How to Search Pike County Court Records
The main free online channel for Pike County court records is Pennsylvania UJS Case Search. It covers Common Pleas, Magisterial District Court, appellate, and related court dockets statewide. Pike County Court of Common Pleas appears in the court list, and Magisterial District Court cases can be searched for the four local MDJ courts. UJS also states that reviewing web docket sheets is a free public service. It warns, though, that recent entries from filing offices may not appear right away.
Before searching, gather the party name, docket number, court level, municipality, or filing date range. Pike County uses split records offices, so the path depends on record type. Civil, divorce, custody, PFA, judgments, liens, license suspension appeals, and District Justice appeals are Prothonotary matters. Criminal cases, summary appeals, juvenile and dependency matters, and miscellaneous criminal petitions are Clerk of Courts matters. Guardianship and adoption matters are Orphans' Court files, while probate estates sit with the Register of Wills.
- Open UJS Case Search and choose the case category that fits the record, such as Common Pleas or Magisterial District Court.
- Enter a participant name, organization name, docket number, or another known identifier. Use Pike County or the correct court to narrow broad names.
- Open the matching docket sheet and review the court name, docket number, status, parties, and filing dates before relying on the result.
- For a full case file, certified copy, or document not posted online, contact the Pike County custodian named for that record type.
- For official statewide criminal-history screening, use Pennsylvania State Police PATCH instead of a court docket sheet.
The UJS portal also describes PAeDocket, a free statewide mobile app for case or docket searches by case number, participant name, organization name, offense tracking number, police incident or complaint number, or state ID number.
Pike County Court Records Search Fields
The public UJS interface gives Pike County court records searchers several ways to narrow a case. A precise docket number is best when known, especially for Common Pleas criminal matters that use docket formats such as CP-52-CR or MDJ matters that begin with a local Magisterial District Judge code. Name searches work, but common names should be filtered by court, county, case type, or date range.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search type / case category | Selection | Yes | Choose Common Pleas, Magisterial District Court, appellate, or another UJS category. |
| Participant name | Text | No | Available in UJS and PAeDocket for person-name searches. |
| Organization name | Text | No | Useful for business parties and supported by PAeDocket. |
| Case number / docket number | Text | No | Use the official docket format where known. |
| Offense tracking number | Text | No | Listed as a PAeDocket search option for criminal matters. |
| Police incident or complaint number | Text | No | Can help locate a criminal or MDJ docket tied to an arrest or citation. |
| County / court | Dropdown | Often needed | Select Pike County Court of Common Pleas or the relevant Magisterial District Court. |
| Filing date or date range | Date fields | No | Use when a name search returns too many results. |
UJS Case Search is the official source shown in the manifest for the Pike County court records lookup interface.
This screenshot belongs with the search-field table because UJS is the statewide entry point for Pike County docket review.
Types of Pike County Court Records
Pike County court records are not held by one office. The Prothonotary, Yvonne Merrill, is the civil clerk of the Court of Common Pleas and records personal injury, medical malpractice, equity, divorce, custody, PFA, judgments, name changes, school audits, driver's license suspension appeals, District Justice appeals, mechanics liens, federal income tax liens, and oaths. The office is at 412 Broad Street, Suite 1, Milford, PA 18337, and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Clerk of Courts is the criminal-record custodian. That office maintains criminal motions, pleadings, transcripts, filings, summary appeals, juvenile, dependency, constable bonds, and other miscellaneous petitions. The same county page says all records may be viewed on the Unified Judicial System Web Portal except juvenile and dependency cases and certain filings under seal or filed confidentially. The Register of Wills at 506 Broad Street handles probate estates and inheritance tax, while the Clerk of Orphans' Court handles guardianship, adoption, incapacitated-person matters, and marriage-license duties.
- Civil records: complaints, praecipes, service returns, motions, orders, judgment entries, arbitration awards, liens, satisfactions, and appeals.
- Family records: divorce, custody, and PFA dockets, with remote access limited mostly to dockets, orders, and opinions.
- Criminal records: charges, grading, statute sections, police incident numbers, bail, docket entries, pleas, dispositions, and sentencing.
- Traffic and summary records: MDJ dockets for citations, summary offenses, plea or disposition, fines, costs, and payment events.
- Probate and Orphans' Court records: estate, guardianship, adoption, incapacitated-person, and related fiduciary records, with adoption records confidential.
