Pittsburgh Felony Records Access
Pittsburgh is Pennsylvania's second largest city and the seat of Allegheny County. Felony records for Pittsburgh are maintained by the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Criminal Division. These records document the full history of felony cases filed in the city, including charges, hearings, verdicts, and sentencing. Residents, attorneys, and researchers can access Pittsburgh felony records through the statewide UJS Portal, through the Pittsburgh Police Department, and through the Pennsylvania PATCH background check system.
Pittsburgh Quick Facts
Pittsburgh Felony Records on the UJS Portal
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Portal is the standard starting point for locating felony case records anywhere in the state. For Pittsburgh cases, users select "Court of Common Pleas" and choose Allegheny County. A name search returns docket sheets listing charges, case status, hearing dates, and final dispositions. These dockets are public documents available at no cost through the UJS Portal.
Each docket sheet is downloadable as a PDF and represents the official court record. For Pittsburgh felony cases, the docket will show the specific charges by statute, the grade of each offense, and a timeline of court events from filing through sentencing or dismissal. First-degree felonies, second-degree felonies, third-degree felonies, and ungraded felonies all appear in the same search interface. Knowing the grade of a charge helps researchers understand the severity of the offense and the potential sentencing range that applied.
The UJS Portal also supports docket number searches when the specific case number is already known. This is faster than a name search when working from an existing record or referencing a prior lookup. Docket numbers for Allegheny County cases follow a standard Pennsylvania format that includes the year, court type, and sequence number.
Note: Name-based searches may return multiple results for common surnames, so cross-referencing the date of birth or address listed in the docket is a useful way to confirm the correct record.
Pittsburgh Police Reports for Felony Record Research
Pittsburgh Police Department incident reports are a useful supplement to court records when researching felony activity in the city. Police reports document arrests, incident descriptions, and the initial charges assigned by officers. They represent the beginning of a case, while the court record captures what happened after charges were filed.
The Pittsburgh Police reports portal allows individuals to request specific incident reports. Reports may include information about the nature of the offense, the location, the arresting officers, and the initial charges. Not all information in a police report is publicly releasable; redactions apply when disclosure would compromise a pending investigation or contain exempt personal data.
When researching a specific Pittsburgh felony case, obtaining both the police incident report and the UJS docket sheet provides the most complete picture. The incident report covers the facts as understood by law enforcement at the time of the arrest. The docket sheet reflects how the case developed in court, including any amendments to charges, plea agreements, or trial outcomes. Using both documents together avoids gaps that either source alone might leave.
Note: Police reports in Pittsburgh are submitted through the city's online portal and requests are processed under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, with a standard response window of five business days, extendable by notice.
Pittsburgh Felony Records and the PATCH System
PATCH stands for Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History. It is administered by the Pennsylvania State Police and provides official statewide criminal history reports. PATCH is the definitive source for confirmed felony conviction records in Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh cases are fully reflected in PATCH results when courts have submitted conviction data to the state repository.
A PATCH request for a Pittsburgh resident covers all Pennsylvania felony convictions on file, not only those from Allegheny County. The PATCH online portal supports both self-requests and third-party requests. Self-requests let individuals review their own official criminal history. Third-party requests require proper authorization. The resulting report lists each conviction with the offense description, the county of conviction, and the date.
PATCH is distinct from the UJS Portal in an important way. The UJS Portal shows all case activity, including dismissed charges, not-guilty verdicts, and pending matters. A PATCH report shows only convictions. Both tools serve legitimate research purposes, but they answer different questions. A PATCH report is the right tool when the goal is confirming whether someone has a criminal conviction. The UJS Portal is better suited for understanding the full history of a case, including outcomes that did not result in conviction.
PATCH reports are typically used by individuals seeking to verify their own records, by licensing boards reviewing applicants, and by courts handling matters where criminal history is relevant. They carry official state certification and are produced under authority of Pennsylvania law. The accuracy of a PATCH report depends on courts submitting conviction data promptly to the state repository, which most do as a routine matter following sentencing.
