Bradford County Court Records Search

Bradford County is part of Pennsylvania’s 42nd Judicial District and is home to a single Court of Common Pleas along with four Magisterial District Courts. The county seat is Towanda, where the Bradford County Courthouse at 301 Main Street houses most judicial and records offices. Court records in Bradford County encompass case filings, docket entries, judgments, orders, decrees, sentencing details, and financial case information. These records are maintained by several offices depending on case type, primarily the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts for civil and criminal matters, and the Register and Recorder for probate, vital records, and property documents.

Residents and researchers looking for court records in Pennsylvania can begin with the resources offered through PennsylvaniaCourts.us, the state courts domain. The Unified Judicial System Web Portal provides free electronic access to criminal docket sheets statewide, while Bradford County’s own Prothonotary Web Viewer covers civil case records. In-person searches can be conducted at the courthouse clerk offices during regular business hours, and public-access terminals may be available on site. Those who need certified or exemplified copies can request them directly from the appropriate office.

How to Look Up a Court Case in Bradford County?

Finding a court case in Bradford County depends on the type of case. Criminal and some appellate matters are searchable through the statewide UJS Portal, while civil actions are available through the county’s own online viewer. Below is a step-by-step approach:

Determine the case type. Criminal cases, including felonies and misdemeanors, are maintained by the Clerk of Courts. Civil suits, family law actions, and liens are maintained by the Prothonotary. Probate and estate matters fall under the Register and Recorder (serving as Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans’ Court).
Search online. For criminal docket sheets, use the UJS Portal Case Search and select the appropriate search method (participant name, case number, or offense tracking number). For civil records, go to the Bradford County Prothonotary Web Viewer and search by case number or party name. Documents viewed through the Web Viewer cost $0.25 each.
Visit in person. All three record-keeping offices are located in or near the Bradford County Courthouse:

Bradford County Courthouse
Address: 301 Main Street, Towanda, PA 18848

Office	Phone	Fax	Hours
Court Administration	(570) 265-1707	(570) 265-1747	Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Prothonotary / Clerk of Courts	(570) 265-1705	(570) 265-1735	Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Register & Recorder	(570) 265-1702	(570) 265-1721	Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (recording until 3:30 p.m.)

Submit a mail request. Written requests should include the full names of the parties, the case number (if known), a description of the document needed, and payment for any applicable copy fees. Mail correspondence to the appropriate office at 301 Main Street, Towanda, PA 18848.
Contact the court for scheduling questions. The Office of Court Administration directs anyone with case-scheduling inquiries to the Pennsylvania Judiciary Web Portal for up-to-date public court calendars.

Are Court Records Public in Bradford County?

Pennsylvania presumes court records are open to the public. The Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System (effective January 1, 2022) and the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (65 P.S. § 67.101 et seq.) together establish the framework for access to judicial case records. Electronic case records made available through the UJS Portal and county viewers include case numbers, filing dates, case types, judge assignments, party names and addresses, docket entries, charges, dispositions, and case financial information.

Certain categories of information are excluded from public access and may only be viewed by case parties, attorneys of record, or authorized judicial system personnel. These restricted categories include:

Social Security numbers and state identification (SID) numbers
Driver’s license numbers
Financial account numbers (except the last four digits of an active account when part of a case)
Income and expense statements and financial source documents
Psychological and medical records
A juvenile’s educational records
Children, Youth, and Family Services records
Marital property inventories and pre-trial statements
Agreements between case parties filed under seal
Victim contact information (address, employer name and address, work schedule) in family court protection-from-abuse matters
Names and dates of birth of juveniles, except those charged as defendants in criminal proceedings

Records sealed by court order are entirely restricted. Anyone wishing to access a sealed or confidential record must petition the court. A Confidential Form with Instructions is available from the Prothonotary’s office for filings that contain restricted information. A Request for Access Form published by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts can also be used when seeking access to non-public case records.

