Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 28, 2026.
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, has about 1.6 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The divorce record of a couple from Philadelphia County is a file of the Court of Common Pleas, kept by the Prothonotary, not a vital record. This guide says where the file is, how a certified copy of the decree is had and what the state issues.
This guide covers the court, copies, related records, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Philadelphia County public records, Philadelphia County arrest records, Philadelphia County warrants, Philadelphia County inmate search, Philadelphia County criminal records, Pennsylvania arrest records and Pennsylvania inmate search.
Where a Divorce from Philadelphia County Is Filed and Kept
A divorce in Pennsylvania is a court case, so the file and the final judgment of a divorce from Philadelphia County stay with the Court of Common Pleas. The Prothonotary keeps it, and the case index tells whether a divorce was filed and when.
For Philadelphia County the court records page SearchSystems verified is at courts.phila.gov (page title: The Philadelphia Courts | First Judicial District of Pennsylvania), phone 215 686-7000, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026. Most of a divorce file is open to the public; the papers the law keeps confidential and anything the court has sealed are not.
Statewide, UJS Web Portal is the Pennsylvania courts' free statewide docket search.
Copies of a Divorce Decree from Philadelphia County
A certified copy of the decree comes from the Prothonotary, the office that keeps the file, reached through the court at 215 686-7000.
The Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records issues no divorce records; the Prothonotary holds them.
The Pennsylvania vital records page SearchSystems verified is at pa.gov/agencies/health/programs/vital-records/birth-certificates.
The Recorder of Deeds, whose page SearchSystems verified is at phila.gov/services/property-lots-housing/get-a-copy-of-a-deed-or-ot..., records deeds and liens, not divorces.
More Official Court Pages for Philadelphia County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Philadelphia County and Pennsylvania. These court pages from its Philadelphia County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Civil Docket Access (fjdefile.phila.gov)
- The Philadelphia Courts @ http://www.courts.phila.gov (fjdefile.phila.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a copy of a divorce decree from Philadelphia County?
From the Court of Common Pleas, through the Prothonotary (courts.phila.gov). The Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records issues no divorce records; the Prothonotary holds them.
Are divorce records public in Pennsylvania?
Mostly. The court file is open except for the papers the law makes confidential and anything the court seals.
Which court hears divorces from Philadelphia County?
The Court of Common Pleas. The file is kept by the Prothonotary.
Does Pennsylvania issue divorce certificates?
The Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records issues no divorce records; the Prothonotary holds them.
Is this the official Philadelphia 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.