Allegheny County Court and Pittsburgh Felony Case Records
The Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Criminal Division, handles all felony prosecutions originating in Pittsburgh and surrounding Allegheny County municipalities. The courthouse is located at 436 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. The Clerk of Courts office at this address maintains the official court record for all felony cases processed through the Allegheny County criminal justice system.
Certified copies of Pittsburgh felony records are available from the Clerk of Courts. Certified copies bear the court seal and are legally admissible in other proceedings. Uncertified copies are also available and are sufficient for most research purposes. In-person requests can be made at the courthouse. The UJS Portal provides unofficial copies that are suitable for general reference but are not certified documents.
Allegheny County Common Pleas also handles post-conviction matters for Pittsburgh felony cases. These include motions for reconsideration of sentence, appeals, requests for expungement, and Clean Slate sealing petitions. All of these post-conviction proceedings appear in the UJS Portal docket, which continues to update as long as any matter related to the case remains active in the court system.
Note: The Allegheny County Courthouse is open to the public on weekdays during standard business hours, and the Clerk of Courts office processes record requests on a first-come, first-served basis for walk-in visitors.
Pittsburgh Felony Records and Pennsylvania Clean Slate Sealing
Pennsylvania's Clean Slate Act created a framework for automatically sealing certain criminal records after a qualifying waiting period. For low-level felony convictions, the waiting period is ten years from completion of sentence, with no new convictions during that time. Automatic sealing under Clean Slate became fully operational on February 12, 2024, for eligible records statewide, including Pittsburgh felony cases processed through the Allegheny County courts.
Not every Pittsburgh felony is eligible. The Clean Slate law excludes violent felonies, sexual offenses, and several other categories from automatic sealing regardless of elapsed time. If an offense qualifies, the sealing removes the record from public UJS Portal searches. Law enforcement agencies and certain licensing boards retain access even after sealing, but members of the general public conducting a name search will not see the record.
Petitioned sealing is an option for records that meet the legal standard but were not automatically processed. A petition is filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas. The judge reviews the case history and issues a ruling. For offenses that fall outside both automatic and petitioned sealing eligibility, a full pardon from the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons is the remaining avenue. The Board of Pardons can be reached at (717) 787-2596.
Individuals seeking to clear a Pittsburgh felony record should review their PATCH report first to understand what convictions are on file. A defense attorney familiar with Pennsylvania Clean Slate law can advise on eligibility and the best process for each situation.
Pittsburgh Felony Records and the PA DOC Inmate Locator
For Pittsburgh felony cases that resulted in a state prison sentence, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Inmate Locator provides information about current incarceration status. The locator allows searches by name and returns current facility assignment, sentence length, and projected release date for inmates housed in state facilities.
The PA DOC Inmate Locator is a separate resource from the court record system. It reflects custody status rather than the case record itself. A person may have a felony court record on file even if they are no longer incarcerated, have completed parole, or were sentenced to a county jail rather than a state facility. County jail records for Allegheny County are maintained separately by the Allegheny County Jail administration.
Together, the UJS Portal, PATCH, and the PA DOC Inmate Locator form a set of complementary resources for researching Pittsburgh felony records at different stages of the criminal justice process. Court records document the legal proceedings. PATCH records document convictions. Inmate locator records document current custody status. Each serves a distinct purpose and provides information the others do not.
Note: The PA DOC Inmate Locator only reflects inmates in state correctional facilities; individuals serving county sentences at the Allegheny County Jail are not listed there.
Allegheny County Felony Records
Pittsburgh sits within Allegheny County, and all Pittsburgh felony prosecutions are filed in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Researchers interested in felony records from other Allegheny County municipalities beyond Pittsburgh will find those records through the same court system. The county records page covers the full scope of Allegheny County felony records.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Felony records from cities across Pennsylvania are accessible through the same UJS Portal and PATCH system used for Pittsburgh records.