Bradford County Criminal Court Records

Criminal cases originating in Bradford County are processed through the Court of Common Pleas for felonies and higher misdemeanors, and through the four Magisterial District Courts for preliminary hearings, summary offenses, and arraignments. The Clerk of Courts, located within the Prothonotary’s office at 301 Main Street, is the custodian of all criminal and juvenile court records.

Magisterial District Courts in Bradford County:

Court	Address	Phone
MDJ 42-3-01	123 Canton Street, Troy, PA 16947	(570) 297-3880
MDJ 42-3-02	75 Herrick Avenue, Sayre, PA 18840	(570) 888-6324
MDJ 42-3-03	200 Main Street, Towanda, PA 18848	(570) 268-5057
MDJ 42-3-04	1959 Golden Mile Road, Wysox, PA 18854	(570) 265-9393

Criminal docket sheets for Bradford County cases are searchable at no charge through the UJS Portal. Users can search by participant name, docket number, or offense tracking number to locate case details, charges, and disposition information.

For formal criminal background checks, the Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system (Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History) provides statewide criminal history reports. A standard online request costs $22.00 (non-refundable), with a 2% credit card transaction fee applied as of April 2026. A notarized certification adds $5.00. Those who prefer to submit by mail can complete Form SP 4-164 and send it with a certified check or money order to:

Pennsylvania State Police – Central Repository – 164
Address: 1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9758

Individuals requesting their own criminal history record can use Form SP 4-170 with a $20.00 check by mail.

The Bradford County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for serving bench warrants, enforcing court orders, and maintaining courtroom security. Arrest-related inquiries and warrant information can be directed to:

Bradford County Sheriff’s Office
Address: 215 Main Street, Towanda, PA 18848
Phone: (570) 265-1701
Fax: (570) 265-1734
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

The Bradford County Correctional Facility handles inmate-related records and can be reached at:

Bradford County Correctional Facility
Address: 15927 Route 6, Troy, PA 16947
Phone: (570) 297-5047
Fax: (570) 297-4350

Bradford County Civil Court Records

Civil case records in Bradford County are maintained by the Prothonotary, who serves as the chief clerk of the civil division of the Court of Common Pleas. The office records and preserves filings for lawsuits, judgments, liens, name changes, and petitions. The current Prothonotary is Tammy Hart, reachable at (570) 265-1705 or by email at hartt@bradfordco.org (also bcproth@bradfordco.org for general inquiries).

Civil case documents can be searched and downloaded through the Bradford County Prothonotary Web Viewer. Searches are available by case number or party name, and each document viewed costs $0.25. The office notes that the Web Viewer is optimized for certain browsers and may not function in all environments.

For in-person requests, the Prothonotary’s office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Staff can assist with locating records and producing copies. The Prothonotary Fee Schedule details costs for various filings, certifications, and document copies. Key fee categories include copy and certification charges, appeal filing fees, judgment certifications, and lien docketing.

Several downloadable civil forms are available from the Prothonotary page on the county website, including:

Additional public forms are published by the Unified Judicial System for use statewide. Property-related civil records, including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and UCC financing statements, are recorded by the Register and Recorder. Online deed and mortgage indexes are accessible through the Landex remote access portal, and the county’s property tax records can be searched via the Treasurer’s Tax Search Portal.

Certified copies of recorded property documents cost $2.00. Plain copies cost $0.25 per page if self-serve or $0.50 per page if produced by staff. The full 2026 Recorder of Deeds fee schedule is available from the Register & Recorder page; representative recording fees include $77.75 for a deed, $77.75 for a mortgage, $64.75 for a satisfaction of mortgage, and $105.00 for a UCC financing statement. All recording fees include up to four pages, four names, and one parcel; additional pages are $2.00 each, additional names $0.50 each, and additional parcels $0.50 each.

