SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 11, 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.

About this guide

Adams County is a county in Pennsylvania with about 108,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 7 county office pages for Adams County, every one opened and checked.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, District Attorney, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where Adams County public records live

Each kind of Adams County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

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Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Adams County

A person arrested in Adams County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Adams County.

Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.

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Court records and case lookups in Adams County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Adams County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Adams County.

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County Clerk of Adams County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Adams County.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Adams County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Adams County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: Recorder of Deeds

Property values: Assessment Office

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Birth, death and marriage records in Adams County

In Pennsylvania, certified birth and death certificates are ordered from the state vital records office rather than a county office. Marriage license records are kept locally; the county clerk listed above can say where in Adams County.

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District Attorney for Adams County

The District Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Adams County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

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Public records requests to Adams County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Adams County.

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Statewide Pennsylvania sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the Pennsylvania state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

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These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Adams County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Adams County

Adams County has 13 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city. SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of Gettysburg; the linked name open it.

  • Gettysburg (8,647)
  • Littlestown (4,917)
  • Carroll Valley (4,050)
  • McSherrystown (3,161)
  • New Oxford (1,921)
  • Bonneauville (1,806)
  • East Berlin (1,583)
  • Biglerville (1,256)
  • Abbottstown (1,047)
  • Arendtsville (891)
  • Bendersville (760)
  • York Springs (703)
  • Fairfield (544)

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Adams County Arrest Records

The Adams County arrest records guide names the 22 agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 656 arrests the 13 agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

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Adams County Records Guides

SearchSystems has nine more guides to Adams County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Adams County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Adams County inmate search (the jail page of the Adams County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Adams County criminal records (the court file, the Pennsylvania criminal history and the local arrest records), Adams County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Adams County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the Right-to-Know Law requires), Adams County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Adams County DUI (the DUI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), Adams County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and Adams County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Adams County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

How do I find out if someone is in jail in Adams County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Adams County at adamscountypa.gov/departments/sheriff, or call 717-337-9828. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Where do I look up a court case in Adams County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Adams County is at adamscountypa.gov, phone 724-656-3100. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in Adams County?

The Recorder of Deeds, at adamscountypa.gov/departments/recorderofdeeds. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Adams County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for Adams County?

From the Pennsylvania state vital records office at pa.gov, which issues certified copies for every event in the state.

How do I request a public record from Adams County?

Through the records request page at adamscountypa.gov. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.