Delaware County, Pennsylvania State Court Records

According to the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania’s Public Access Policy, court records are documents, dockets, and indices filed with, created, or maintained by the clerk of court. These documents help to preserve an accurate history of court actions and enhance transparency within the legal system.

The Delaware County Court of Common Pleas and magisterial districts are the custodians of court records and publicly release them to requesters in accordance with the Pennsylvania Right-t o -Know Law. Court records may also be linked to other public records, such as arrest information, vital records, or federal case files.

Are Delaware County Court Records Public?

Yes. The UJS Case Records Public Access Policy (204 Pa. Code § 213.81) governs public access to court records, supporting transparency within the judiciary. Therefore, anyone may obtain copies of Delaware County court records from the Court of Common Pleas. However, certain court records are not open to the public because they involve sensitive personal information or protected individuals. Such confidential court records are only released to the subject of the records, their attorneys, and an individual with a court order. Confidential court records and information include

Children and youth services records
Financial account numbers
Minors’ educational records and medical/psychological records
Income and Expense Statements
Agreements between the parties
Social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and State Identification (SID) Numbers
The dates of birth and full names of minors (excluding those charged as defendants in criminal matters)
Marital property inventories
Pre-trial statement
An victim of abuse’s address and other contact information

What Information is Available in Delaware County Court Records?

Delaware County court records typically contain the following information:

Case Information: Case/docket number, case title, case classification, judge assigned, claim amount, and filing date)
Parties: Role, party type, name, aliases, address)
Docket Entries: Filing date and time, subtype, description, filer, and filed document
Court Judgments or Orders
Hearings: Event type, scheduled start date and time, and status
Fine Assessments: Amount assessed, amount adjusted, and amount paid
Receipts: Date, payor, receipt number, and amount
Disposition Summary: Docket number, disposition, and disposition date

Delaware County Court Records Search

Members of the public can search for and obtain court documents in Delaware County using several methods. Below are some of them:

Online Access: The Delaware County Court of Common Pleas has a C-Track Public Access Database for finding civil case dockets and judgment indexes. Users may click the Case Search, Docket Entry Search, Document Search, Judgment Search, or Party Search portals to find the desired civil records.

For criminal records, use the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal. The search parameters are attorney, calendar event, citation number, date filed, docket number, incident number, organization, OTN, participant name, or SID.

In-Person Access: Individuals may also visit the courthouse to view or obtain copies of court records for a fee. They may be required to complete a request form or provide basic information to facilitate the search.
MailRequests: One may use the Request for Access Form to submit court records requests by mail to the Court of Common Pleas. For magisterial district courts, one may contact the specific court to obtain access procedures.

Fees for Court Records in Delaware County

Delaware County court records fees vary depending on the type of document requested. Plain copies typically cost $1 each, while certified copies cost $6 each. However, an e-copy of the petition for probate costs $3, and certified copies of probate records cost $20 plus $1 per page.

Individuals seeking birth and death records will need to pay a $20 fee each to the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH). For marriage records, the Register of Wills & Clerk of Orphans’ Court charges $2 for a plain copy and $25 for a certified copy.

Delaware County Courthouse Locations

The Delaware County court structure comprises Courts of Common Pleas and minor or special courts presided over by magisterial district judges (MDJs). Below are the addresses of these courts:

