municipal Court handles a large volume of criminal matters that appear on background checks. Visit the Philadelphia Municipal Court website for procedural information and records access guidance.
The Municipal Court processes misdemeanor cases, preliminary hearings for felonies, summary offenses, and traffic violations. Records from these proceedings become part of the Philadelphia criminal history available through the UJS Portal and PATCH. For background check research, Municipal Court records fill in the lower-level criminal history that may not appear in Common Pleas Court records alone. Anyone conducting a thorough Philadelphia background check should search both court levels.
Philadelphia Background Check Laws and Rights
Pennsylvania's Criminal History Record Information Act, codified at 18 Pa.C.S. §9101, governs how criminal records may be used in Philadelphia and across the commonwealth. CHRIA limits the use of criminal conviction information and establishes rights for individuals whose records are sought. Violations of CHRIA expose parties to civil liability, including actual damages and potential punitive damages under 18 Pa.C.S. §9183.
Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law at 18 Pa.C.S. §9122.2 provides for the automatic sealing of certain criminal records. Qualifying misdemeanor convictions that are at least ten years old and for which all restitution has been satisfied are automatically granted limited access status. Once sealed, these records do not appear in standard background check searches for Philadelphia residents or anyone in Pennsylvania. The sealing happens automatically without requiring a court petition. However, serious offenses, violent felonies, and sexual offenses are excluded from Clean Slate eligibility.
Philadelphia has one of the strongest local fair chance policies in Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations enforces the city's ordinance applicable to public employment. The Commission is located at 601 Walnut Street, Suite 300 South, Philadelphia, PA 19106, and can be reached at (215) 686-4670. For criminal record expungement in Philadelphia, petitions are filed with the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Once the court grants expungement, the Pennsylvania State Police processes the order and removes records from state databases in accordance with their expungement procedures.
Note: The Philadelphia Department of Records at City Hall Room 156 handles public records requests for city administrative records and should not be confused with court criminal records held at the Criminal Justice Center.
Philadelphia County Background Check Records
Philadelphia is a consolidated city-county, and all criminal filings go through the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, First Judicial District. The county page covers the full court system, fee schedules, related record types, and additional county-level resources for background check research in Philadelphia County.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Residents of nearby cities file criminal cases at their own county courthouse. Select a city below to find background check resources in that area.