Luzerne County Background Check Records
Luzerne County background check records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts at the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre. Luzerne County is located in northeastern Pennsylvania in the Wyoming Valley region and has a population of approximately 317,000 residents. Wilkes-Barre serves as the county seat. The Court of Common Pleas handles all criminal prosecutions at the county level. This page explains the main ways to search Luzerne County criminal history records through local offices and statewide tools.
Luzerne County Quick Facts
Luzerne County Criminal Records Overview
Luzerne County sits in the Wyoming Valley of northeastern Pennsylvania. The county is bordered by Wyoming, Lackawanna, Monroe, Carbon, Schuylkill, and Columbia counties. Wilkes-Barre is the county seat and home to the Luzerne County Courthouse at 200 North River Street. The Court of Common Pleas holds jurisdiction over all criminal cases prosecuted at the county level. Given the size and history of the region, Luzerne County maintains extensive court records going back many decades.
The Luzerne County government website, shown above, provides access to information on all county offices. The Clerk of Courts, Prothonotary, and Sheriff are all reachable through this site. Criminal background check records in Luzerne County include felony prosecutions, misdemeanor appeals from Magisterial District Courts, summary appeals, and ARD case files. These records are part of the public court file and are accessible through the Clerk of Courts in person or through the statewide UJS Portal online.
Luzerne County has Magisterial District Courts spread throughout the Wyoming Valley that handle lower-level criminal matters, traffic cases, and preliminary hearings. Records from those courts feed into the statewide UJS Portal. A full background check in Luzerne County combines local court records with the statewide PATCH system to produce a complete picture of criminal history.
Note: Luzerne County background check records held by the Clerk of Courts cover only cases filed in county court. Statewide records require a PATCH request through the Pennsylvania State Police to capture criminal history from all 67 counties.
How to Search Luzerne County Background Records
The UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us is the main online tool for Luzerne County background check searches. The portal is free and requires no login for basic searches. You can search by participant name in last name, first name format, by docket number, or by police incident number. Filtering by Luzerne County and selecting the criminal case category helps narrow results quickly. Each docket sheet shows the charges filed, all court dates and outcomes, bail status, dispositions, and sentencing information. The PAeDocket mobile app gives you the same access from a smartphone or tablet.
For an official criminal history check, use the PATCH system through the Pennsylvania State Police. PATCH is the only source for an official statewide criminal history record. It draws from the central repository that collects data from every court in Pennsylvania including Luzerne County. Requests require account creation, identification verification, and a processing fee. Standard results come back within 7 to 14 business days. For in-person requests, visit the Luzerne County Clerk of Courts at 200 North River Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711, or call (570) 825-1585 during office hours.
Luzerne County Clerk of Courts
The Luzerne County Clerk of Courts is the official keeper of all criminal court records for the Court of Common Pleas. The office is located at the Luzerne County Courthouse and handles record searches, copy requests, and certified copy orders. Staff can search by name or case number and provide plain or certified copies of court documents. Mail-in requests are also accepted. The Clerk's office processes records for felony cases, misdemeanor appeals, ARD files, and post-conviction matters.
| Office | Luzerne County Clerk of Courts |
|---|---|
| Address | Luzerne County Courthouse 200 North River Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 |
| Phone | (570) 825-1585 |
| Website | luzernecounty.org/clerk-of-courts |
| UJS Portal | ujsportal.pacourts.us |
Luzerne County criminal court records contain complete case documentation. Each file includes the defendant's full name and date of birth, all charges with statute citations, the grade of each offense, bail conditions, all court hearing dates and results, plea entries, final disposition, and full sentencing details including jail time, probation, fines, and court costs. Where appeals were filed, those records are also kept in the case file. Civil records in Luzerne County are held by the Luzerne County Prothonotary at (570) 825-1825, which maintains Protection from Abuse orders, civil judgments, and family court filings. Active warrant records and civil process are managed by the Luzerne County Sheriff at (570) 825-1600. All three offices are located at the same courthouse on North River Street in Wilkes-Barre.
PATCH System and UJS Portal in Luzerne County
The Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system is the authoritative source for a statewide criminal background check in Luzerne County. PATCH compiles records from all courts across Pennsylvania into one searchable database. It is the only system authorized to produce official criminal history record information in the commonwealth. The Pennsylvania State Police website walks you through the request process, from account creation to result delivery. Results are available electronically or by mail.
