Search Clearfield County Court Records
Clearfield County court records use two main online paths. Civil common pleas records start with the Clearfield County Civil Case Search, a public CountySuite tool tied to the Prothonotary & Clerk of Courts. Criminal common pleas records, magisterial district dockets, traffic citations, appellate cases, calendars, and many docket sheets are searched through UJS Case Search, Pennsylvania's statewide court portal.
The best route depends on the record type. A contract suit, custody case, divorce filing, judgment, lien, or PFA record may appear in the local civil search. A criminal case, citation, preliminary hearing, bench warrant event, or court calendar is more likely to be found in the UJS portal or PAeDocket. If the online record does not show the needed document, the fallback is the custodian office, a public terminal, a physical file inspection, or a request to the correct records officer.
- Choose the system that matches the case type: CountySuite for civil common pleas records or UJS for criminal, traffic, MDJ, appellate, and calendar searches.
- Search by the strongest identifier available, such as docket number, case number, participant name, citation number, OTN, complaint number, or filing date.
- Filter by Clearfield County, Judicial District 46, the MDJ court office, case category, or date range when the portal offers those fields.
- Read docket entries, parties, case status, charges, dispositions, judgments, and hearing events before assuming the record is final.
- Contact the Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, Register of Wills, MDJ office, Sheriff, jail, or Court Administration when a certified copy or nonpublic document is needed.
The official Clearfield County homepage shows the county office structure and courthouse contact points used throughout local record searches.
The county homepage is useful because it separates the courthouse, annex, jail, sheriff, prothonotary, register, and court administration offices that may each hold a different piece of a record request.
Clearfield County Courthouse Offices
The main court address is the Clearfield County Courthouse, 1 North Second Street, Clearfield, PA 16830. The Pennsylvania judiciary lists public hours as Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the county phone number as 814-765-2641. The courthouse cluster also includes the Courthouse Annex at 230 East Market Street and county administrative offices at 212 East Locust Street.
Office location matters in Clearfield County. The Sheriff is on the first floor of the courthouse. The Prothonotary & Clerk of Courts is tied to Suite 124 at the courthouse. The District Attorney, Public Defender, Court Administration, and Right-to-Know court records contacts are in the Annex. Visitors should confirm the office before arrival because a criminal case, civil file, ADA request, warrant question, and public defender application may send a person to different desks.
Clearfield County Courthouse
1 North Second Street
Clearfield, PA 16830
814-765-2641
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Courthouse Annex
230 East Market Street
Clearfield, PA 16830
814-765-2641
DA, Public Defender, and Court Administration offices
Administrative Offices
212 East Locust Street
Clearfield, PA 16830
814-765-2642
County administrative services
The Pennsylvania judiciary Clearfield County court page confirms the courthouse address, phone, and hours used for local court visits.
That state court page is the cleanest source for visitors who need the official courthouse location before checking a case file in person.
Clearfield County Court Structure
Clearfield County is in Pennsylvania's 46th Judicial District. The trial court of general jurisdiction is the Court of Common Pleas. It handles major civil cases, criminal cases, family matters, appeals from lower courts, and Orphans' Court matters through the related clerk and register offices. Four Magisterial District Courts serve as the lower courts for many first-contact matters.
Magisterial District Judges handle summary offenses, landlord-tenant matters, small civil claims up to the statutory limit, borough and township ordinance cases, preliminary arraignments, bail, warrants, preliminary hearings, traffic citations, and some low-level misdemeanor matters. Appeals from Clearfield County common pleas cases generally move to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania or Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, with the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania above both.
| Court or Office | Address | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Court of Common Pleas, 46th Judicial District | 1 N. Second Street, Clearfield | General trial court for civil, criminal, family, and appeals from lower courts |
| District Court 46-3-01 | 309 Maple Avenue, DuBois | MDJ matters, including traffic, small civil, bail, and preliminary hearings |
| District Court 46-3-02 | 900 Leonard Street, Clearfield | MDJ matters for the Clearfield area |
| District Court 46-3-03 | 131 Rolling Stone Road, Kylertown | MDJ matters with a PO Box 210 mailing address |
| District Court 46-3-04 | 251 Spring Street, Suite 3, Houtzdale | MDJ matters for the Houtzdale area |
Case flow: Magisterial District Court > Court of Common Pleas > Superior Court or Commonwealth Court > Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
Clearfield County Court Record Types
Clearfield County court records include civil common pleas records, criminal common pleas dockets, magisterial district records, family filings, protection from abuse matters, probate and Orphans' Court records, juvenile records, mental health records, and traffic citations. The public search path changes by type. Civil common pleas records use the county search. Criminal and MDJ records use UJS more often.
Probate, marriage, estates, adoptions, guardianships, and inheritance-tax work belong with the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. Divorce and custody categories appear in the Prothonotary civil search, but sensitive family details may be restricted. Traffic records are court records when they show citation and docket activity, but license points and suspensions are PennDOT driver-record matters, not county court files.
