Search Northumberland County Court Records
Northumberland County court record searching starts with the statewide UJS Case Search portal. The portal is a free public service for docket sheets from Pennsylvania appellate courts, Courts of Common Pleas, and Magisterial District Courts. For Northumberland County, that means a user may search Court of Common Pleas docket sheets for county-level civil, criminal, family, and some Orphans' Court matters, while Magisterial District Court searches cover many traffic, landlord-tenant, summary offense, small civil, and preliminary criminal matters.
The search is strongest when the court level and county are selected before a broad name search. Docket numbers are useful when known, but names, organization names, filing dates, and court category filters can help narrow a large result set. If a record is missing, sealed, very new, or outside the web docket system, the next step is the office that keeps the original file: the Prothonotary for civil Common Pleas files, the Clerk of Courts for criminal Common Pleas files, the Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court for probate files, or the assigned Magisterial District Court for lower court records.
- Open the UJS Case Search portal and choose the court category that fits the Northumberland County record.
- Use Court of Common Pleas for county-level civil, criminal, family, and Orphans' Court docket categories when available.
- Use Magisterial District Courts for traffic citations, landlord-tenant claims, small civil claims, summary offenses, and preliminary criminal matters.
- Enter a participant name, organization name, docket number, or date range, then select Northumberland when the county field is available.
- Review the docket sheet, then contact the record custodian if the user needs the full file, certified copies, or a record that is not online.
The Northumberland County Courts and Justice page links the local court offices that help when a statewide docket does not answer the question. It is a useful bridge from the search portal to the office counter.
The county court landing page shows why a Northumberland County search can cross several offices instead of one single county database.
Northumberland County Court Search Fields
UJS Case Search exposes different fields by court category, but the same core idea applies to Northumberland County court records. A user chooses the court type, then searches by name, docket number, organization, attorney, citation, or other criteria available in that panel. Recent filings may lag behind the official court file, and UJS warns that docket sheets are not a substitute for a Pennsylvania State Police criminal-history background check.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court Type | Dropdown or tab | Usually yes | Choose appellate, Court of Common Pleas, or Magisterial District Court. |
| Search Type | Dropdown or radio | Yes | Name, docket number, organization, attorney, citation, or incident options may appear. |
| Docket Number | Text | Conditional | Use exact docket format when known, such as Common Pleas or MDJ docket styles. |
| Last Name | Text | Conditional | Used for participant or person searches. |
| First Name | Text | No | Narrows a name search. |
| Organization Name | Text | Conditional | Used when a party is a business or agency. |
| County | Dropdown | No | Select Northumberland to avoid statewide matches. |
| Date Range | Date fields | No | May narrow filing, event, or offense dates by panel. |
Northumberland County Court System
Pennsylvania's county-level trial court is the Court of Common Pleas. In Northumberland County, the Court of Common Pleas handles felony criminal cases after preliminary proceedings, larger civil matters, divorce and family cases, custody, Protection From Abuse matters, Orphans' Court probate work, and appeals or matters that exceed lower court jurisdiction. The county courthouse is the central location for Common Pleas judicial business, court administration, the District Attorney, Orphans' Court counter functions, and marriage-license processing.
Magisterial District Courts are the lower trial courts. Northumberland County has four MDJ districts serving Mount Carmel, Milton, Shamokin, and Sunbury areas. Those courts handle traffic citations, non-traffic summary offenses, landlord-tenant disputes, small civil claims up to the magisterial limit, preliminary arraignments, bail setting, and preliminary hearings. A criminal case usually begins with a complaint at the MDJ level and moves to Common Pleas only if the Commonwealth shows a prima facie case at the preliminary hearing.
Case flow: Police complaint › Magisterial District Court arraignment or hearing › Court of Common Pleas if held for court › Superior Court or Commonwealth Court appeal › Supreme Court of Pennsylvania review when accepted.