Delaware County Courthouse

Government Center

201 West Front Street

Media, PA 19063

Magisterial Districts 32-1-20, 32-1-21, and 32-1-22

529 Penn Street

Chester, PA 19013

Magisterial District 32-1-23

100 Clifton Avenue

Collingdale, PA 19023

Phone: (610) 534-3443

Fax: (610) 534-5978

Magisterial District 32-1-27

796 Parkway Boulevard

Broomall, PA 19008

Phone: (610) 338-2250

Fax: (610) 338-2253

Magisterial District 32-1-28

349 West Baltimore Avenue

PO Box 97

Media, PA 19063

Phone: (610) 566-0872

Fax: (610) 566-2732

Magisterial District 32-1-30

Ridley Township Municipal Building

100 East MacDade Boulevard

Folsom, PA 19033

Phone: (610) 532-0320

Fax: (610) 532-0953

Magisterial District 32-1-32

56 Powell Road

Springfield, PA 19064

Phone: (610) 543-2366

Fax: (610) 543-1920

Magisterial Districts 32-1-33 and 32-1-34

Barclay Square Building

1550 Garrett Road

Suites 150 & 200

Upper Darby, PA 19082

Phone: (610) 626-6900

Fax: (610) 622-2751

Magisterial District 32-1-36

526 West Ridge Road

Linwood, PA 19061

Phone: (610) 859-9748

Fax: (610) 859-975

Magisterial District 32-2-37

150 South MacDade Boulevard

Suite E

Darby, PA 19023

Phone: (610) 534-3504

Fax: (610) 534-0714

Magisterial District 32-2-38

2901 Dutton Mill Road

Suite 120

Aston, PA 19014

Phone: (610) 558-3520

Fax: (610) 558-3528

Magisterial District 32-2-39

Brookhaven Municipal Building

2 Cambridge Road

Suite 300

Brookhaven, PA 19015

Phone: (610) 874-8178

Fax: (610) 874-7893

Magisterial Districts 32-2-40 and 32-2-42

11 Bartram Avenue

Glenolden, PA 19036

Magisterial District 32-2-43

4655 West Chester Pike

Newtown Square, PA 19073

Phone: (610) 356-2997

Fax: (610) 356-0692

Magisterial District 32-2-44

1028 Lincoln Avenue

Prospect Park, PA 19076

Phone: (610) 534-5627

Fax: (610) 534-5610

Magisterial District 32-2-46

939 North Providence Road

Media, PA 19063

Phone: (610) 566-3495

Fax: (610) 566-7016

Magisterial District 32-2-47

60 W. Marshall Road

Landsdowne, PA 19050

Phone: (610) 259-8848

Fax: (610) 259-8920

Magisterial District 32-2-49

27 South Pennell Road

Lima, PA 19037

Magisterial District 32-2-49

485 Baltimore Pike

Glen Mills, PA 19342

Phone: (610) 558-3605

Fax: (610) 558-3618

Magisterial District 32-2-51

Barclay Square Building

1550 Garrett Road

Upper Darby, PA 19082

Phone: (610) 626-6900

Fax: (610) 622-2751

Magisterial District 32-2-52

409 Ashland Avenue, Suite 1

Secane PA 19018

Magisterial District 32-2-53

525 West Chester Pike

Suites 103 & 105

Havertown, PA 19083

Phone: (610) 449-5189

Fax: (610) 789-9167

Magisterial District 32-2-54

56 Powell Road

Springfield, PA 19064

Phone: (610) 690-7668

Fax: (610) 543-1920

Criminal Records Access in Delaware County

County courts do not handle official state-level criminal history checks. The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) manages these background checks and issues them online using the PATCH site or by mail for a fee of $22. Online users must make payments by credit card or by billing an established user account, while mail customers must submit a completed Form SP 4-164 and a check or money order of the required fees to

Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository

164 1800 Elmerton Avenue

Harrisburg, PA 17110-9758

On the other hand, criminal case records are maintained by the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas. The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal is the best place to view criminal case information without charges. Users may search by attorney, calendar event, citation number, complaint number, date filed, docket number, incident number, organization, OTN, participant name, or SID. Individuals who cannot find their desired records through this portal or who wish to obtain copies of criminal records may visit the courthouse to submit a fee-based request.

Delaware County Probate Records

Delaware County probate records detail probate court matters, including decedents’ estates, trusts, wills, guardianship, and conservatorship proceedings. The Register of Wills & Clerk of Orphans Court Division is the official custodian of all probate records in the county. The Clerk provides several options for viewing and obtaining probate records because they are public documents.

Members of the public may use the Online Portal to search for probated estates at no charge. On reaching the portal, users can click the "Login As Guest" button and select "Search Public Records" in the left navigation pane to search by name or case number. Users cannot download images from the portal for privacy reasons, but they can purchase a probate document from the court’s website. Once a request is submitted and the necessary fees are paid, the clerk will provide copies of the records to the requester via email or mail.

Probate records searches are also available at the Clerk’s office public access kiosk. Anyone may visit the office during business hours to use the kiosks. They may print copies at the kiosk for a small fee or obtain them from the records staff. Records staff also assist requesters over the phone at (610) 891-4400, by fax at (610) 891-4812, and by email at RegOfWills@co.delaware.pa.us.

The fees for copies of probate records vary by case type and document type. For example, an e-copy estate name search costs $25 per name, while an e-copy of a will costs $10. In contrast, certified copies cost $20, plus a $1 per-page copy fee.

Delaware County Family Court Records

The Civil Division of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas handles family court matters, including divorce, child custody and visitation, annulment, child support and spousal support (alimony), adoption, and paternity cases. The court records all documents filed during family court proceedings, including petitions, complaints, court orders, decrees, hearing transcripts, financial disclosures, and custody evaluations and reports.

Access to family court records is subject to Pennsylvania privacy laws, as these cases often involve sensitive personal information. Some documents, such as divorce decrees, may be available to the public, while others, such as adoption records, are usually sealed to protect minors or vulnerable parties. Confidential family court records are released only to the subjects of the records and their attorneys, in person at the courthouse.

Public family documents are available without charges through the C-track Public Access portal. The search criteria include a case number or party name. Those seeking copies may send a written letter, a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and the appropriate copying fees to the Court of Common Pleas’ Office of Judicial Support. They may also visit the courthouse during business hours to obtain copies of records.

Federal Court Records in Delaware County

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania handles all federal cases in Delaware County. Individuals may access records of these cases remotely via the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) portal or through the public access terminals found at the Courthouse. Access to case information through PACER costs 10 cents per page, while a single document is capped at $3.

Record seekers may also obtain copies of federal court records from the staff at the Clerk’s Office or by email at PAED_recordsrequest@paed.uscourts.gov. The courthouse locations require customers to present an acceptable form of ID, including a passport, a state-issued driver’s license, a state-issued photo ID card, or a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license. The Clerk charges $34 per name or item for searching federal court records, $12 per document for certification, and $24 per document for exemplification. Plain copies of federal court records cost 50 cents per page.