Adams County Court Records

Adams County court records provide information on trial proceedings and the outcomes of various judicial cases within the county. Such records include criminal and civil cases. Court records may exist as:

• Judgements
• Docket Entries
• Motions and Pleas
• Sentencing
• Transcripts
• Arraignments
• Case Filings
• Court Orders
• Evidence and Exhibits.

Are Court Records Public in Adams County?

Yes, Adams County court records are public. The Pennsylvania Right To Know Law (RTKL) and the Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania establish legal rights for public access to government records in the custody of state and local government agencies. However, there are restrictions on public access to some court records to protect the privacy rights of the parties involved and uphold integrity in the judicial process. The following Adams County court records are exempt from public access:

• Adoption Records
• Juvenile Records
• Mental Health Records
• Domestic-Related cases
• Sealed and Expunged records
• Grand Jury Proceedings.

Adams County Court Records Search

Members of the public may be able to obtain Adams County court records by logging in to the record’s online repository and using available search tools to look for relevant records. Alternatively, records seekers can access Adams County court records offline through in-person visits, phone calls, mail, or faxes to the custodian agencies. Some third-party websites may also provide access to Adams County court records for a fee.

Adams County Court Records Search by Name

In Adams County, a name-based search involves using a name to find a specific record. To use a name to find an Adams County court record, requesters will need to log in to the records online database and select name as the search criteria. Also, include the case name if the access request is through any offline method. Requesters should note that access to Adams County court records may involve fee payments.

Adams County Courts

Adams County’s trial system consists of the Courts of Common Pleas and the Magisterial District Courts. The Courts of Common Pleas have jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases and handle cases beyond the jurisdiction of the Magisterial District Courts.

The Adams County Magisterial District Courts preside over criminal cases relating to summary offenses, preliminary hearings, DUI cases, third-degree misdemeanors, ordinance violations, and general civil claims within certain financial limits.

The contacts below are for the Adams County Courts of Common Pleas and the Magisterial District Courts.

Adams County Courts of Common Pleas
Clerk of Courts (Criminal)
Adams County Courthouse
117 Baltimore St, 4th Floor
Gettysburg,
PA17325
Phone: (717) 337-9806
Fax: (717) 334-9333

Adams County Court of Common Pleas - Prothonotary (Civil)
Adams County Courthouse
117 Baltimore St,
Gettysburg,
PA 17325
Phone: (717) 337-9834
Fax: (717) 334-0532

Adams County Orphans' Court
Adams County Courthouse
117 Baltimore St, Room 103
Gettysburg,
PA 17325
Phone: (717) 337-9806
Fax: (717) 334-9333

Magisterial District Courts in Adams County

Adams County Magisterial District Court 51-3-01
34 E Middle St,
Gettysburg,
PA 17325
Phone: (717) 334-7913
Fax: (717) 334-1262

Adams County Magisterial District Court 51-3-02
45D West Hanover St,
Gettysburg,
PA 17325
Phone: (717) 334-7810
Fax: (717) 334-3226

Adams County Magisterial District Court 51-3-03
40 Church Rd,
East Berlin,
PA 17316
Phone: (717) 624-7138
Fax: (717) 624-1201

Adams County Magisterial District Court 51-3-04
2267 Fairfield Rd,
Gettysburg,
PA 17325
Phone: (717) 337-3870
Fax: (717) 337-0934

Adams County District Court Records

The Adams County Magisterial District Courts handle the county's district court cases. In Adams County, the Magisterial District Courts oversee the following types of cases:

• Summary Offenses which are punishable by fines or short-term imprisonment
• Preliminary hearings for felonies
• Misdemeanors
• Traffic Violations
• Arraignments
• Civil cases such as Landlord-Tenant disputes and small claims
• Emergency Protection from Abuse Orders.

To access Adams County district court records:

• Visit the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania public records forms page:
  • Scroll down and click on Request a Record to download a Request for Access Form
  • Complete the request form and submit it to the court where the case was heard
• Download a Right-To-Know Form (RTK) from the Adams County Office of Open Records:
  • Complete the request form and submit it through fax, email, mail, or in-person visit to
    Sean A. Mott, Esq.
    Assistant Solicitor
    117 Baltimore Street
    Gettysburg, PA 17325
    Phone: (717) 337-5911
    Email: openrecord@adamscountypa.gov
• Log in to the Adams County Clerk of Courts Open Records Right to Know online page. Under the Record Requests From the County of Adams header, click on the County Right to Know Form.

