Bethlehem Pennsylvania Felony Records
Bethlehem felony records are primarily maintained by the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas. Bethlehem is one of Pennsylvania's larger cities with roughly 80,000 residents and sits across two counties. Most of the city falls within Northampton County. Felony cases for Northampton County residents are heard at the Northampton County Courthouse in Easton. The public can search Bethlehem felony records online through the UJS Portal or visit the courthouse in person. The Bethlehem Police Department handles local record requests separately.
Bethlehem Quick Facts
Bethlehem Felony Records at Northampton County Courthouse
The Northampton County Courthouse is located at 669 Washington Street, Easton, PA 18042. This is where all Bethlehem felony cases filed within Northampton County are maintained. The Clerk of Courts office at the courthouse handles the filing, indexing, and public access for criminal court records. Northampton County operates under a Home Rule Charter. The Clerk of Courts staff can locate case files by name or docket number and provide copies upon request.
Bethlehem spans two counties, which is a detail that matters when searching for felony records. The larger portion of the city, including most residential and commercial areas, sits within Northampton County. A smaller section extends into Lehigh County. If you are researching a Bethlehem felony record, you should confirm which county the incident occurred in before searching. Cases from the Northampton County side are filed in Easton. Cases from the Lehigh County portion go to the Lehigh County Courthouse in Allentown.
The Northampton County Courts website provides information about the court system, office hours, contact numbers, and procedures for accessing criminal records filed in Easton. The site also lists the division offices that handle specific types of filings within the Common Pleas Court. For Bethlehem felony records in Northampton County, the Clerk of Courts criminal section is the primary point of contact.
Note: Bethlehem's location across two counties means a complete records search may require checking both Northampton and Lehigh county court systems depending on where the underlying incident occurred.
Bethlehem Police Felony Records and Report Requests
The Bethlehem Police Department maintains its own records that document arrests, incidents, and investigations within city limits. These police records are distinct from the court records held at the Northampton County Courthouse. Police records document the law enforcement side of a felony matter, including the initial arrest report and accompanying documentation. Court records document what happened after charges were filed in the judicial system. Both types of records can be relevant when researching a Bethlehem felony case.
The Bethlehem Police record and report fees page lists the costs associated with obtaining copies of police records. Different report types carry different fees. The page is maintained by the Bethlehem city government and reflects current pricing for requests processed through the police department. Understanding the fees involved before submitting a request helps avoid delays in getting the records you need.
The Bethlehem Police fees page shows the current schedule for obtaining police reports and related records through the city's police department.
For general contact information and submission details, the Bethlehem Police Contact page provides the department's address, phone numbers, and office locations for submitting records requests. You can reach the records unit directly to ask questions about available documents or to clarify the process for a specific type of request before submitting.
The Bethlehem Police contact page is the starting point for directing your records inquiry to the correct department unit.
Note: Bethlehem Police records are subject to the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, which means some documents related to active investigations or protected individuals may be withheld from public release.
Bethlehem Township Right-to-Know Records
Bethlehem Township is a separate municipality from the City of Bethlehem. It sits in Northampton County near the city but is governed independently. If you are researching a felony record connected to an incident that occurred in Bethlehem Township rather than the City of Bethlehem, the township has its own Right-to-Know process. It is important to confirm whether the incident occurred inside city limits or in the township, as the two entities have separate police and records offices.
The Bethlehem Township Right-to-Know portal provides the form and instructions for submitting a public records request to the township. The portal identifies the township's open records officer and explains the review and response process. Requests must be submitted according to the procedures described on the portal to be considered properly filed under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law.
The Bethlehem Township RTK portal provides the current submission process for requesting public records from the township, separate from city records.
Note: Bethlehem Township and the City of Bethlehem are distinct governmental entities with separate records offices, even though they share a similar name and geographic proximity.
