How to Search Philadelphia County Public Records
Philadelphia County is coterminous with the City of Philadelphia (1.57M residents) — Pennsylvania's largest city across 142 sq mi.
- Court cases: UJS Portal — ujsportal.pacourts.us/casesearch — statewide court records including Philadelphia.
- Jail / inmate: Philadelphia Department of Prisons — phila.gov/departments/philadelphia-department-of-prisons — current custody.
- Vital records: PA Vital Records (Philadelphia branch) — health.pa.gov — birth, death certificates.
- Property / deeds: Department of Records — phila.gov/departments/department-of-records — recorded deeds, land records.
- Historical: Philadelphia Historical Land & Vital Records — phila-records.com — deeds from 1683-1974.
Population
1.57M
Cities
1
Square Miles
142
Founded
1682
Departments
40+
Searching Philadelphia County: what to expect
Philadelphia County publishes some records directly — a single local source below — and leans on state systems for the rest. Court cases are the easy part: Pennsylvania's statewide search covers Philadelphia County filings, so start at the Pennsylvania court records page instead of hunting for a local docket. The standout local source is philadelphiabuildings.org, covering parcel and property-tax data. The county posts nothing for recorded documents, so that search runs through the statewide sources on our Pennsylvania recorded documents page.
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by SearchSystems Editorial Team — verified against official government sources. About our editorial process.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: all Philadelphia County record-source URLs verified against the official local and Pennsylvania state publishers on the review date. 4 primary .gov / official sources cited below.
Philadelphia County — Key Numbers (2026)
Population, demographics, and county-seat data for Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — verified against U.S. Census 2024 estimates.
1,573,916
Population
Census estimate
659,129
Households
Census estimate
$57,537
Median income
Annual household
$215,500
Median home value
Census ACS
Philadelphia
County seat
In Pennsylvania
Criminal records
2 sources
Court records
1 source
Wants & warrants
see state portal
Property records
1 source
Vital records
1 source
Voter records
see state portal
Professional licenses
see state portal
Recorded documents
see state portal
Count of verified official sources per record type. Multiple sources One source Use state portal
Philadelphia County Records at a Glance
| Record type | Philadelphia County verified sources |
|---|---|
| Court records | Case Information - UJS Portal |
| Criminal records | VINELink Wanted: Suspects for Robbery/Sexual Assault in the 9th Distr… |
| Wants & warrants | PSP Troop Directory - PSP.PA.gov |
| Property records | Philadelphia Architects and Buildings |
| Vital records | Birth, Death, Vital Statistics - Pennsylvania Department of … |
| Voter records | Voter Registration Application - PA Voter Services |
| Professional licenses | BPOA - License Portal |
| Recorded documents | Digital Exhibits + Projects :: Friends Historical Library :: Swarthmore College |
Count of officially verified .gov / .us record sources cataloged for Philadelphia County. Sources reviewed June 04, 2026.
What Changed in 2026 — Philadelphia County Records
2026
Philadelphia County official government portal active
The official Philadelphia County government website at www.phila.gov continues to serve as the canonical local source.
2026
Philadelphia County court records portal verified
State court system links for Philadelphia County verified against the Pennsylvania judiciary portal in 2026.
2026
Philadelphia County criminal records access
State criminal records repository for Philadelphia County (statewide system, not county-specific) confirmed active in 2026.
2026
Philadelphia County property records online
Philadelphia County property assessment and recorder office online portal active in 2026.
The 4-Step Philadelphia County Records Pathway
1
Step 1 — Start at the Philadelphia County clerk/courthouse
For most local records (court cases, property deeds, marriage licenses), the Philadelphia County clerk's office is the first stop.
2
Step 2 — Use the Pennsylvania statewide systems
Criminal background, court case search, voter registration, and professional licensing are all run at the Pennsylvania state level — not by the county.
3
Step 3 — Federal sources for federal records
Federal court cases (PACER), federal tax liens (IRS), military records (NPRC), and immigration data (ICE) are all federal — not held by the county.
4
Step 4 — Cross-check before relying on data
Most county portals lag 24-48 hours behind the courthouse. For time-sensitive verification, call the clerk directly.
Five Things People Get Wrong About Philadelphia County Records
MYTH"Philadelphia County maintains all criminal records."
FACTCriminal records for Philadelphia County are held by the Pennsylvania state repository, NOT the county. The county sheriff has only the local arrest log.
MYTH"Records sealed in Philadelphia County are gone everywhere."
FACTSealing removes records from public search but they still exist at the courthouse and may appear in FBI records (Identity History Summary).
MYTH"Free 'instant background' sites have Philadelphia County data."
