Lehigh County Background Check Records
Lehigh County background check records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts at the Lehigh County Courthouse in Allentown. Lehigh County is part of the Lehigh Valley region in eastern Pennsylvania and has a population of over 375,000 residents. Allentown, the county seat, is Pennsylvania's third largest city. The Court of Common Pleas handles criminal cases at the county level, and the PATCH system through the Pennsylvania State Police provides statewide criminal history. This page covers all main ways to search Lehigh County background check records.
Lehigh County Quick Facts
Lehigh County Criminal Background Check Overview
The Lehigh County government website provides information about all county offices and their services. Lehigh County is one of Pennsylvania's more densely populated counties, positioned in the Lehigh Valley alongside Northampton County. Allentown brings a high volume of activity to the county court system. The Court of Common Pleas processes a large number of criminal cases each year, from felony prosecutions to misdemeanor appeals from the county's Magisterial District Courts.
The Lehigh County government, shown above at lehighcounty.org, connects the public to the Clerk of Courts, Prothonotary, Sheriff, and other county offices. Criminal background check records in Lehigh County cover felony cases, misdemeanor appeals, summary appeals, ARD program files, and post-conviction proceedings. These records are part of the public court file and accessible through the Clerk of Courts in person, by mail, or through the UJS Portal online. The county's location in the Lehigh Valley makes it a regional center for judicial activity in eastern Pennsylvania.
Lehigh County also maintains active connections to state background check tools. The PATCH system operated by the Pennsylvania State Police draws from all county-level records including those from Lehigh County and provides the most comprehensive statewide criminal history check available to the public.
How to Search Lehigh County Court Records
The UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us is the primary free tool for searching Lehigh County background check records online. It covers all Pennsylvania counties and lets you filter results specifically for Lehigh County. Searches can be done by participant name, docket number, or police incident number. The system returns docket sheets that show all charges filed, court hearing dates, bail status, attorney information, plea entries, and final dispositions. No login is required for basic searches. The PAeDocket mobile application lets you access the same data from a smartphone or tablet.
For an official criminal history result, the PATCH system at pa.gov/agencies/psp is the right choice. PATCH is run by the Pennsylvania State Police and pulls from the central criminal history repository that covers all 67 Pennsylvania counties. Standard PATCH results arrive within 7 to 14 business days. Fingerprint-based FBI checks are also available for positions requiring federal criminal history information and are processed through IDEMIA locations across Pennsylvania. For in-person requests in Lehigh County, visit the Clerk of Courts at 455 West Hamilton Street in Allentown.
Note: A county court search through the UJS Portal or Clerk of Courts shows only cases filed in Lehigh County. A full background check requires the statewide PATCH request to capture records from other counties where the person may have lived or been charged.
Lehigh County Clerk of Courts Records
The Lehigh County Clerk of Courts is the official keeper of all criminal case records for the Court of Common Pleas. The office is located at the Lehigh County Courthouse at 455 West Hamilton Street in Allentown. Staff handle record searches, copy requests, and certified copy orders. Mail-in requests are also accepted. The office processes requests for felony case files, misdemeanor appeal records, ARD documentation, and post-conviction records.
The Lehigh County Clerk of Courts office shown above handles all criminal court record access for the county. The office at lehighcounty.org/departments/clerk-of-courts is reachable by phone at (610) 782-3160. Records contain the defendant's name and date of birth, all charges with statute citations, offense grade and offense date, bail records, court hearing schedules and outcomes, disposition information, and sentencing details. The full record shows the case from first filing through final resolution.
| Office | Lehigh County Clerk of Courts |
|---|---|
| Address | Lehigh County Courthouse 455 West Hamilton Street Allentown, PA 18101 |
| Phone | (610) 782-3160 |
| Website | lehighcounty.org/departments/clerk-of-courts |
| UJS Portal | ujsportal.pacourts.us |
Civil records in Lehigh County are kept by the Lehigh County Prothonotary at the same courthouse, reachable at (610) 782-3165. The Prothonotary handles Protection from Abuse orders, civil judgments, and family court filings. Warrant information and civil process are managed by the Lehigh County Sheriff at (610) 782-3170. All three offices are located at 455 West Hamilton Street in Allentown.