- Civil records: contract, tort, real property, liens, judgments, custody, divorce, PFA, appeals, and miscellaneous filings.
- Criminal records: charges, pleas, motions, hearings, dispositions, sentences, expungements, warrants, and violation dockets.
- MDJ records: traffic citations, landlord-tenant filings, small civil claims, summary offenses, bail, and preliminary hearings.
- Orphans' Court records: wills, estates, letters, guardianships, adoptions, accountings, and marriage-license records.
- Restricted records: sealed cases, sealed documents, juvenile matters, mental health files, and completed adoptions are not open like ordinary public records.
What Clearfield County Records Show
Public court records may show case number, docket number, case category, filing date, participant names, participant role, case status, court office, judicial district, events, judgments, reference numbers, charges, OTN, complaint number, citation number, police agency, disposition, sentence, bail, hearing events, costs, and fines. The exact fields depend on the court and portal.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case or docket number | The unique court identifier used to locate the file and docket sheet |
| Participant names | Parties, defendants, plaintiffs, attorneys, or other listed roles when public |
| Case category | The record type, such as contract, divorce, criminal, traffic, PFA, or Orphans' Court |
| Docket events | A time line of filings, hearings, orders, notices, and status changes |
| Disposition | The current or final result of a charge, citation, claim, or case |
| Sentence or judgment | Punishment after conviction or the civil decision that can be enforced |
The UJS Case Search portal is the statewide source for many public docket sheets and case searches.
UJS is especially important for criminal common pleas, magisterial district, traffic citation, calendar, and appellate searches that do not live in the county civil portal.
Clearfield County UJS Fields
UJS Case Search supports several search paths. A Clearfield County user can search by docket number, participant name, organization, attorney, citation number, complaint number, incident number, OTN, SID, date filed, or calendar event. Filters for county, judicial district, MDJS court office, and case category help narrow common names and broad date ranges.
| Search Field | Best Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Participant Name | Name-based case lookup | Use Clearfield County and date filters when possible |
| Docket Number | Known case lookup | Best when a notice, citation, or clerk gives the docket number |
| Citation Number | Traffic tickets | Searches the citation path for court traffic records |
| OTN or Complaint Number | Criminal matters | Useful for charge and preliminary-hearing research |
| Calendar Event | Court dates | Public calendars show selected criminal common pleas and MDJ events |
| Case Category | Filtering results | Includes criminal, traffic, civil, family, warrants, Orphans' Court, expungement, and more |
The UJS Case Information page also explains public docket sheets, secure docket sheets, calendars, and PAeDocket.
PAeDocket is a useful mobile option for public case and docket searches, but secure docket content still requires approved secure access.
Clearfield County Public Access Rules
Clearfield County court records follow Pennsylvania judiciary access rules rather than a single county open-records shortcut. The UJS Case Records Public Access Policy makes many case records public, but it also controls remote access, confidential data, and what can appear online. County administrative records may use the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, but judicial case files use court access policy.
Criminal expungement, limited access, and juvenile expungement have separate Pennsylvania statutes. Expungement removes eligible records. Limited access restricts dissemination to most non-criminal-justice users. Sealed files remain closed unless law or a court order allows access. Filers also must keep confidential information out of public pleadings by using the proper confidential forms.
Key Statutes:
204 Pa. Code Section 213.81 - Sets the public access policy for Pennsylvania court case records.
18 Pa.C.S. Section 9122 - Governs expungement of eligible criminal history information.
18 Pa.C.S. Section 9122.1 - Covers petitions for limited access to qualifying records.
42 Pa.C.S. Section 1515 - Defines magisterial district judge jurisdiction.
The Pennsylvania judiciary public records policies page collects statewide policies, forms, data access material, and access limits.
Those statewide policies are the reason online searches may show a docket while withholding documents, identifiers, or secure case information.
Restricted Clearfield County Records
The Prothonotary page states that sealed cases, documents sealed by court order, juvenile records, and mental health records are not accessible to the public. The Register of Wills page says completed adoption files from August 1925 to present are closed to the general public and may be opened only by a judge. Public versions of filings may also redact protected identifiers or confidential personal information.
Restricted does not always mean destroyed. A docket may still exist with limited public detail, or the file may be available only to parties, attorneys, agencies, or people with a court order. A person seeking access should identify the docket, determine whether the request is for a judicial case record or an administrative record, then contact the custodian or court records officer named by the county.
Note: Online absence is not proof that no Clearfield County record exists, especially for sealed, juvenile, mental health, or adoption matters.
Clearfield County Sheriff and Jail
Sheriff Chester Hawkins is listed at the Clearfield County Courthouse, 1 North Second Street, Clearfield, PA 16830, with phone 814-765-2641 ext. 5015. The Sheriff's Office handles prisoner transportation, licenses to carry, service of legal papers, courtroom security, and enforcement of crimes and traffic code. The sheriff page does not publish a county sheriff warrant search form.
