Columbia County Court Records Search

Columbia County occupies the north-central portion of Pennsylvania within the 26th Judicial District, which it shares with neighboring Montour County. The county seat is the Town of Bloomsburg — the only incorporated town in the Commonwealth — and the Columbia County Courthouse at 35 West Main Street serves as the hub of local judicial activity. The county court system consists of a single Court of Common Pleas with general jurisdiction over civil, criminal, family, and orphans’ court matters, plus four Magisterial District Courts that handle minor criminal offenses, traffic citations, landlord-tenant disputes, and small claims across the county’s boroughs and townships.

For those seeking court case information in Pennsylvania, official resources exist at both the state and local levels. The Pennsylvania Judiciary Web Portal allows users to search docket sheets, pay fines, and review case details for Common Pleas and Magisterial District Court cases statewide. PennsylvaniaCourts.us may also help individuals locate publicly accessible court case records. At the county level, the Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts office, the Register of Wills, and individual Magisterial District Court clerks each maintain records within their respective areas of responsibility. In-person searches can be conducted at the Bloomsburg Courthouse during business hours, and public-access terminals are available at the courthouse for electronic lookups.

How to Look Up a Court Case in Columbia County?

Finding a court case in Columbia County requires identifying the correct court and custodian. The Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts handles civil and criminal filings for the Court of Common Pleas, while each Magisterial District Court maintains its own records for minor cases.

Online search tools:

UJS Portal Case Search — The UJS Portal provides free access to docket sheets from the Court of Common Pleas and all Magisterial District Courts. Users can search by case number, participant name, organization name, offense tracking number, police incident or complaint number, or state ID number.
Common Pleas Docket Sheets — The statewide docket sheet search maintained by the Unified Judicial System covers civil, criminal, family, and orphans’ court cases filed in Columbia County.

In-person requests at the Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts:

The Columbia County Prothonotary maintains records dating to 1814, with some earlier books containing naturalization, immigration, and miscellaneous historical records.

Columbia County Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts
35 West Main Street, P.O. Box 380
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
Phone: (570) 389-5614
Fax: (570) 389-5620
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Marriage licenses and passports are processed Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. The Prothonotary’s Office does not conduct index or judgment/lien searches on behalf of the public. The only searches the office performs are those required by law, such as name changes and UCC-11 inquiries.

Copy fees (Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts — effective January 1, 2025):

Service	Fee
All copies	$0.50 per page
Certified copy	$5.00
Certification (first page)	$5.00
Each additional certification page	$1.00
Exemplification of record	$20.00
Jury questionnaire copies	$30.00
Insufficient check charge	$50.00

Payment is accepted by cash, check, or money order. The office also accepts electronic filings through PACFile for criminal cases.

Magisterial District Courts:

Columbia County’s four Magisterial District Courts sit in different locations throughout the county:

Court	Judge	Address	Phone
District 26-2-01	Russell L. Lawton	700 Sawmill Rd, Suite 102, Bloomsburg, PA 17815	(570) 784-1868
District 26-3-01	Doug D. Brewer	100 W. Third St, Millville, PA 17846	(570) 458-5501
District 26-3-02	Brenda Hess-Williams	339 W. Front St, Berwick, PA 18603	(570) 759-0359
District 26-3-03	Craig W. Long	400 Fisher Ave, Catawissa, PA 17820	(570) 356-2309

Records from these courts can be requested at each court’s clerk window during business hours or searched online through the UJS Portal.

Are Court Records Public in Columbia County?

Under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, records maintained by government agencies — including courts — carry a presumption of public access. This principle is reinforced by 204 Pa. Code § 213.81, which establishes the Case Records Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System. Under this policy, case records — defined as all documents filed with, accepted by, and maintained by a court or custodian — are presumed public unless specifically exempted.

To safeguard sensitive information, the policy requires filers to use a Confidential Information Form when documents contain Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, or other protected identifiers. These data points must be redacted from the publicly accessible version of the filing.

The following categories of records are restricted from public inspection:

Adoption records (sealed under Pennsylvania law)
Juvenile delinquency records
Expunged and sealed criminal records
Medical and mental health records contained in case files
Records subject to attorney-client privilege
Protection-from-abuse petition details beyond what is publicly docketed
Grand jury materials
Any records sealed by court order or by state or federal statute

Only authorized individuals — typically the record subject, their attorney, or a criminal justice agency — may access restricted records. A court order is generally required to unseal or release confidential filings.

