Upper Darby Background Check Records and Criminal History
Upper Darby background check records are processed through the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas and the Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system. Upper Darby Township is one of Pennsylvania's largest municipalities, located in Delaware County directly west of Philadelphia. Delaware County has a population of over 576,000 residents. Criminal cases arising in Upper Darby are filed at the Delaware County Government Center in Media, where the Clerk of Courts maintains felony criminal records, misdemeanor appeals, and post-conviction matters. The Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History system is the official source for certified Upper Darby criminal history records. This page explains how to access Upper Darby background check records through courts, police, and state systems.
Upper Darby Quick Facts
Delaware County Criminal Records for Upper Darby
Criminal background check records for Upper Darby residents are maintained by the Delaware County Clerk of Courts at the Delaware County Government Center. This office holds all felony criminal case files, misdemeanor appeals from Magisterial District Courts, ARD records, and post-conviction matters for Delaware County, which includes all of Upper Darby Township. The Delaware County Government Center is located at 201 West Front Street, Media, PA 19063. The Clerk of Courts office phone number is (610) 891-4271. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Delaware County criminal records are accessible in person at the Government Center and through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System (UJS) Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. The UJS Portal provides free name-based searches of Upper Darby criminal records at the county court level and at Magisterial District Courts. Docket sheets show case captions, charges with statutory citations, hearing dates, case status, and dispositions. For certified copies of Delaware County criminal court documents, requests can be made in person or by mail to the Clerk of Courts with applicable fees. Certified documents require a $5.00 certification fee plus copy costs.
Upper Darby criminal cases begin at the Magisterial District Court level for preliminary hearings and summary offenses before moving to the Court of Common Pleas in Media. Magisterial District Court records from Upper Darby proceedings are searchable through the UJS Portal and are part of the broader Delaware County criminal history for any Upper Darby resident. Cases dismissed at the Magisterial District Court stage still generate records that appear in searches. For a complete Upper Darby background check, reviewing both court levels gives the most thorough picture.
The Delaware County Prothonotary at (610) 891-4269 maintains civil records including Protection From Abuse orders. PFA records are checked in background screenings for sensitive positions. The Prothonotary office is at 201 West Front Street, Media, PA 19063. Civil judgments and PFA records held by the Prothonotary complement criminal records when conducting comprehensive background check research for Upper Darby.
Upper Darby Police Department Records
The Upper Darby Township government website provides information about township services and public records access relevant to background check research. Visit the Upper Darby Township official website for department contacts, records request procedures, and public safety information.
The Upper Darby Police Department maintains arrest records and incident reports for Upper Darby Township. The department is located at the Upper Darby Township Building at 100 Garrett Road, Upper Darby, PA 19082. The Records Division can be reached at (610) 734-7689. Incident reports, accident reports, and other police records can be requested through the Records Division with a written request, valid photo ID, and payment of applicable fees. The Upper Darby Police Department handles a substantial volume of activity as one of the largest township police departments in Pennsylvania. Police records cover incidents that may not have resulted in court filings, making them a useful supplement to court-based background check research.
Under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (65 P.S. §67.101), many Upper Darby police records are publicly accessible. Police blotters, incident reports, and crime statistics are among the records available through RTKL requests. Denied requests may be appealed to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov. Police records in Upper Darby provide context about local criminal activity and arrests. For official certified criminal history purposes, PATCH remains the only authoritative source for Upper Darby background checks. The UJS Portal and police records are useful for supplemental research and understanding the scope of a person's criminal history in Delaware County.
Note: Upper Darby Township is a first-class township in Delaware County, not a borough or city. Township governance and police department operations differ slightly from city structures, but the background check process through Delaware County courts and PATCH is the same.
PATCH System for Upper Darby Background Checks
The Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) system is the official statewide background check resource for Upper Darby. PATCH is operated by the Pennsylvania State Police under 18 Pa.C.S. §9101 and consolidates criminal history records from courts and law enforcement agencies across all 67 Pennsylvania counties. For Upper Darby residents, PATCH draws from Delaware County court records and state police records to generate a comprehensive criminal history report. Requests are submitted online 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 determines what PATCH shows for Upper Darby background checks. Qualifying misdemeanor convictions older than ten years for which all restitution has been fully paid are automatically sealed without a court petition. 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 Upper Darby background check searches. Upper Darby residents who want to verify what records currently appear in their criminal history can submit a personal PATCH request to review their own file and identify any records that may qualify for expungement or limited access.
CHRIA at 18 Pa.C.S. §9101 governs how PATCH results may be used. The Act limits the use of criminal conviction records and provides written notice rights to individuals who are subject to adverse decisions based on criminal history. Violations of CHRIA carry civil liability. For Upper Darby residents seeking expungement, petitions must be filed with the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas at 201 West Front Street, Media, PA 19063. The grounds for expungement include dismissed charges, not-guilty verdicts, and successful completion of ARD programs. Once the Delaware County court grants expungement, the Pennsylvania State Police processes the order and removes the records from state and federal databases.
The Delaware County Sheriff's Office at (610) 891-4290, located at the Delaware County Government Center in Media, handles warrant enforcement and civil process throughout Delaware County including Upper Darby. Active warrant verification is relevant to Upper Darby background check research because warrants reflect unresolved criminal matters that may not yet appear as convictions in court records.
Act 153 Clearances and Upper Darby Organizations
Act 153 of 2014 requires three mandatory background clearances for positions involving direct contact with children throughout Pennsylvania, including all Upper Darby organizations serving youth. The three clearances are: the Pennsylvania State Police PATCH criminal history check, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services child abuse history clearance through the COMPASS portal, and the FBI fingerprint-based federal criminal history check through an authorized IDEMIA location. These requirements cover school employees, childcare workers, coaches, tutors, youth program volunteers, and others with direct access to minors in Upper Darby.
All three Act 153 clearances must be renewed every 60 months for covered positions in Upper Darby. The DHS child abuse clearance is submitted through the COMPASS portal online. PATCH clearances are requested at the Pennsylvania State Police portal. FBI fingerprint-based checks are conducted at IDEMIA locations, with multiple sites available in Delaware County and the greater Philadelphia area serving Upper Darby residents. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency at pa.gov/agencies/pccd provides compliance guidance and resources for Upper Darby nonprofits, schools, and community organizations navigating Act 153 requirements.
Upper Darby school districts and charter schools follow Pennsylvania Department of Education guidance for educator clearances under Acts 24, 82, 153, and 4. The PA Safe Check system stores clearance results and allows Upper Darby school administrators to review PATCH reports for covered employees for up to five years from the date of issuance. Upper Darby educators who are arrested or convicted of a reportable offense must notify their school administrator within 72 hours using PDE Form 6004 as required by Act 24 of 2011. Pennsylvania Department of Education resources at pa.gov/agencies/education provide forms, timelines, and complete guidance for Upper Darby school compliance.
Delaware County Background Check Records
Upper Darby criminal cases are filed and maintained at the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas in Media. The county page covers the full Delaware County court system, the Clerk of Courts at the Government Center, the Sheriff's Office, fee schedules, and additional county-level resources for background check research in Upper Darby and throughout Delaware County.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Residents of nearby cities access background check records through their own county courthouse. Select a city below to find background check information for that area.