The Clearfield County Jail, also called the Clearfield County Correctional Facility, is at 115 Twenty First Street, Clearfield, PA 16830, phone 814-765-7891. The county page names Krisha Oates as Warden and Susan McQuillen as Deputy Warden of Programming. No official county-hosted live jail roster was located, so current custody checks should go through the jail, while state-sentenced inmate and parolee searches go through the Pennsylvania DOC locator.
For more custody detail, see Clearfield County inmate records. For active or bench-warrant questions, see Clearfield County warrant records.
Clearfield County Marriage and Probate
Marriage licenses, probate, estates, adoptions, guardianships, and inheritance-tax collection are handled by the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. Marriage-license applicants must schedule an appointment and appear together. Clearfield County marriage licenses are on file from 1885 to present, and the complete marriage-license index is computerized.
Probate appointments are scheduled through extension 2126. Estate records are on file from 1832 to present, indexed on computer from 1990 to present, and scanned from December 1, 1998 to present. Landex Remote and Landex Webstore are the county's remote access paths for Register of Wills, Orphans' Court, and county records, with paid image access where available.
- Testator
- A person who made a will.
- Executor
- The person named to administer an estate under a will.
- Intestate
- A death without a valid will, so Pennsylvania succession rules guide distribution.
- Guardianship
- A court-supervised arrangement for a person who needs legal help with personal or financial decisions.
Clearfield County Court Record Fees
Fees depend on the office and service. The Prothonotary & Clerk of Courts maintains a 2026 fee schedule for civil filings and copies. The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court lists marriage, certified-copy, letters, estate, JCP/JCS, and accounting fees. Do not assume one clerk fee applies to every record type.
| Item | Amount | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license | $50 cash only | Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court |
| Certified copy from local historical records | $5 | Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court |
| Divorce complaint, uncontested/no other counts | $215 | Prothonotary & Clerk of Courts |
| Divorce with custody | $267.75 | Prothonotary & Clerk of Courts |
| Custody complaint | $185 | Prothonotary & Clerk of Courts |
| JCP/JCS fee for letters, guardianship, small estates, and adoptions | $41.25 | Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court |
Clearfield County Charges and Defense
The District Attorney is Ryan P. Sayers. The DA office is in the Courthouse Annex at 230 East Market Street, Clearfield, PA 16830, phone 814-765-2641 ext. 5017. The office coordinates with four Pennsylvania State Police barracks and three municipal police departments and reports prosecution of more than 1,200 criminal cases in Clearfield County each year.
The Public Defender office is also in the Courthouse Annex and provides criminal-case representation for people who meet financial guidelines. It does not handle civil cases. Adult applications must include financial verification and, where available, a complete copy of the police criminal complaint and affidavit of probable cause. The application must be received three days before scheduled proceedings.
| Term | Plain Meaning |
|---|---|
| Charge | The accusation filed by law enforcement or the prosecutor |
| Conviction | A guilty finding or plea accepted by the court |
| Disposition | The result or current status of a charge or case |
| OTN | Offense tracking number used in Pennsylvania criminal cases |
Clearfield County Record Keeping
Clearfield County's record system reflects a rural county with a central courthouse and four lower-court offices spread across DuBois, Clearfield, Kylertown, and Houtzdale. The lower-court location can matter for traffic tickets, landlord-tenant filings, warrants, preliminary hearings, and small civil claims because the file may not begin at the main courthouse.
Older records are also split by office. The Register of Wills has estate records from 1832, marriage licenses from 1885, and local birth and death records from 1893 through 1905. Civil common pleas records have a modern online public search, but the Prothonotary page still points to public terminals and actual physical files for the same public information when more context is needed.
Clearfield County Court Records FAQ
Where should a Clearfield County court records search start?
Start with the record type. Civil common pleas cases usually start in the CountySuite Civil Case Search. Criminal, traffic, MDJ, appellate, and calendar searches usually start in UJS Case Search or PAeDocket.
Does Clearfield County have one search for all court records?
No. The county civil search, UJS portal, Landex access, Register of Wills office, Sheriff, jail, and MDJ offices each cover different records or request channels.
Can online docket sheets be used as certified copies?
No. Public docket sheets are useful for research, but certified copies must come from the office that keeps the official record.
Are Clearfield County warrants listed online?
The Sheriff's page does not provide a county sheriff warrant search form. Bench warrant clues may appear in UJS dockets, and active questions should be confirmed with the Sheriff or issuing MDJ court.
Is there a Clearfield County jail roster online?
No official county-hosted live jail roster was located. Current county custody questions should go to the Clearfield County Jail at 814-765-7891.
Who handles probate and marriage records?
The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court handles marriage licenses, probate, estates, adoptions, guardianships, and related Orphans' Court records.