| Court | Address | Phone | Main Record Types |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court of Common Pleas | 201 Market Street, Sunbury, PA 17801 | 570-988-4167 | Civil, criminal, family, divorce, probate, appeals, PFA matters. |
| MDJ William Cole, 08-2-01 | 150 S Market Street, Mount Carmel, PA 17851 | 570-339-2140 | Traffic, summary, small civil, landlord-tenant, preliminary criminal matters. |
| MDJ Michael Diehl, 08-3-02 | 45 Locust Street, Milton, PA 17847 | 570-742-7446 | Lower court records for the Milton-area district. |
| MDJ William Zalinski, 08-3-03 | 2 E Arch Street, Shamokin, PA 17872 | 570-644-0736 | Lower court records for Shamokin, Coal Township, Snydertown, and Zerbe. |
| MDJ Racheal Wiest-Benner, 08-3-04 | 399 Stadium Drive, Sunbury, PA 17801 | 570-988-4485 | Lower court records for Sunbury and nearby municipalities. |
Northumberland County Courthouse Contacts
The Northumberland County Courthouse is at 201 Market Street in Sunbury. The UJS county page lists public hours as Monday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Court Administration is on the second floor, and the office publishes court calendar links, local rules, language access materials, ADA policy links, and court forms. The courthouse is also the location for the District Attorney, the Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court, and Domestic Relations hearings such as DeNovo, contempt, and bench warrant hearings.
The Court Administration page shows the local court contact block, calendar links, language access materials, and ADA resources.
Court Administration details matter because the office is often the best starting point for calendar, language access, ADA, and local rules questions.
Northumberland County Courthouse
201 Market Street
Sunbury, PA 17801
570-988-4167
Monday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Court Administration
201 Market Street, 2nd Floor
Sunbury, PA 17801
570.988.4167
Fax 570.988.4497
Register and Recorder
201 Market Street, 1st Floor
Sunbury, PA 17801
570.988.4143
Marriage and Orphans' Court counter functions.
Northumberland County Court Record Types
Northumberland County court records vary by office and case type. Civil Common Pleas files are kept by the Prothonotary and can include complaints, cover sheets, answers, motions, judgments, name-change papers, liens, and appeals. Criminal Common Pleas files are handled by the Clerk of Courts and may include informations, bind-over documents, arraignment entries, motions, pleas, verdicts, sentence orders, probation terms, fines, costs, restitution, appeals, and expungement or sealing orders.
Magisterial District Court records cover many matters that never start at the courthouse, including traffic citations, non-traffic summary citations, landlord-tenant cases, small civil claims, preliminary arraignments, bail decisions, preliminary hearings, and summons or warrant activity. Family and divorce records can include divorce complaints, decrees, custody matters, support-related court activity, and PFA filings. Probate and Orphans' Court records may include wills, estates, administrations, guardianships, adoptions, fiduciary matters, and court orders.
- Civil records: Common Pleas pleadings, motions, judgments, liens, name changes, and appeals kept by the Prothonotary.
- Criminal court records: case files after charges move through MDJ proceedings into Common Pleas.
- Traffic records: MDJ citation dockets, pleas, dispositions, fines, costs, and payment status.
- Family and divorce records: divorce, custody, support, PFA, and related Common Pleas filings.
- Orphans' Court records: estate, probate, fiduciary, guardianship, adoption, and related filings.
What Northumberland County Records Show
A public docket sheet is a summary, not always the full court file. In Northumberland County court records, the visible fields can include the docket number, court name, county, case caption, case type, filing date, case status, participant names, party roles, attorney names, judge or Magisterial District Judge, docket entries, event dates, hearing dates, dispositions, financial obligations, and cross-court references. Criminal and traffic matters may show additional offense, charge, bail, sentence, fine, or cost data where public.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Docket Number | The court tracking number, such as a Common Pleas or Magisterial District Court docket. |
| Caption | The case name or party style shown on the docket sheet. |
| Case Type | The broad record category, such as civil, criminal, traffic, family, or probate. |
| Participants | Party names and roles, such as plaintiff, defendant, Commonwealth, attorney, or fiduciary. |
| Docket Entries | The dated list of filings, court actions, hearings, orders, and case events. |
| Disposition | The outcome of a charge, claim, citation, or case when public. |
| Financial Terms | Fines, costs, restitution, payment plans, or judgments where the docket displays them. |
Northumberland County Public Access Rules
Public access to Northumberland County court records is controlled by Pennsylvania court policy and state law. The UJS Public Records Policies page is the main judiciary source for case records, statewide data, financial records, public access forms, and court-record FAQs. The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law applies to agency records, but court case files follow judicial access policies rather than ordinary county administrative open-records handling.
The county also publishes an Open Records List with department-specific officers, email addresses, and phone numbers for courts, the District Attorney, Prothonotary, Register and Recorder, Sheriff, Prison, and other county offices.
The open-records list helps route administrative requests, but it does not replace the UJS case-record policy for court files.
Key access rules: UJS Case Records Public Access Policy governs Pennsylvania court case records. 42 Pa.C.S. § 6307 limits juvenile court file inspection. 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 covers eligible criminal expungement.