Columbia County Criminal Court Records

Criminal matters in Columbia County are distributed between the Court of Common Pleas and the Magisterial District Courts. The Court of Common Pleas handles felonies and serious misdemeanors, while the four Magisterial District Courts adjudicate summary offenses, traffic violations, and preliminary hearings for criminal cases that may later be bound over to Common Pleas.

Searching criminal case records online:

Criminal docket sheets from the Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts are searchable through the UJS Portal. Users can search by defendant name, case number, or offense tracking number.

Columbia County Sheriff’s Office:

The Sheriff’s Office maintains certain local criminal records, including arrest records and bench warrant information. Active bench warrants are published on the Sheriff’s bench warrants page.

Columbia County Sheriff’s Office
35 West Main Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
Phone: (570) 389-5622 (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.)
After hours/weekends/holidays: (570) 784-6300
Fax: (570) 389-5625

Statewide criminal history background checks — Pennsylvania State Police:

The Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) system provides electronic criminal background checks. As of April 2026, a 2% credit card transaction fee applies to online requests. Alternatively, requests can be submitted by mail using the following forms:

Form SP 4-164 — Third-party requests. Fee: $22.00. May be notarized for an additional $5.00.
Form SP 4-164A — Volunteer requests. No fee. Cannot be notarized.
Form SP 4-170 — Personal record requests. Fee: $20.00. Cannot be notarized.

Mail-in requests require payment by certified check or money order, sent to:

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

Criminal filings at the Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts:

The Clerk of Courts portion of the Prothonotary’s office maintains criminal case files for the Court of Common Pleas. Key criminal filing fees (effective January 1, 2025) include:

Miscellaneous criminal filing (new case): $60.00
Petition for expungement/limited access: $132.00
Expungement petition on a new Common Pleas case: $172.00
Summary appeals: $40.00
Criminal case searches: $20.00
Subpoenas: $5.00

Columbia County Civil Court Records

Civil litigation in Columbia County is divided between the Court of Common Pleas and the Magisterial District Courts based on the nature and amount of the claim.

The Court of Common Pleas has general jurisdiction and hears cases involving contract disputes, personal injury, mortgage foreclosures, equity actions, quiet title actions, judgment entries, mechanic’s liens, and municipal liens, among others. The Magisterial District Courts handle landlord-tenant disputes, small claims, and other minor civil matters.

Filing and searching civil records:

All civil actions in the Court of Common Pleas are filed through the Prothonotary’s Office. Key civil filing fees include:

Commencement of new action: $150.25
Appeal from District Justice/tax assessment/zoning: $150.25
Appeal from arbitration: $320.00–$770.00
Arbitration praecipe: $25.00
Entry of judgment: $25.00
Transcript of judgment from District Justice: $25.00
Writ of execution/possession/seizure: $50.00
Mechanic’s/municipal/federal liens: $95.25
Satisfaction/discontinuance/assignment: $15.00

Civil docket sheets from both court levels are available for free through the UJS Portal case search. In-person requests can be made at the Prothonotary’s Office during regular hours. Walk-in visitors to the Magisterial District Courts may request civil case records at the clerk’s window during business hours.

Property records:

The Columbia County Register and Recorder’s Office maintains deeds, mortgages, UCC financing statements, and other land records. Index data is available from 1974 to the present for deeds, mortgages, and miscellaneous instruments, and from 1992 for UCCs. Document images are available from 1974 (deeds/mortgages) and from October 1999 (UCCs and wills).

Remote online access to land records is available through the LANDEX Remote system at a cost of $0.20 per minute of online time, with no charge for printing. Subscribers need a debit account and compatible software. In-person searches can be conducted at the Register and Recorder’s Office:

Columbia County Register & Recorder’s Office
35 West Main Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
Phone: (570) 389-5632
Fax: (570) 389-5636
Email: RegisterRecorder@columbiapa.org

As of June 2025, the base recording fee for deeds and mortgages is $86.75.