Fill out the form, and submit the form by mail, fax, in-person, or email to:

Adams County Clerk of Courts Office at
117 Baltimore Street
Gettysburg,
PA 17325.
Phone: (717) 337-9806
openrecords@adamscountypa.gov

• Visit, call, fax, or mail the specific Magisterial District Court that handled the case.

Adams County Criminal Records

Adams County criminal records are documents on individuals' arrests, investigations, charges, prosecutions, convictions, and incarceration for criminal activities.

Per Pennsylvania Right to Know Law, Adams County criminal records are accessible to the general public. However, there are restrictions on some criminal records. These records include:

• Juvenile records
• Expunged or sealed records
• Records of ongoing judicial or law enforcement investigations
• Witness and Victim Information.

In Adams County, law enforcement agencies and courts Adams County arrest records and case files to detail information on persons within their custody, and criminal trials.

To access Adams County criminal records and other law enforcement crime-related documents:

• Log in to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Inmate and Parole Locator Portal and use a name, and inmate and parole number to look for criminal records
• Visit or call the Adams County Sheriff's Office at

117 Baltimore St,
Gettysburg,
PA 17325
Phone: (717) 337-9828

• Contact local police departments, and request access to criminal records in their possession
• Visit the Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History web page:
  • Click Submit a New Records Check
  • Accept the terms and conditions
  • Tick Individual Request
  • Provide the necessary information
  • Make payments (this service costs $22.00 per records check).

Adams County Criminal Court Case Lookup

Adams County criminal court records encompass case information on criminal trials within the county's Courts of Common Pleas and the Magisterial District Courts. To access Adams County criminal case information:

• Visit, mail, or call the Adams County Clerk of Courts Office during office hours, provide valid identification documents, pay applicable fees, and request access to criminal records
• Log in to the Adams County Open Records Right to Know web page, download a request form, fill it out, and mail it to:

Records Manager

Pennsylvania Judicial Center,

P.O. Box 61260
Harrisburg,
PA 17106
Phone: (717) 231-3300
Fax: (717) 231-3298
Email: adamscountycourtsrighttoknow@adamscountypa.gov

• Visit or call the Adams County court that handled the specific criminal case and enquire about criminal records.

Get Adams County Civil Court Records

Adams County civil court records refer to official documents on legal prosecutions of non-criminal cases within the county's Common Pleas and Magisterial Courts. In Adams County, the Prothonotary’s Court Clerk Office is the custodian for civil court records.

Civil court records include but are not limited to documents on:

• Divorce
• Probate cases
• Contact Disagreements
• Business Litigations
• Small Claims
• Wills and Codicils
• Guardianship and Conservatorship
• Trust and Administration
• Personal Injury cases.

Adams County civil court records seekers should:

• Visit the Adams County Clerk of Courts website, download an Open Right to Know Request Form, complete the form, and email it to adamscountycourtsrighttoknow@adamscountypa.gov
• Visit the Adams County Clerk of Courts Office during business hours to access civil court records.
• Log in to the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System web portal and search for civil court records.
• Visit, mail, or call the Prothonotary’s Office or the Adams County Magisterial District Courts that handled the specific civil case.

Adams County Family Court Records

Adams County family court records are official documents on legal proceedings relating to family matters in the Courts of Common Pleas. Family law records include documents on cases such as adoption, divorce, child custody and support, alimony, guardianship, paternity, domestic violence, legal separation, and name change.

Family law records contribute to the accountability and transparency of the legal system in Adams County. They also serve as precedents to future cases regarding family law matters.

Per Pennsylvania Right to Know Law, family law records are accessible to the public. Nevertheless, custodian agencies may redact information relating to child abuse, adoption, social security numbers, and financial details. Adams County family court records are accessible to the parties involved, their legal representatives, authorized agencies, and persons with court orders only.

To access Adams County family law records:

• Visit the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania case search portal
• Log in to the Adams County Clerk of Courts Open Right to Know website, download a request form, and submit an RTK request for family law records.

Alternatively, contact the Adams County Prothonotary’s office to access records on family law. Access fees may depend on the method of request.