The Pennsylvania State Police system shown above, accessible at pa.gov/agencies/psp, is the starting point for any official Luzerne County criminal history request. The PATCH system maintains a record of all disseminated criminal history information for audit purposes and processes both individual and bulk requests. The UJS Portal provides a free public view of case dockets across all 67 counties. It covers Magisterial District Courts, Courts of Common Pleas, and appellate courts. The portal allows case category filtering, date range filtering, and case status filtering. Docket sheets from the UJS Portal include case captions, all charges, bail details, attorney information, hearing schedules, plea records, and dispositions. The portal notes that recent filings may have brief processing delays before appearing online.
For positions requiring federal criminal history, the Pennsylvania State Police also facilitates FBI fingerprint-based background checks through IDEMIA locations throughout the state. These checks combine state-level PATCH data with federal records from the national criminal database.
Public Records and Open Records in Luzerne County
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law gives residents the right to request government records from Luzerne County agencies including the Clerk of Courts, the Prothonotary, and the Sheriff. Most criminal court records are public documents. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records administers the Right-to-Know Law and handles appeals when agencies deny access to records. Anyone can submit a request regardless of whether they are a party to the case or a Luzerne County resident.
Submit a written public records request to the designated open records officer at the relevant Luzerne County agency. The agency must respond within five business days. If the response is a denial, you can appeal to the Office of Open Records within 15 business days. The Office of Open Records website at openrecords.pa.gov provides sample request forms, guidance documents, and a searchable database of past appeal decisions that clarify what types of records are accessible. Records related to active investigations, juvenile proceedings, sealed court orders, and expunged cases are among those generally withheld from public access in Luzerne County.
Note: Some older Luzerne County court records may only be available in person at the Clerk of Courts office, as older case files may not appear in the online UJS Portal system.
Megan's Law Registry in Luzerne County
The Pennsylvania Megan's Law Registry provides a public database of registered sex offenders in each county. Luzerne County residents can search the registry to find offenders living, working, or attending school in the Wyoming Valley region. The registry is maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police and is searchable at pameganslaw.state.pa.us. Searches can be narrowed to Luzerne County by filtering by county or municipality, or by entering a specific address and radius.
The Megan's Law Registry shown above covers all of Pennsylvania including Luzerne County. Each listing includes the offender's name, photograph, current address, employment location, offense history, and compliance status. Pennsylvania classifies 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 underlying offense. Tier III offenders must register for life and verify their information four times per year. The registry is updated regularly based on compliance checks. Free email alerts are available and notify subscribers when a registered offender moves into or out of a specified area in Luzerne County.
Clean Slate and Expungement in Luzerne County
Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law at 18 Pa.C.S. Section 9122.2 provides for the automatic sealing of qualifying misdemeanor convictions older than 10 years where all restitution has been satisfied. No court petition is required. Once sealed, the record does not appear in standard PATCH background check searches. This law reflects Pennsylvania's recognition that older minor offenses should not follow individuals indefinitely.
Expungement provides complete removal of a criminal record rather than just sealing it from public access. Luzerne County residents may petition the Court of Common Pleas for expungement of cases that were dismissed, resulted in a not-guilty verdict, or were resolved through a completed ARD program. After the court signs an expungement order, the Luzerne County Clerk of Courts and the Pennsylvania State Police both process the removal from their records. The criminal history record information act at 18 Pa.C.S. Section 9101 sets the legal framework governing the collection, storage, and use of criminal history data in Pennsylvania. Violent felonies, sexual offenses, and crimes that endangered children are excluded from both Clean Slate sealing and expungement under current state law. Individuals seeking help with the expungement process in Luzerne County should contact the Clerk of Courts or consult with a local attorney familiar with Pennsylvania criminal record law.
Note: DHS clearances required under Act 153 of 2014 for positions involving direct contact with children use a separate process through the COMPASS portal and are not affected by Clean Slate sealing for most regulated clearance categories.
Nearby Counties
Luzerne County borders Wyoming, Lackawanna, Monroe, Carbon, and Schuylkill counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. Use the links below to access background check records from neighboring counties.