Columbia County Family Court Records

Family law matters in Columbia County fall under the jurisdiction of the Court of Common Pleas. The Prothonotary’s Office processes filings for divorce, custody, visitation, support, protection-from-abuse petitions, and related domestic matters.

Divorce records:

Divorce complaints are filed with and maintained by the Prothonotary’s Office. Key fees include:

Divorce action (one count): $150.25
Divorce complaint with custody: $210.50
Each additional count: $50.25
Additional custody count: $60.25
Decree in divorce (includes $25 administrative review fee): $50.00
Resume prior surname: $15.00 ($5.00 for each certified copy)

Record seekers can request divorce records by contacting the Prothonotary at (570) 389-5614 or visiting the office with sufficient identifying information, such as the names of the parties and the approximate date of the proceedings.

Custody matters:

The Prothonotary’s Office provides a Pro Se Custody Packet for individuals filing custody actions without an attorney. Additional forms include a Petition for Contempt for Failure to Comply with Custody Order and a Petition to Modify a Custody Order. The filing fee for a new custody complaint or visitation action is $150.25, and custody modifications or contempt petitions cost $20.00.

Marriage records:

Marriage license applications are processed through the Clerk of the Orphans’ Court (housed within the Prothonotary’s Office). The marriage license fee is $50.00. Marriage records dating from 1885 to the present are available in the office. When requesting copies, the date of marriage and the names of both parties at the time of the application must be provided. Contact the Prothonotary’s Office for current certified copy fees.

Birth and death records:

The county holds local birth and death registers covering 1893 through 1905. For records outside this narrow window, the Pennsylvania Department of Health is the custodian of statewide vital records. Birth and death certificates cost $20.00 each and are available only to eligible individuals — including the person named on the record, a spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandparent, grandchild, power of attorney, or legal representative. Requests can be submitted online through the Department’s vital records ordering portal (with an additional $10.00 service fee), at any public office location, or by mail using the applicable application form for birth certificates or death certificates. Valid identification is required for all requests.

Columbia County Probate Court Records

Probate matters in Columbia County are handled by the Orphans’ Court division of the Court of Common Pleas, with the Register of Wills serving as the primary filing and administrative office for estate proceedings.

Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds:

The Register of Wills oversees the probate of wills, grants letters testamentary and letters of administration, processes inheritance tax returns, and manages guardianship and conservatorship filings. The office also provides an estate packet that includes the necessary forms and instructions for opening an estate. Statewide orphans’ court forms — including guardianship inventories, annual reports, and the Guardian’s Report of the Estate — are available through the Unified Judicial System’s Orphans’ Court forms page and may be electronically filed through the Guardianship Tracking System.

Columbia County Register of Wills
35 West Main Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
Phone: (570) 389-5632
Fax: (570) 389-5636
Email: RegisterRecorder@columbiapa.org

Probate filing fees (effective November 17, 2025):

Fees for granting letters of administration or letters testamentary are based on the gross value of the estate (a $41.25 JCP fee is added to each):

Estate Value	Letters of Administration	Letters Testamentary
Not exceeding $1,000	$28.00	$23.00 + $5.00/page
$1,001–$5,000	$36.00	$36.00
$5,001–$10,000	$49.00	$49.00
$10,001–$20,000	$57.00	$57.00
$20,001–$30,000	$66.00	$66.00
$30,001–$40,000	$75.00	$75.00
$40,001–$50,000	$83.00	$83.00
$50,001–$75,000	$92.00	$92.00
$75,001–$100,000	$101.00	$101.00
Each additional $100,000	$40.00	$40.00

Selected additional Register of Wills fees:

Short certificate (each): $5.00
Probate of will only (no grant of letters): $25.00
Filing and entering bond: $20.00
Filing caveat: $20.00
Certified copies (with certificate): $65.00
Exemplified copies (with certificate): $75.00
Filing inheritance tax return: $35.00
Filing inventory and appraisement: $10.00
Small estates affidavit: $10.00
Hearing before Register of Wills: $50.00 (non-refundable)

Online probate records:

The Register and Recorder’s Office provides online access to will index data from 1995 to the present and will images from October 1999 forward through its online records system. The LANDEX Remote client software, available at www.landex.com/remote, enables subscribers to search these records remotely at $0.20 per minute. In-person record requests can be made at the Register of Wills office during regular business hours (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.).