FACTOnly the official Pennsylvania state repository has verified, current Philadelphia County data. Free sites often have stale data.
MYTH"The Philadelphia County assessor's value is what I'll sell my home for."
FACTThe Philadelphia County assessor's value is for property tax purposes only — usually below market value.
MYTH"All county records older than 50 years are public."
FACTPartially false. Public-records rules vary by record type AND state. Court records and deeds are usually older-public; vital records remain restricted longer (often 75-125 years).
Primary Sources and Official Record Portals
- www.phila.gov — Official Philadelphia County government website
- ujsportal.pacourts.us — Court records — official source
- www.health.pa.gov — Vital records — official source
- fbi.gov — FBI Identity History Summary (federal record)
Related — Philadelphia County & Pennsylvania Records
For records not specific to Philadelphia County, use Pennsylvania's statewide system or the national hub.
📍 Pennsylvania statewide record systems:
- Pennsylvania Court Records →
- Pennsylvania Criminal Records →
- Pennsylvania Property Records →
- Pennsylvania Vital Records →
- Pennsylvania Voter Records →
- Pennsylvania Wants & Warrants →
- Pennsylvania Licenses →
- Pennsylvania Recorded Documents →
🇺🇸 National hubs:
Related Public Records
Pennsylvania statewide records: Court records · Criminal records · Wants & warrants · Property records · Vital records · Voter records · Licenses · Recorded docs
National directories: Court records · Criminal records · Property records · Vital records · Federal databases
Most Philadelphia County searches end up needing one of these:
About Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia County is located in southeastern Pennsylvania. The county seat is Philadelphia (official site: http://www.phila.gov/).
- Households: 659,129
- Median household income: $57,537
- Median home value: $215,500
- Below poverty line: 22.7%
- Population density: 11,717.2 people / sq mi
- Public libraries indexed: 53
- NCES schools indexed: 304
VINELink
Official Free
Welcome to Pennsylvania VINE. A free, secure, and confidential way to access custody status and criminal case information, find state-approved service.
Wanted: Suspects for Robbery/Sexual Assault in the 9th District | Philadelphia Police Department (PPD)
Official Free
Police apprehended one suspect on the roof, Saidakhmad Bakiev (Pictured above), 18, from the 27XX block of Northview Road in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (mugshot provided). He was charged with the following offenses: Criminal Conspiracy, Aggravated.
SP 4-164A (10-2025) PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE
Official Free
The Pennsylvania State Police response will be based on the comparison of the data provided by the requester
Vehicular Accidents: Things to Know When Reporting Crashes | Citizens Police Oversight Commission | City of Philadelphia
Official Free
The Detective Division of Occurrence and/or the Homicide Unit (investigates accidents which are suspected to be the result of a deliberate act or suicide). The Homicide Unit, Crime Scene Unit, and/or the Detective Division of Occurrence (assists CID in the investigation of vehicle crashes, whenever necessary). In addition to the PPD divisions listed above, there are outside police agencies which operate in Philadelphia and are authorized to respond to accidents.
Philadelphia Police Interactive Map | Philadelphia Police Department (PPD)
Official Free
Spatial Data Source: Office of Innovation and Technology, City of Philadelphia Government. Police Athletic Leagues (PAL) data source: https://phillypal.org/locations A Crime Stats Circle allows map users to display crime statistics in a specific radius within a specified area.
Case Information - UJS Portal
Official Free
In addition, secure Court Summary Information, Case Accounting and Pre-Sentence Summary reports are available for Criminal Courts of Common Pleas and Philadelphia Municipal Court cases. A secure login is required to access this service. Note: A party to a case, or the party's attorney, who wishes to correct a data error on a web docket sheet should submit a · request form to the court in which the case was filed.
Supreme Court Prothonotary's Addresses | Supreme Court | Courts | Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania
Official Free
Case records from the Pennsylvania courts serving Philadelphia County surface through this system. It is an official government source.
The Philadelphia Courts @ http://www.courts.phila.gov
Official Free
Table of Contents (Click on a desired topic) · The First Judicial District (FJD) Civil Docket Access Help Desk will assist you in finding the information you require through the Internet. This site will provide the basic steps for conducting a search. Essentially, you'll type key words in.
Disclaimer - Civil Court Listings
Official Free
The following page contains several real-time updated listings of court events. Listings are grouped by court event and/or court program type. Once a list type is selected, there may be additional options to return more specific results in the subsequent category selections · Once a list is.
Civil Docket Access
Official Free
Case records from the Pennsylvania courts serving Philadelphia County surface through this system. Confirm details with the official court office before relying on them.