Adams County Marriage and Divorce Records

Marriage and divorce records are official documents on the union or dissolution of marriages within Adams County, PA. Adams County marriage certificates and divorce records are public documents. However, custodian agencies may restrict access to some information to protect the privacy rights of the parties involved.

To access Adams County marriage certificates:

• Log in to the Adams County Clerk of Orphan's Court Documents Center
  • Scroll down and click Certified Marriage Records Request under the Orphans' Court Documents and Forms header to download a Certified Marriage Records Request form
  • Complete the request form, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check/ money order to cover the applicable fees (it costs $12.50 per copy of certified records)
  • Mail the request to:
    Adams County Clerk of Orphan's Court:
    Room 103,
    117 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg
    PA 17325
• Visit the Adams County Clerk of Orphan's Court at the Adams County Courthouse during office hours.

To access Adams County divorce records:

• Visit or call the Adams County Prothonotary's Office at the Adams County courthouse.

Adams Birth and Death Records

Birth and death records are Vital Records that detail the birth and death of individuals.

In Adams County, birth certificates and death records are private documents. They are accessible to immediate family members of the owners and their legal representatives. Also, persons with judicial orders can access Adams’s birth certificate or death records.

However, the general public can access Adams County birth records 105 years from the date of birth or 50 years after the demise of the owners of the records. Birth and death records are important records for several reasons. They

• Are legal identification documents
• Provide data for disease research and control
• Are legal documents for government benefits, and health policy formation
• Provide data for demographic analysis and genealogical research.

To access an Adams County birth certificate or death record, eligible persons should:

• Log in to the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Online Vital Records Ordering page.

Select birth or death certificates from the options.

Provide the necessary information, and order for Adam's birth or death certificate

• Download an application for Birth or Death form from the Pennsylvania Department of Health website. Fill out the form, enclose valid identification documents and a check/money order to cover the applicable fees, and mail it to:

The Department of Health

Division of Vital Records

P.O. Box 1528
New Castle
PA 16103.

• Visit the Pennsylvania Department of Health Office at

Harrisburg
Forum Place, 1st Floor
555 Walnut Street
Harrisburg,
PA 17101.

Requesters should note that Adams County birth certificates and death records are part of Adams County Vital Records and accessing them may involve fee payments.

Adams County Probate Court Records

Adams County probate court records are official documents relating to case trials on a decedent's estate. In Adams County, PA, the Orphan's Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas handles probate cases, and the Register of Wills Office is the custodian for probate records.

Probate court records in Adams County include but are not limited to case files:

• Estate Administration
• Conservatorship
• Guardianship
• Probate of Wills
• Trust administration.

To access Adams County probate records, inquirers should:

• Visit the Adams County Register of Wills Public Records Search Page, create an account, log in to the search portal, and look for probate court records
• Visit in-person, mail, call, or send an email during office hours to the Adams County Register of Wills office at:

Adams County Courthouse

117 Baltimore Street
Gettysburg,
PA 17325
Phone: (717) 337-9826
Email: registerrecorder@adamscountypa.gov

• Send a Right-to-Know request to the Adams County Clerk of Courts Office
• Visit, mail, or fax the Adams County Clerk of Courts Office to access probate court records.

Adams County Property Records

Adams County property records are legal documents on real estate transactions and ownership in Adams County, PA. Generally, property records include information such as mortgages, liens and encumbrances, deeds, parcel numbers, building permits, property sales history, property tax information, zoning information, and plat maps.

Individuals interested in Adams County property records should

• Visit the Adams County Records of Deeds website, create an account, and sign in to the Public Records Search Portal to access Adams County property-related information

• Visit or call the Adams County Records of Deeds office at:

Adams County Courthouse

117 Baltimore Street
Gettysburg,
PA 17325
Phone: (717) 337-9826
Email: registerrecorder@adamscountypa.gov

Adams County Court Records Online

Third-party online resources are alternative options for accessing Adams County court records; they provide easy and convenient access to documents and information. Private websites such as pennsylvaniacourtrecords.us may offer flexible access to various Adams court records. Such platforms gather court records from different courts in the Pennsylvania Commonwealth and make them available to interested persons. Nevertheless, requesters should note that sourcing official documents through third-party websites may result in outdated, incomplete or unreliable information. Accuracy cannot be guaranteed.