Snyder County Felony Records Online
Snyder County felony records are maintained by the Court of Common Pleas in Middleburg, Pennsylvania. The Clerk of Courts office keeps criminal case files, docket sheets, and disposition records for all felony charges filed in the county. Many of these records are searchable at no cost through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System web portal. In-person access is available at the Snyder County Courthouse on West Market Street. This page covers how to find and request felony records in Snyder County.
Snyder County Quick Facts
Snyder County Court of Common Pleas Criminal Records
The Snyder County Court of Common Pleas sits in the 17th Judicial District, which it shares with Union County. All felony cases in Snyder County are handled here. The Clerk of Courts is the official keeper of criminal records in the county. This office processes new case filings, maintains docket files, and provides public access to court records for felony and misdemeanor cases alike.
Snyder County was established in 1855. Its population hovers around 40,000, making it one of the smaller rural counties in central Pennsylvania. The county seat of Middleburg is home to the courthouse, where criminal records going back many decades are stored. The courthouse is located at 9 West Market Street, Middleburg, PA 17842.
| Court | Snyder County Court of Common Pleas |
|---|---|
| District | 17th Judicial District (shared with Union County) |
| Address | 9 West Market Street, Middleburg, PA 17842 |
| County Website | snydercounty.org |
| PA Courts Page | PA Courts Snyder County |
The PA Courts Snyder County page lists current judges and contact details for the district. Felony cases that begin at the magisterial district level and are bound over for trial move into the Common Pleas docket. The Clerk of Courts then holds the permanent case record.
How to Find Snyder County Felony Records
The fastest way to search Snyder County felony records is through the UJS Case Search portal. This free tool is run by the Pennsylvania court system. You can search by name, docket number, or date of birth. Results cover all Pennsylvania courts, including Snyder County's Court of Common Pleas and its magisterial district courts.
Searching by name is straightforward. Enter the last name and first name of the person you want to look up. The system returns matching dockets with charge descriptions, filing dates, court assignments, and case outcomes. Docket sheets can be downloaded as PDFs at no cost. No account or registration is needed for the public search interface.
The following image is sourced from the Snyder County official website at snydercounty.org, which provides local government contact information and court-related resources for Snyder County residents.
The county website lists office hours and contact information for the courthouse in Middleburg, which is useful before making an in-person visit to review records.
In-person searches are available at the Clerk of Courts office at 9 West Market Street during regular business hours. Staff can assist with records that predate electronic filing. Bring the full name and approximate date of birth of the person you are researching. That information helps staff locate the correct file, especially for common names.
Note: Some older Snyder County felony records from before the electronic docket system was implemented may exist only in paper form at the courthouse.
Snyder County Criminal Records Through PATCH
The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History system, known as PATCH, provides official background check records for Snyder County and every other county in the state. PATCH is run by the Pennsylvania State Police and is available online at epatch.state.pa.us. A PATCH report shows the official statewide conviction record as reported by courts to the state police database.
PATCH records differ from UJS court dockets in an important way. The UJS portal shows what was filed in court and how the case resolved. PATCH shows what was formally reported as a conviction to the state. Both sources are useful. PATCH works well when you need a clean summary of convictions. The UJS portal works well when you need the full case history, including charges that were dismissed or reduced.
Individuals can request their own PATCH record to review what appears before authorizing any third-party disclosure. Third-party background check requests require written consent from the subject. The Pennsylvania State Police website explains the PATCH submission process and what the report covers. Snyder County residents researching their own criminal history records should start here.
PA Courts Page for Snyder County Records
The Pennsylvania Courts website maintains a dedicated page for each county court in the state. That page provides contact details, judicial listings, and links to relevant court resources for Snyder County. It is one of the best starting points when you need official information about the county's court structure or want to confirm current contact details before reaching out to the courthouse.
The following image is sourced from the PA Courts website at pacourts.us, showing the Snyder County court listing.
The PA Courts directory is updated regularly and reflects current judicial assignments for Snyder County.
