Delaware County Court of Common Pleas Court Case Search

In Delaware, the Court of Common Pleas functions as the primary trial court. The Office of Judicial Support is the primary custodian of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas court records and is responsible for filing, maintaining, and accessing civil and criminal case records. Such case records usually comprise formal charges and pleas, communication between parties to evidence presentation, witness testimony, and exhibits documented throughout court hearings. Interested parties often seek non-restricted Court of Common Pleas records for trial research, tracking case status, personal affairs, or criminal background checks for employment or tenancy.

What Kinds of Cases Are Heard in the Delaware Court of Common Pleas?

The Court of Common Pleas is Delaware County's central trial court, with general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases. Nonetheless, the Court of Common Pleas may only hear cases beyond the legal authority of other courts.

Delaware County's Court of Common Pleas typically hears felonies and misdemeanor crimes. The court also handles civil cases, including general civil claims without financial limits, domestic relations, juvenile matters, adoptions, delayed birth certificates, select appeals of administrative agency decisions, and arbitration reviews.

Additionally, the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas features an Orphans' Court section that oversees estates, wills, trusts, guardianships, adoptions, and terminations of parental rights. The Adult Probation and Parole Services Department supervises specialty courts within the Court of Common Pleas, including the Drug Treatment, Veterans Treatment, Mental Health Treatment, and Young Offenders Treatment Courts.

Delaware County Court of Common Pleas Court

In Pennsylvania, the Court of Common Pleas is the principal trial court, with general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases beyond that of other courts.

Within the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas is an Orphans' Court division that oversees estates, wills, trusts, guardianships, adoptions, and termination of parental rights.

The Court of Common Pleas is integral to the county's justice system. It offers residents a fair and efficient means of settling disputes.

Individuals wishing to contact the court may do so using the following information:

Delaware County Court of Common Pleas
Government Center
201 W Front St, #127, Media, PA 19063
Phone: 610-891-437

Delaware County Orphans' Court
Government Center
201 W Front St, Media, PA 19063
Phone: (610) 891-4400

Delaware County Case Lookup

In Delaware County, information searchers may conduct a comprehensive county-wide lookup of the county's court records using the following options:

Online Searches

The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal allows users to search and inspect case summaries for legal proceedings filed in Pennsylvania courts.

Requesters do not need to register for an account on the platform to view registers of action, calendars, and case indexes for cases not exempted or restricted by court rules, orders, or state law. However, they cannot access confidential information concerning juvenile cases, civil cases in the Court of Common Pleas, sealed or expunged cases, or limited-access cases.

To access Delaware County court records, users must visit the Case Search page of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal, hover over the Case Information menu (using a mouse), and click "Case Search".

Searching by participant name is one of the preferred means of finding case information on the site. To do so, visitors must enter the participant's complete name (first and last) and the county. To refine their results, they may also input additional search criteria, such as file date range, date of birth, docket type, and case status.

Walk-in Requests

Individuals seeking Delaware County court records may visit the office of the applicable record custodian with a written request and a copy of their valid photo ID between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to submit a record request.

Requesters using the walk-in option must supply information such as the case number (if known), the names of the parties involved, and the type of case to hasten the search process.

Copying plain copies of requested court records costs $0.25 per page, while certified court documents cost $10.00 per document.

Accepted payment methods include cash, money order, debit card, and attorney check.

Mail-in Requests

As of March 2025, the Office of Judicial Support handles civil and criminal case files. These duties were formerly performed by the Clerk of Courts (criminal cases) and the Office of the Prothonotary (civil cases), with varying processing times for mail-in requests. Therefore, those wishing to look up court case records via the mail-in option should contact the Office of Judicial Support for further instructions. The Office is located at:

Office of Judicial Support
Government Center
Room 127
201 W. Front St.
Media, PA 19063
Phone: (610) 891-4370

Delaware Court of Common Pleas Court Case Search by Name

Individuals seeking to conduct a name-based search of Delaware Court of Common Pleas records may do so online or in person.

Online Searches: The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal allows users to perform name-based searches of public docket sheets from the Criminal Courts of Common Pleas.

To conduct a name-based search, insert the participant's first name, last name, and the county (Delaware). Other search criteria, like file date range, date of birth, docket type, and case status, may help narrow down broad results.

In-Person Searches: Requesters may visit the Court of Common Pleas courthouse between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, to submit a record request to the appropriate custodian.

They must bring a valid government-issued photo ID and be ready to pay $0.25 per page for copies. The Court of Common Pleas is located at:

201 West Front Street,
Media, PA 19063
(610) 891-4000
delcocourts@co.delaware.pa.us

Delaware Court of Common Pleas Docket Search

A court docket is an official document that carefully documents every legal action taken during a court proceeding. It provides an overview of upcoming hearings, motions submitted, verdicts rendered, and other significant events.

Court dockets are helpful resources for court staff, judges, and parties to keep track of multiple cases. They are also valuable to attorneys researching trials.

Interested parties may search for court dockets on the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas Civil Case Dockets and Judgment Index portal.

To search, click "Docket Entry Search" on the platform and insert the relevant criteria in the form fields. These fields include case number, case title, file date range, case title search type and case number search type.

Some fields have selection options. For instance, 'Starts With' returns results beginning with the search text, while 'Contains' returns results with the search text in any location. The 'Phonetic' option returns results with a similar sound.

Lookup Delaware County Court of Common Pleas Online

The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal functions as the official source of Delaware Court of Common Pleas records. Notwithstanding, third-party online sites such as Pennsylvaniacourtrecords.us offer interested parties convenient and seamless remote access to these records. Users may find specific court cases by case numbers, party names, or dates using an internet-enabled smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

Using these third-party services to view and download court records may save time and effort. However, requesters should know that these databases operate independently of government agencies. Therefore, the records on these platforms are not guaranteed to be accurate or readily available.

Supreme Court vs. Court of Common Pleas

Delaware Court of Common Pleas

• Hears original civil and criminal cases in the county
• Decisions are only binding within its jurisdiction
• Hears all cases filed with the court
• Has several judges handling different divisions

Pennsylvania Supreme Court

• Hears appeals from lower courts, such as the Delaware Court of Common Pleas
• Decisions are binding statewide
• Choose which cases to hear (i.e. discretionary review)
• Has only seven justices

Records searchers should note that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is the top state court, while the US Supreme Court is the highest federal court.