The UJS portal and PAeDocket source supports mobile access when a desktop docket search is not practical.
PAeDocket is relevant because Pike County court records can be searched outside a courthouse visit when the case is public and indexed statewide.
What Pike County Court Records Show
A docket sheet is a structured summary, not always the full file. It may show enough to verify that a case exists, track hearings, identify the custodian, and read public outcomes. Full documents such as pleadings, exhibits, transcripts, sealed filings, and certified copies may require an office request. UJS warns that docket sheets should not replace a criminal-history background check, which comes from Pennsylvania State Police.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Docket number | The official case identifier, such as a Common Pleas or MDJ docket number. |
| Court name | The Court of Common Pleas, Magisterial District Court, or appellate court tied to the case. |
| Case caption and type | The parties and case category, such as civil, criminal, traffic, family, or probate. |
| Filing and initiation dates | When the case or charge entered the court system. |
| Parties and counsel | Participant names, party roles, counsel of record, and attorney role when public. |
| Charges and statute sections | Criminal or summary counts, grading, statute citations, and disposition data when entered. |
| Docket entries | Filings, motions, orders, hearings, continuances, judgments, bench warrants, appeals, and payment events. |
| Financial fields | Fines, costs, restitution, balances, payment plans, and PAePay eligibility where available. |
For criminal outcomes and sentencing, the full case context belongs in Pike County criminal court records, while the docket is the event list that points to that file.
Public Access for Pike County Court Records
Pennsylvania court access is controlled by court policy and state law. The Pennsylvania public records policies page links the statewide case-record rules and forms. The UJS Case Records Public Access Policy, effective January 1, 2022, treats many court case records as open while limiting remote access and protecting confidential data. County administrative records outside court-case custody are requested under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law.
Pike County's local Right-to-Know form goes to Shannon DeVuyst, Right to Know Officer, 506 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337, email sdevuyst@pikepa.org, phone 570-296-9826, and fax 570-296-6055. The form asks for the agency name, date submitted, submission method, requester contact data, preferred response method, a detailed record description, copy preference, fee-notice threshold, and certified-copy request. It warns that Right-to-Know requests seek records, not answers to questions.
Note: Court case records often use court access rules, while Pike County administrative records use the county Right-to-Know process.
Pennsylvania's public records policies page is the manifest source for statewide court access limits.
The public policy source matters because it explains why a Pike County docket may be online while the underlying filing is not remotely available.
Restricted Pike County Court Records
Restricted Pike County court records include juvenile and dependency cases, adoption records, sealed filings, expunged records, and confidential submissions. The Clerk of Courts page expressly excludes juvenile and dependency cases from public UJS viewing. The Clerk of Orphans' Court page states that adoption records are confidential. The UJS policy protects Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, driver's license numbers, state identification numbers, most minors' names and dates of birth, and abuse-victim address or contact data.
Remote public access also does not include transcripts lodged of record, in forma pauperis petitions, most family case records beyond dockets, orders, and opinions, or most probate and fiduciary documents beyond dockets, orders, opinions, and specified fields. Sealed, expunged, and confidential filings require a court order or authorized-party access. For clerical errors on public docket sheets, a party or attorney may send a written correction request to the custodian. The policy gives the custodian 10 business days to respond, with up to 30 more business days if needed.
In-Person Pike County Court Records
In-person requests should go to the office that owns the file. The Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts use 412 Broad Street in Milford for civil and criminal case records. Court Administration is also at the courthouse and can help with court operations questions, but it is not a substitute for the filing office. The Register of Wills is at the Administration Building, 506 Broad Street, and handles probate records and inheritance tax.
Pike's 2026 fee schedule lists copy and certification costs that affect record requests. Prothonotary certifications are $6 each, copies are $0.50 per page, computer-generated docket entries are $6, and a certified divorce decree is $12.50. Clerk of Courts certifications are $6 each. Adult expungement is listed at $178 after November 12, 2025, while juvenile expungement is $25.25 for the petition plus $137 upon court approval.
Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts
412 Broad Street, Suite 1
Milford, PA 18337
570-296-7231
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Register of Wills
506 Broad Street
Milford, PA 18337
570-296-3508, ext. 1160
Probate estates and inheritance tax
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law is also assigned to Pike County court records in the image manifest.
The statute source fits the fallback path for county records that are outside a court case file or need a written public-records request.