How to Search Bethlehem Felony Records Online
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Portal provides free online access to Bethlehem felony records filed through the Northampton County and Lehigh County courts. The portal does not require registration. You can search by person name, date of birth, or docket number. Filtering by Northampton County will surface most Bethlehem felony cases. If the address at issue was in the Lehigh County portion of the city, filter by Lehigh County instead. The UJS Portal is the fastest free method for checking whether a felony case exists against a specific individual.
Go to ujsportal.pacourts.us to search for Bethlehem felony records. Each result provides access to a full docket sheet. The docket shows charges, dates, judge assignments, and the final disposition of the case. You can save the docket as a PDF. For actual document copies beyond the docket sheet, you need to contact the relevant county courthouse directly. The docket alone is often sufficient to confirm charges and outcomes for a Bethlehem felony record search.
- Filter by Northampton County for most Bethlehem city felony cases
- Also check Lehigh County if the incident may have occurred on the south side of the city
- Use full legal name rather than nicknames for best results
- Date of birth helps distinguish common names in a large result set
- Note the docket number before navigating away from a search result
Note: The UJS Portal reflects data entered by court staff and may not show same-day updates for hearings or verdicts that occurred earlier that day.
Bethlehem Felony Records Through the PATCH System
The Pennsylvania State Police operates the PATCH system, which stands for Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History. PATCH compiles statewide criminal history data from court reporting across all 67 Pennsylvania counties. A PATCH search for a Bethlehem resident captures felony convictions from Northampton County, Lehigh County, and any other Pennsylvania county where the person may have a record. This makes PATCH a broader check than county-specific court portal searches.
Access PATCH at epatch.state.pa.us. You enter the subject's name and date of birth to generate a criminal history report. Results reflect conviction and arrest data compiled by the Pennsylvania State Police from court records across the state. PATCH does not show records that have been sealed or expunged. For Bethlehem residents with cases on both sides of the county line, PATCH is particularly useful because it draws from both Northampton and Lehigh county databases in a single report.
Note: PATCH and the UJS Portal are complementary tools. PATCH provides a compiled history while UJS Portal lets you view detailed docket information for individual cases.
Clean Slate Sealing and Bethlehem Felony Records
Pennsylvania expanded the Clean Slate law on February 12, 2024, to include automatic sealing for certain low-level felony convictions. After 10 years from the completion of sentence and without any new convictions during that period, qualifying Bethlehem felony records may be removed from public view automatically. The sealing process is handled by the court system without any requirement for the individual to file a petition. Once sealed, the record no longer appears in public databases like the UJS Portal or PATCH.
Not all Bethlehem felony convictions qualify for Clean Slate sealing. Higher-grade felonies, serious violent offenses, and offenses requiring sex offender registration are excluded from automatic sealing. The underlying court record is preserved even after sealing and remains accessible to law enforcement and certain state agencies. If you believe a Bethlehem felony conviction on your record qualifies and it has not been sealed despite meeting the requirements, speaking with a defense attorney familiar with Northampton County courts is a good starting point.
Individuals whose Bethlehem felony records do not qualify for Clean Slate can pursue a pardon through the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons. The Board can be reached at (717) 787-2596. A pardon application involves a formal written submission and a hearing in Harrisburg. If the Board recommends a pardon, the Governor makes the final decision. A pardon does not erase the record but can restore certain rights and reduce the practical consequences of a conviction.
Note: Clean Slate sealing is an automatic process managed by the court system, but it runs on a schedule and records may remain visible for some time after eligibility is reached.
Northampton County Felony Records
Bethlehem felony records on the Northampton County side are part of the broader Northampton County Court of Common Pleas record system. The courthouse in Easton handles felony filings for all municipalities within Northampton County, including the majority of Bethlehem. Reviewing the full Northampton County felony records page provides additional detail about the court structure, clerk office procedures, and how to access records from throughout the county.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Residents of cities near Bethlehem can find felony records through their own county courthouses. Select a city below to explore felony record access for that area of Pennsylvania.