PATCH System and Statewide Records Access
The Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system is the most complete tool for a Lehigh County criminal background check. PATCH covers all 67 counties and reflects records from courts at every level of the Pennsylvania court system. It is the only source authorized to produce official criminal history record information in Pennsylvania. Requests can be submitted through the Pennsylvania State Police website. Results are typically returned within 7 to 14 business days after account creation and identification verification.
The Lehigh County Prothonotary, shown above at lehighcounty.org/departments/prothonotary, maintains civil records that may be relevant to a comprehensive background check. Protection from Abuse orders and civil judgments are held here and are separate from criminal records kept by the Clerk of Courts. For free online docket searches, the UJS Portal covers both criminal and civil case types in Lehigh County and provides public access to case docket sheets without a login.
Pennsylvania's criminal history record information act at 18 Pa.C.S. Section 9101 governs how criminal history data is collected and used in the state. This law sets standards for the accuracy of records kept in systems like PATCH and defines who may access certain categories of information. The Pennsylvania State Police maintains audit logs of all criminal history records disseminated through the PATCH system to ensure compliance.
Public Records and Right-to-Know in Lehigh County
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law grants the public access to most government records held by state and county agencies. Lehigh County criminal court records are generally public documents. You do not need a specific reason or to be a party to the case to request them. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records oversees this law and provides guidance on how to submit requests and appeal denials.
To request public records from a Lehigh County office, submit a written request to the agency's open records officer. The agency must respond within five business days. Agencies can grant the request, deny it with a legal explanation, or ask for more time to respond. Denials can be appealed to the Office of Open Records within 15 business days. Their website at openrecords.pa.gov provides sample forms, guidance documents, and a searchable database of prior appeal decisions that help requesters understand what records are available and how to get them. Juvenile records, sealed court records, and records relating to active investigations are among those exempt from public access in Lehigh County.
Lehigh County Megan's Law and Sex Offender Registry
The Pennsylvania Megan's Law Registry is searchable by county, and Lehigh County residents can use it to find registered sex offenders in the Allentown area and throughout the county. The registry is maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police and is available at pameganslaw.state.pa.us. Each listing includes the offender's name, photograph, current address, employment information, offense history, and compliance status. Searches can be filtered by name, municipality, or geographic radius from a specific location.
Pennsylvania classifies registered sex offenders as Tier I, Tier II, or Tier III under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The tier reflects the seriousness of the offense and determines the length of the registration requirement. Tier III offenders register for life. The registry is updated regularly as offenders report changes to their address, employment, or school enrollment. Free email notification subscriptions let Lehigh County residents receive alerts when a registered offender moves into or out of a specified area.
The Lehigh County Sheriff, shown above at lehighcounty.org/departments/sheriff, works with state police on sex offender compliance checks and warrant enforcement in the county. The Sheriff's office can also assist with questions about active warrants in Lehigh County.
Clean Slate and Expungement in Lehigh County
Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law at 18 Pa.C.S. Section 9122.2 automatically seals qualifying misdemeanor convictions from public view. Convictions older than 10 years where all restitution has been paid become eligible for automatic sealing without a court petition. Once sealed, the record no longer appears in standard PATCH background check searches. The law was designed to help people move forward after minor, older offenses.
Expungement provides a complete removal of the criminal record from the database rather than just sealing it from public view. Lehigh County residents may file an expungement petition with the Court of Common Pleas for cases that were dismissed, resulted in acquittal, or were resolved through a completed ARD program. Once the Court of Common Pleas in Lehigh County issues an expungement order, both the Clerk of Courts and the Pennsylvania State Police update their records accordingly. DNA records collected at the time of arrest may also be expunged under specific circumstances. Violent felonies, sexual offenses, and crimes endangering children are not eligible for Clean Slate sealing or expungement under current Pennsylvania law.
Note: The DHS clearance system at compass.state.pa.us is a separate background check process used for positions involving direct contact with children, and Clean Slate sealing does not affect the results of those clearance checks for regulated positions under Act 153 of 2014.
Cities in Lehigh County
Allentown is the county seat of Lehigh County and Pennsylvania's third largest city. It is home to the Lehigh County Courthouse and all county-level court offices. Criminal background check records for all of Lehigh County are processed through the Allentown courthouse.
Nearby Counties
Lehigh County is surrounded by Northampton, Berks, Carbon, Bucks, and Montgomery counties in eastern Pennsylvania. If you need records from a neighboring county, the links below take you to the right pages.