The PA Courts site also provides guidance on reading docket sheets. Each docket lists the charges, hearing dates, bail information, assigned judge, and final disposition. For Snyder County felony records, the docket is the most complete public document available from the court system. You can access it for free through the UJS portal or in person at the Middleburg courthouse.
Note: The PA Courts website and the UJS portal are separate systems, though both are run by the Pennsylvania court system and cover Snyder County cases.
Sealing and Expungement of Snyder County Felony Records
Pennsylvania law gives residents two main paths to limit public access to criminal records: expungement and limited access, also called sealing. Expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9121 removes a record from state and court databases. Sealing under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 restricts who can view a record without fully destroying it. Both processes run through the Snyder County Court of Common Pleas in Middleburg.
Clean Slate 3.0 took effect on February 12, 2024. This law expanded automatic sealing in Pennsylvania. Under the current rules, certain non-violent felony convictions may qualify for automatic sealing after ten years if the person has no further convictions during that time. Summary offenses can be automatically sealed after five years. The court system applies these seals without a petition from the individual. Snyder County residents with older felony convictions may already have benefited from this law.
For felony offenses that do not qualify for automatic sealing, a person may file a petition for limited access with the Snyder County Court of Common Pleas. The district attorney's office has the right to object. If no objection is filed or the court grants the petition over objection, the record is shielded from public view. Sealed records remain accessible to law enforcement and certain licensing boards under Pennsylvania law.
The Pennsylvania Board of Pardons offers another path. A pardon from the governor, on the Board's recommendation, can lead to full expungement of a felony conviction. The Board can be reached at (717) 787-2596. This process takes longer than a sealing petition but results in a complete removal of the record if granted. Anyone weighing these options for Snyder County records should consult a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.
Inmate and Offender Records in Snyder County
People held in the Snyder County jail are managed by the Snyder County Sheriff's Office and the county prison board. For state prison inmates who were convicted in Snyder County and sentenced to serve time in a state correctional institution, records are searchable through the PA Department of Corrections Inmate Locator at cor.pa.gov.
The inmate locator shows current housing location, sentence start date, and projected release date for individuals in state custody. It covers Snyder County convictions where the sentence was to a state correctional institution rather than the county jail. County jail inmates are not listed in the state system. For county jail information in Snyder County, contact the Sheriff's Office directly.
Court records from the Snyder County felony docket are separate from incarceration records. A person may appear in the felony docket but not in the inmate locator if they served their sentence at the county level, were placed on probation, or were released before the current date. Checking both the UJS portal and the inmate locator gives the most complete picture of a person's criminal history in Snyder County.
Public Access Rights for Snyder County Court Records
Most felony case records at the Snyder County Court of Common Pleas are open to public inspection. Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. § 67.101 gives residents the right to request records held by government agencies. Court records are governed by separate court rules, but the principle of open access still applies to felony case dockets.
Some records are excluded from public view. Juvenile records are sealed by default. Records placed under limited access orders or expungement orders are not publicly available. Victim information in certain cases may be redacted. Mental health records connected to a criminal case are restricted. These protections exist alongside a general policy of transparency in the criminal justice system.
For records requests at the Snyder County Courthouse, contact the Clerk of Courts office in Middleburg. Disputes about access to public records can be raised with the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. That office handles appeals when records requests are denied. Snyder County residents who are unsure whether a record is publicly accessible can also consult the PA Courts website for general guidance on court record availability.
Note: The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records handles disputes about agency records but does not control access to court records, which fall under the jurisdiction of the court system itself.
Cities in Snyder County
Snyder County is a rural central Pennsylvania county with no large cities. Middleburg is the county seat and home to the courthouse. All felony cases from boroughs and townships across Snyder County are consolidated in the Court of Common Pleas docket maintained by the Clerk of Courts in Middleburg. Residents from any part of the county can use the UJS portal to search records or visit the courthouse directly.
Nearby Counties
Pennsylvania felony records are kept at the county level. If you are unsure which county courthouse holds the records you need, use the statewide UJS portal to search by name across all counties at once.