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.
Chester County, Pennsylvania, has about 561,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Chester 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, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Chester County public records, Chester County arrest records, Chester County warrants, Chester County inmate search, Chester County criminal records, Pennsylvania arrest records and Pennsylvania inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Chester County
In Chester County, the Chester County Court of Common Pleas 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.
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 Chester County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at chesco.org/202/Clerk-of-Courts (page title: Clerk of Courts | Chester County, PA), phone 610-344-6135, 201 W. Market St, Suite 1400 West Chester, PA 19380, 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 Chester County
Together, the 34 agencies in Chester County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 5,241 arrests to the FBI that year; the District Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas or the Magisterial District Courts.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at chesco.org/5480/District-Attorney-Chris-de-Barrena-Sarob (page title: District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe | Chester County, PA), phone 610-344-6866, 201 West Market Street West Chester, PA 19380, 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 Chester County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Chester County criminal records, Chester County divorce records, Chester County traffic tickets, Chester County DUI and Chester County property records.
Cities in Chester County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas or the Magisterial District Courts.
SearchSystems has a guide to the offices of these cities in Chester County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population:
- West Chester (22,758)
- Coatesville (13,390)
- Downingtown (8,463)
- Kennett Square (6,713)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Chester County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at chesco.org/202/Clerk-of-Courts, phone 610-344-6135. Statewide, UJS Web Portal is the Pennsylvania courts' free statewide docket search.
Which court hears felonies in Chester County?
The Chester 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 Chester County?
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 Chester County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.