Restricted Northumberland County Records
Some Northumberland County court records are not open to the public, even when the docket system shows that a case exists. Restricted categories can include juvenile court files, sealed or expunged criminal records, adoption records, mental health and incapacity records, guardianship material, and filings that contain confidential identifiers. Family and PFA records may show limited public docket information while abuse, minor, address, financial, or victim details remain protected.
Expungement and sealing are court processes. A person seeking expungement in Pennsylvania usually files in the court that handled the criminal case. Eligibility depends on the outcome and offense type. Non-convictions, certain summary offenses after waiting periods, and other categories under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 may qualify. After a signed order, the listed agencies restrict or remove qualifying records from public access. Law enforcement and courts may still have limited access for lawful purposes.
Note: Online absence does not prove a record never existed; it may be delayed, restricted, sealed, or kept only by the originating office.
Northumberland County Clerk Offices
Northumberland County uses Pennsylvania's split clerk model. The Prothonotary is the civil record custodian for Court of Common Pleas files. Jamie Saleski is the elected Prothonotary, with Denise Zechman as First Deputy. The Prothonotary's stated duty is accurate and timely creation, maintenance, and certification of Court of Common Pleas records. The office also posts that its updated fee schedule is effective January 1, 2026 and that the office cannot give legal advice.
The criminal clerk function is separate. The UJS Clerks of Courts list identifies Northumberland County's Clerk of Courts contact as Jamie Saleski at the courthouse, phone 570-988-4148 and fax 570-988-4153. Probate and marriage functions sit with Christina A. "Tina" Mertz, Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court. That office schedules marriage license appointments, probate appointments, and handles Orphans' Court counter work.
| Office | Main Records | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Prothonotary | Civil, divorce, family, judgments, liens, Common Pleas civil files. | 570-988-4151 open-records contact. |
| Clerk of Courts | Criminal Common Pleas record functions and criminal case file requests. | 570-988-4148 statewide clerk listing. |
| Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court | Marriage licenses, probate appointments, Orphans' Court records. | 570.988.4143 main office; 570-988-4985 probate appointments. |
Northumberland County Marriage and Orphans' Court
Marriage licenses are handled by the Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court. The county requires online applications before an appointment can be scheduled, and appointments are set by phone on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The county lists a $60 cash-only marriage license fee, photo identification, proof of death certificate or divorce decree for prior marriages, an over-18 age rule, and a military three-day waiver process that requires military orders.
Probate is Orphans' Court work. In-person probates are done Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment only, and Zoom probates are still accepted. Estate records can include wills, letters, inventories, accounts, fiduciary names, and orders. Adoption, guardianship, incapacity, and minor-related Orphans' Court records may be restricted. Divorce records are different from marriage and probate records; divorce files are Common Pleas civil or family records handled through the Prothonotary.
- Orphans' Court
- Pennsylvania's probate and estate court division.
- Letters
- Authority issued to an estate representative to act for the estate.
- Fiduciary
- A person who manages estate, trust, or guardianship duties for someone else.
- Intestate
- A death without a valid will controlling the estate.
Northumberland County Sheriff and Jail
Sheriff Robert Wolfe's office serves and enforces Court of Common Pleas orders, handles courthouse policing, transports prisoners to and from county and state institutions for court appearances, keeps the peace, arrests law violators and fugitives, assists other agencies, and serves or enforces PFA orders. The sheriff open-records contact listed by the county is Robert Wolfe, phone 570-988-5441.
The Northumberland County Jail is at 670 Northumberland County Drive in Coal Township. The main phone is 570.509.2701. Jail administration hours are Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and records hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For custody status and release notification, Northumberland County uses PA SAVIN / VINE. For state-sentenced inmates and parolees, use the PA DOC locator, which does not include county jail inmates. Video visits use ICSolutions / The Visitor with onsite and offsite options.
Northumberland County Warrants and Traffic
No official public Northumberland County active warrant search page was located in the research file. Warrant checks therefore use a practical chain: the MDJ office that covers the municipality, the Court of Common Pleas or Clerk of Courts for criminal docket entries, Domestic Relations for support or contempt bench warrants, and the Sheriff's Office for enforcement channels. UJS docket sheets may show warrant-related entries or bail status, but sealed or active law-enforcement information may not appear online.