Bradford County Family Court Records

Family law actions in Bradford County are filed with the Prothonotary and heard in the Court of Common Pleas. The Prothonotary records divorces, custody complaints, protection-from-abuse (PFA) petitions, and related motions. The Hearing Master presides over dependency, delinquency, divorce, and support proceedings. Family court case records are generally accessible to the public with the exception of confidential information protected under the Public Access Policy (victim contact details in PFA cases, juvenile identifying information, and psychological evaluations, among others).

Divorce records can be reviewed in person at the Prothonotary’s office during business hours. Requesters should provide party names, divorce dates, or case numbers to facilitate searches. For inquiries about copy fees for divorce records, contact the Prothonotary at (570) 265-1705 or email hartt@bradfordco.org. Downloadable family court forms from the county website include:

The Bradford County Domestic Relations Office handles child support, spousal support, and alimony pendente lite matters under the supervision of the President Judge. The office can be reached at (570) 265-1718 (automated phone system). Forms and additional resources are available through the PA Child Support Program website.

Marriage licenses are issued by the Register and Recorder. The fee for a marriage license is $40.00, with an additional $2.00 for a consent form if applicable and $19.00 for a three-day waiver petition. Certified copies of a marriage license cost $6.00. An Online Marriage Application is available through the county’s Landex partnership. In-person appointments for marriage license processing can be scheduled by calling (570) 265-1702; recording hours for appointments are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Birth and death certificates from 1893 through 1905 are held by the Register and Recorder. Birth records cost $20.00 and death records $9.00 from this office. Requesters can visit in person or submit a mail request with a self-addressed stamped envelope; staff will conduct the search and bill when the record is located. For records from 1906 to the present, the Pennsylvania Department of Health Division of Vital Records is the issuing authority. The standard fee for a birth or death certificate from the state is $20.00, with an additional $10.00 processing fee for online orders. Applicants can submit by mail using the Application for a Birth Certificate or Application for a Death Certificate, along with a check or money order and a valid ID, to:

Division of Vital Records
Birth or Death Certificate Processing Unit
P.O. Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103

Walk-in requests are accepted at any Vital Records Office location during business hours. Mail and in-person applicants must be at least 16 years old; online applicants must be 18 or older.

Bradford County Probate Court Records

Probate matters in Bradford County are adjudicated by the Orphans’ Court division of the Court of Common Pleas. The Register and Recorder (who also serves as Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans’ Court) is the custodian of all probate records, including wills, letters testamentary, letters of administration, inventories, estate accountings, guardianship petitions, and adoption filings. The office probates approximately 350 to 400 estates annually.

Probate records are available for in-person review at the Register and Recorder’s office, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Requesters should provide a decedent’s name or case number to conduct a search. The estate search fee is $5.00, and copies of probate documents cost $2.50 for a certified copy of the first page of an estate instrument, $0.25 per additional page, and $5.00 for short certificates. The full Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans’ Court Fee Schedule (effective December 1, 2025) lists the following representative fees:

Action	Fee
Letters Testamentary/Administration (estate ≤ $1,000)	$30.00
Letters Testamentary/Administration (estate $5,001–$10,000)	$60.00
Letters Testamentary/Administration (estate $50,001–$75,000)	$175.00
Letters Testamentary/Administration (estate $75,001–$100,000)	$200.00
Each additional $100,000 or fraction	$75.00
JCS Fee (per filing)	$41.25
Probate of will only (first page)	$15.00
Final accounts	$225.00
Guardianship petition & appointment	$76.25
Periodic (yearly) guardianship accounting	$14.00
Adoption filing	$50.00
Orphans’ Court petition (any kind)	$76.25
Claim against estate	$20.00
Short certificates	$5.00
Appeal to appellate court	$90.25

Cash or check payments only are accepted. Bond fees of $10.00 apply when required. Guardianship appointments include the requirement of a first account due within four months. For guidance on self-represented filings, the county directs individuals to the Representing Yourself resources maintained by the Unified Judicial System, and those needing legal assistance may contact the Wisconsin Lawyer Referral Service equivalent for Pennsylvania or reach North Penn Legal Services for local help.