Perry County Criminal Records and Felony Case Search
Perry County felony records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts at the Perry County Courthouse in New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania. The county is part of the 41st Judicial District, which it shares with neighboring Juniata County. Felony cases filed in Perry County are heard by the Court of Common Pleas and documented through the statewide Unified Judicial System. This guide explains how to find Perry County criminal records, what offices hold them, and how Pennsylvania state tools like PATCH and the UJS portal connect to what the local court maintains.
Perry County Quick Facts
Perry County Court of Common Pleas and the 41st Judicial District
Perry County is part of the 41st Judicial District of Pennsylvania, which it shares with Juniata County. President Judge Kenneth A. Mummah presides over this district. All felony criminal cases in Perry County are heard in the Court of Common Pleas at the Perry County Courthouse, located at 2 E. Main Street in New Bloomfield, PA 17068. New Bloomfield is a small borough in the ridge-and-valley region of central Pennsylvania, roughly 25 miles northwest of Harrisburg.
Two separate offices at the courthouse manage different types of court records. The Perry County Clerk of Courts handles all criminal case files, including felony dockets, sentencing orders, and post-conviction documents. The Perry County Prothonotary handles civil filings. For felony records specifically, the Clerk of Courts is the right office to contact. Both offices are located at the courthouse on E. Main Street in New Bloomfield.
Perry County was founded on March 22, 1820, and was named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the naval hero of the Battle of Lake Erie. The county has a largely rural character, with forested ridges and small boroughs spread across the landscape. Court records in Perry County trace back to the county's founding year, and more recent felony records are available through the UJS online portal and the courthouse in New Bloomfield.
| Office | Clerk of Courts |
|---|---|
| Address | 2 E. Main Street, New Bloomfield, PA 17068 |
| Clerk Website | perryco.org |
| Prothonotary | perryco.org/prothonotary |
| Judicial District | 41st (Perry and Juniata) |
| President Judge | Kenneth A. Mummah |
| PA Courts Page | pacourts.us |
The image below is sourced from the Perry County Clerk of Courts website, showing the office details for the department that maintains Perry County felony records.
The Clerk of Courts office in New Bloomfield is the primary contact for anyone seeking Perry County criminal case files in person or by mail.
Note: The 41st Judicial District includes both Perry and Juniata counties, but each county maintains its own separate Clerk of Courts office and criminal case records.
Searching Perry County Felony Records Online
The main online tool for Perry County felony records is the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal. This free, public system allows searches by name, date of birth, or docket number. Results pull directly from the criminal case data maintained by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. Perry County felony cases filed in the Court of Common Pleas appear here, including charges, case status, hearing dates, and final dispositions.
The UJS portal covers most Perry County felony cases from recent decades. Updates occur on a regular schedule, though minor delays can exist between courtroom actions and online records. For the most current case status, the Clerk of Courts in New Bloomfield can provide current information by phone or in person. Staff can also help identify whether a particular case has been fully digitized or whether physical file access is needed.
In-person searches at 2 E. Main Street in New Bloomfield allow access to original case files, charging documents, and older dockets. Written mail requests are accepted as well. For mailed requests, include the subject's full name, date of birth if known, any available docket numbers, and a brief description of the records you are seeking. The Clerk will confirm what is available before processing the request and can advise on any applicable copy fees.
Note: Perry County is a smaller, rural county. Some older felony case files may not be fully digitized, and an in-person visit to New Bloomfield may be needed for records predating the mid-1990s.
Perry County Prothonotary and Civil Court Records
While the Clerk of Courts manages criminal records, the Perry County Prothonotary handles civil filings at the same courthouse. The two offices operate independently. If you are researching someone and unsure whether the case you need is criminal or civil, it helps to know that felony charges always go through the Clerk of Courts. Civil suits, including domestic relations cases and small claims, are held by the Prothonotary.
The Perry County Prothonotary's website provides contact details, office hours, and guidance on how to request civil case records. Some civil matters related to criminal cases, such as restitution orders enforced as civil judgments, may cross both offices. In those situations, checking both the Clerk of Courts and the Prothonotary can give a more complete picture of a case's history.
The image below comes from the Perry County Prothonotary's office page, providing contact and procedural information for accessing civil records in Perry County.
The Prothonotary office in New Bloomfield is the point of contact for civil court filings and related document requests in Perry County.
Pennsylvania PATCH System and Perry County Criminal History
The Pennsylvania State Police operates the PATCH system, which stands for Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History. PATCH provides background check results drawn from the statewide criminal history repository maintained under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101, the Criminal History Record Information Act. This statute, also called CHRIA, governs the collection, storage, and use of criminal record information across the Commonwealth, including records originating from Perry County.