The Philadelphia Courts | First Judicial District of Pennsylvania
Official Free
The First Judicial District (FJD) of Pennsylvania is composed of two courts which make up the Philadelphia County Court System: the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court.
First Judicial District of Pennsylvania
Official Free
District of Pennsylvania’s (FJD) website as follows: Access the FJD Web Page at http://www.courts.phila.gov. Open the “Online Services” · tab on the tool bar.
Traffic Hearing Listings Disclaimer
Official Free
The Philadelphia Traffic Division Listing Report contains basic listing information concerning Traffic Court citations ("moving violations" or "traffic tickets"). The information provided by the First Judicial District through this Internet service has been reproduced from the Traffic Division's.
Birth, Death, Vital Statistics - Pennsylvania Department of Health
Official Free
Welcome to the birth, death, and other vital statistics page, the premier source for vital statistics data in Pennsylvania. Use the following links to download or print various vital statistics and reports. At the bottom of this page you will find links to other websites and resources with an emphasis on vital statistics. Large volume of the latest available and historical state, county and municipality data by age, race/ethnicity and various birth-related topics.
JewishGen - The Global Home for Jewish Genealogy
Official Free
Explore millions of records from around the world, identify relatives, discover the towns of your ancestors, experience how they lived, connect with our global JewishGen community, and more!
Disclaimer - Family Division Domestic Relations - Docket Search
Official Free
In this sense, the reproduced data cannot be considered for official use. Any person requiring dockets for official use must obtain them from the Clerk of Family Court, 11th Floor, 1501 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, or Customer Service, 8th Floor, 1501 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
Find and request a marriage record | Services | City of Philadelphia
Official Free
You can use our online marriage record search to find information on Philadelphia marriages from 1995 or later.
Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
Official Free
Property research in Philadelphia County starts here: parcels, assessments, and tax detail. It is independently run, so verify anything critical against the official property and tax office.
Voter Registration Application - PA Voter Services
Official Free
If you are not a U.S. citizen and a resident of Pennsylvania at least 30 days before the next election, you CANNOT register to vote. If you have any questions, please call 1.877.VOTESPA (1.877.868.3772). Your registration is not complete until processed and accepted by your county voter.
City of Philadelphia - Property | phila.gov
Official Free
Type an address, property account number, or Department of Records registry map number into the search box.
PSP Troop Directory - PSP.PA.gov
Official Free
Office directory for Pennsylvania. Contacts stay reasonably current, but offices move — the phone numbers outlive the addresses. It maps which office holds which record type, the question that stalls most searches.
Voter Registration Application - PA Voter Services
Official Free
If you are not a U.S. citizen and a resident of Pennsylvania at least 30 days before the next election, you CANNOT register to vote. If you have any questions, please call 1.877.VOTESPA (1.877.868.3772). Your registration is not complete until processed and accepted by your county voter.
BPOA - License Portal
Official Free
Official license verification for Pennsylvania. Search by name or license number; lapsed and revoked credentials stay in the record. Renewal dates show here too — a license can be valid today and expiring next month.
Digital Exhibits + Projects :: Friends Historical Library :: Swarthmore College
Official Free
The projects highlighted and linked, below, provide opportunities to explore data sets, digital timelines, maps, digitized manuscripts and transcriptions, and social relationships to help contemporary researchers and students understand Quaker history, Swarthmore College history, and American and African American history. Most projects were done in collaboration with Digital Scholarship at Swarthmore, Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections, and/or the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get birth or death records in Philadelphia County?
Pennsylvania vital records are issued by Pennsylvania Department of Health Division of Vital Records. Local source for Philadelphia County: Birth, Death, Vital Statistics - Pennsylvania Department of Health — https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/HealthStatistics/VitalStatistics/Pages/vital-statistics.aspx.
Are Pennsylvania marriage records public?
Marriage records in Pennsylvania are generally public — anyone can verify that a marriage occurred and request a non-certified copy. Certified copies (needed for legal purposes like name changes or immigration) may be restricted to the spouses, immediate family, or those with a court order.
What's the difference between sealing and expunging a record in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, a sealed record is hidden from public view but still exists and remains visible to law enforcement, licensing boards, and some employers. An expunged record is treated by Pennsylvania law as if it never happened — though FBI and federal records may persist regardless of state action. The relief process runs through the sentencing court.
What's the difference between a court record and a criminal record in Pennsylvania?
A court record shows everything filed in a specific case — pleadings, motions, judgments. A criminal record (rap sheet) is a person-centric history from the Pennsylvania State Police that aggregates arrests and dispositions across all courts in Pennsylvania. Court records are searched by case; criminal records by person.