Reviewed and updated October 11, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 11, 2026.
Columbia, Pennsylvania, in Lancaster County, has about 10,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas and the Magisterial District Courts, and the file of each case, kept by the Prothonotary for civil cases and divorces and the Clerk of Courts for criminal cases, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Columbia public records, Lancaster County court records, Columbia arrest records, Columbia warrants, Columbia inmate search, Columbia criminal records, Pennsylvania arrest records and Pennsylvania inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Columbia
Court cases from Columbia are filed in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas, which hears felonies, civil cases, divorces, estates and juvenile matters.
Below it, the Magisterial District Courts take traffic tickets, summary offenses, small claims and preliminary hearings; Philadelphia has the Municipal Court instead.
Divorces go to the Court of Common Pleas, and the file stays with the Prothonotary.
The Prothonotary for civil cases and divorces and the Clerk of Courts for criminal cases keep the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Right-to-Know Law.
Looking Up a Case from Columbia
For Lancaster County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at lancastercountypa.gov/1011/Quarter-Session-Docket-Index-1729-1872 (page title: Quarter Session Docket Index (1729-1872) | Lancaster County, PA), phone 717-299-8275, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 11, 2026.
Statewide, UJS Web Portal is the Pennsylvania courts' free statewide docket search.
The Pennsylvania court page SearchSystems verified is at ujsportal.pacourts.us/casesearch.
What Reaches the Court from Columbia
Together, the 18 agencies in Lancaster County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 8,587 arrests to the FBI that year; the District Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas or the Magisterial District Courts.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at co.lancaster.pa.us/1492/District-Attorney (page title: District Attorney | Lancaster County, PA), phone 717-299-8100, 50 North Duke Street, 6th Floor Lancaster, PA 17608, Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Columbia guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Columbia criminal records, Columbia divorce records, Columbia traffic tickets, Columbia DUI and Columbia property records.
More Official Court Pages for Lancaster County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Lancaster County and Pennsylvania. These court pages from its Lancaster County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Calendar, Lancaster County Courts, PA, CivicEngage (court.lancastercountypa.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Columbia?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at lancastercountypa.gov, phone 717-299-8275. Statewide, UJS Web Portal is the Pennsylvania courts' free statewide docket search.
Which court hears felonies in Columbia?
The Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas, which hears felonies, civil cases, divorces, estates and juvenile matters. The Magisterial District Courts take traffic tickets, summary offenses, small claims and preliminary hearings; Philadelphia has the Municipal Court instead.
Who keeps the court records in Columbia?
The Prothonotary for civil cases and divorces and the Clerk of Courts for criminal cases. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Pennsylvania?
Yes: UJS Web Portal, the Pennsylvania courts' free statewide docket search.
Is this the official Columbia website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.