Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.
Reading is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, with about 96,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are split between the city and the county. The city keeps council records and its own licenses and permits; court cases, jail bookings, deeds and vital records are county or state records. This guide names the Reading offices SearchSystems verified, links to each one's own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 3 city office pages for Reading, every one opened and checked.
In this guide: City or county, City Clerk, City Hall, Records requests and Questions.
City or county record: where Reading records are kept
- Kept by the City of Reading: council and board meeting records, ordinances and the city's own licenses and permits.
- Kept by Berks County or the state: court cases, jail bookings, deeds and property values and birth and death certificates. These are not city records; they are in the Berks County public records guide under court records, jail lookups, property records and vital records.
Reading City Clerk: council records and ordinances
The City Clerk keeps the official records of the city government: council and board agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions, and the city's contracts and other official documents. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for Reading.
- Website: readingpa.gov/city-clerk (page title: City Clerk)
- Phone: 877-727-3234
- Address: 815 Washington St, Reading PA 19601
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Reading City Hall: departments, licenses and permits
Business licenses, building permits, code enforcement cases and the city's other records are kept by the department that issued them. The city's own website below lists its departments and how to reach them.
- Website: readingpa.gov/contact-city-hall/30... (page title: City Management)
- Phone: 877-727-3234
- Address: 815 Washington St Reading PA 19601
- Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00am to 4:00pm
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Reading
Pennsylvania public records law applies to the city government of Reading. The city runs one records request page for its departments; it is the page below, verified by SearchSystems. A request that names a date, an address, or a report or case number is the easiest to answer.
- Website: readingpa.gov/contact-city-hall/30-councilfaq/65-what-records-are-c... (page title: What records are considered “public” by Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Act?)
- Phone: 877-727-3234
- Address: 815 Washington St Reading PA 19601
- Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00am to 4:00pm
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
A record the request page does not cover is asked for from the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records and the department that issued a permit or license for its records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Reading website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official Reading offices listed above, and the city's own website is readingpa.gov; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
Where do I find Reading city council minutes and ordinances?
From the City Clerk at readingpa.gov/city-clerk, phone 877-727-3234. The office keeps the official agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for Reading?
Reading cases are heard by the courts that serve Berks County, and people arrested in Reading are usually booked into the county jail. Both are covered in the Berks County public records guide on SearchSystems.
How do I request a public record from Reading?
Through the city's records request page at readingpa.gov, phone 877-727-3234. A record it does not cover is requested from the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records and the department that issued a permit or license for its records.