A PATCH result differs in scope from a UJS court search. PATCH reflects what has been formally reported to the state as a final conviction or disposition. A court docket from Perry County shows the full procedural history of a case, including dismissed charges, continued hearings, and non-conviction outcomes. Both tools are useful, but they answer different questions. PATCH gives a state-level summary. The court docket gives the complete case record as it was built in the Court of Common Pleas in New Bloomfield.
Individuals can request their own PATCH record through the Pennsylvania State Police. Third-party requests require authorization. The conditions governing who may access criminal history information and for what purpose are set out in 18 Pa.C.S. § 9121. Law enforcement agencies, licensing boards, and certain certified employers operate under different access rules than members of the general public.
For Perry County cases that involved incarceration in a state facility, the PA DOC Inmate Locator allows free searches for current state prison inmates by name. The locator shows the facility, commitment date, and projected release information. County jail inmates are held separately and are not included in the state locator.
Perry County Felony Records and the PA Courts System
The image below is sourced from the Pennsylvania Courts website, showing the 41st Judicial District listing for Perry County with judicial contact information and court resources.
The PA Courts site provides the current judge roster for Perry County, court-specific resources, and links to statewide judicial tools including the UJS portal.
Perry County's place in the 41st Judicial District means that the court shares administrative resources with Juniata County while maintaining its own separate docket system and Clerk of Courts office. Felony cases filed in Perry County are heard by the Court of Common Pleas sitting in New Bloomfield. Juniata County cases are filed and heard separately in Mifflintown. The shared judicial district does not merge the two counties' records, and a search for Perry County felony records will not return Juniata County cases.
Note: Cases originating in Perry County are identified in the UJS portal by the county of origin, so a search filtered to Perry County will not include cases from other 41st District counties.
Expungement and Record Sealing for Perry County Felonies
Pennsylvania expanded its Clean Slate law on February 12, 2024, to include automatic sealing of qualifying low-level felony convictions after a ten-year clean period. Under this change, some Perry County felony records that have met the waiting period may be automatically removed from public access. No petition is required for convictions that qualify. The process runs through the court system, and the Clerk of Courts in New Bloomfield would reflect any sealing orders issued by the court.
Not all felony convictions qualify for automatic sealing. Crimes involving violence, firearms, or sexual offenses are excluded from Clean Slate. For convictions outside Clean Slate's scope, individuals may file a petition for expungement or record sealing with the Clerk of Courts at 2 E. Main Street. Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122, courts may grant expungements for cases that ended in acquittal, dismissal, or completion of the ARD program. These petitions do not require the ten-year waiting period.
The Pennsylvania Board of Pardons offers a separate path for those seeking relief from a felony conviction. The Board can be reached at (717) 787-2596 at 333 Market Street, 15th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333. A pardon signed by the Governor allows the individual to file a subsequent expungement petition. Perry County residents apply through the same statewide process as residents of all other counties in Pennsylvania.
Public Record Access Under Pennsylvania Law
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, codified at 65 P.S. § 67.101, establishes a broad right of public access to government-held records. Criminal court records that are part of the public docket in Perry County fall within this framework unless they are restricted by court order, statute, or the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure. Most Perry County felony dockets are available to the public without a formal RTKL request.
Court records are presumed open under Pennsylvania court rules, and the UJS portal reflects that presumption. Formal Right-to-Know requests are more often used for non-court records such as law enforcement incident reports, jail administrative documents, or county agency records. For court records, the faster and more direct path is the UJS portal or a request to the Clerk of Courts in New Bloomfield. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records handles appeals when agencies deny access to requested records.
Some records are not public. Juvenile court records are sealed under state law. Records sealed through the Clean Slate process are removed from public view. Victim-identifying information and materials covered by active protective orders are restricted. If a Perry County records request is denied, the requester has 15 business days from the date of the denial to file an appeal with the Office of Open Records.
Note: The Office of Open Records provides a free appeal process and has authority to order agencies to produce records if they are found to have been improperly withheld.
Cities in Perry County
Perry County has no dedicated city pages on this site at this time. New Bloomfield is the county seat and home to the Perry County Courthouse at 2 E. Main Street, where the Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary offices are located. Other communities in Perry County include Newport, Duncannon, Landisburg, and Marysville. Felony cases arising anywhere in Perry County are processed through the Court of Common Pleas in New Bloomfield, and all criminal records from those cases are maintained by the Clerk of Courts at that address.
Nearby Counties
Perry County borders several other Pennsylvania counties. Each has its own Clerk of Courts and maintains separate felony records through the statewide UJS system.