Traffic cases are mainly Magisterial District Court matters. The citation location usually determines whether the Mount Carmel, Milton, Shamokin, or Sunbury MDJ office handles the record. The PAePay portal lets users search eligible financial obligations by docket number, payment plan, citation number, person, or organization. PAePay warns that it only displays court financial obligations approved for online payment and that other obligations may still exist.
Northumberland County Court Record Fees
Northumberland County fee details depend on the office and document type. The Prothonotary page posts that an updated fee schedule is effective January 1, 2026, but the research file did not capture line-item copy fees from the PDF. The Register and Recorder payment policy is clear: the office no longer accepts personal checks, except for checks from listed professional and entity categories. Cash, money order, or certified bank check are accepted where the policy applies.
| Office or Item | Amount or Rule |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $60 cash only. |
| Prothonotary fee schedule | Updated schedule effective January 1, 2026; check the official PDF for line items. |
| Register and Recorder payments | No personal checks; cash, money order, certified bank check accepted, with professional exceptions. |
| Probate appointment | Appointment required; call 570-988-4985. |
| Certified court copies | Request from the office that keeps the file; fees follow current county or court schedules. |
Northumberland County Record Limits
Online docket records can lag behind the official court file. UJS warns that recent entries made in court filing offices may not immediately appear on web docket sheets. The same warning is important for criminal charges, traffic citations, warrants, and payments, because a person may see a stale online status before an office update posts. Certified copies, official case status questions, and corrections should go to the record custodian rather than a screen capture from a web docket.
State and county systems also serve different purposes. A court docket is not a Pennsylvania State Police criminal-history background check. A court traffic record is not the same file as a PennDOT driver record. PA SAVIN is a notification system, not a full jail booking database. The PA DOC locator covers state-sentenced inmates and parolees, not county jail custody.
Note: Confirm deadlines, hearing status, custody status, and copy fees with the office that controls the original file.
Northumberland County Court History
Northumberland County is one of Pennsylvania's historic counties, with Sunbury as the county seat. Official court history material in the research file is limited, so unsupported courthouse architecture or construction history should not be added. The modern record structure still reflects Pennsylvania's long-standing county court model: general jurisdiction in the Court of Common Pleas, local preliminary and minor matters in Magisterial District Courts, and Orphans' Court functions within county probate administration.
Current office history is better documented. Jamie Saleski has worked in the Prothonotary's office since September 2007 and was elected office holder in 2017. Sheriff Robert Wolfe has served since January 2014 after state nomination and Senate approval, then election to a full term. Register and Recorder Christina A. Mertz continues to publish probate, marriage-license, payment-policy, and fraud-alert service information.
Northumberland County Court Updates
Recent official county items add useful context for record users. The county Scam Alerts page posted a May 12, 2026 arrest-warrant scam warning. Court Administration posted 2026 court calendar links for early-year and spring periods. The Sunbury MDJ page carried a February 20, 2026 closure notice. A July 3, 2024 open-records list published department-level contacts for the courts, District Attorney, Prothonotary, Register and Recorder, Sheriff, Prison, and other offices.
The county commissioners public meeting page is one example of current county posting activity outside the court docket system.
Public meeting pages are not case records, but they show why administrative records and court case records may follow different request paths.
Northumberland County Court Records FAQ
Where do Northumberland County court record searches start?
Most public docket searches start with UJS Case Search. Choose the court category, select Northumberland when available, and search by name, docket number, organization, or other available fields. For full files or certified copies, contact the office that keeps the original record.
Who keeps Northumberland County civil court records?
The Prothonotary handles civil Court of Common Pleas record functions, including many civil, divorce, family, judgment, lien, and related filings. The office is separate from the Clerk of Courts criminal function and the Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court probate function.
Are Northumberland County criminal dockets background checks?
No. UJS docket sheets are court case records, not certified criminal-history background checks. Pennsylvania State Police is the source for official criminal-history dissemination under the state criminal-history framework.
Which court handles Northumberland County traffic citations?
Traffic citations are usually handled by the Magisterial District Court for the area where the citation was issued. PAePay may show eligible traffic financial obligations, but the MDJ office remains the key contact for deadlines, hearings, and contesting a ticket.
How are Northumberland County probate records requested?
Probate is handled by the Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court. The county requires probate appointments and lists 570-988-4985 for scheduling. Some estate records may be public, while adoption, guardianship, incapacity, and minor-related records may be restricted.
Is there a public Northumberland County active warrant database?
The research file did not locate an official public active warrant search page. Use the MDJ office, Clerk of Courts, Domestic Relations, Sheriff's Office, or UJS docket clues depending on the warrant type and underlying case.