Search Mercer County Court Records
Mercer County Court records are searched through a mix of state and county channels. The Pennsylvania UJS Case Search is the main free public portal for criminal Court of Common Pleas dockets, Magisterial District Court dockets, appellate dockets, public calendars, citations, complaint numbers, incident numbers, OTN searches, and participant searches. Civil Common Pleas files are handled locally by the Prothonotary. Criminal copies, probate, marriage, guardianship, adoption, juvenile, dependency, and Orphans' Court records are handled by the combined Clerk of Courts, Register of Wills, and Clerk of Orphans' Court office.
Use UJS for a first look when the record is a criminal, MDJ, traffic, citation, calendar, appellate, or docket-sheet matter. Use Mercer County offices for full files, certified copies, civil images, older archive records, and records not exposed through the public portal.
- Identify the record type before searching: criminal, civil, traffic, probate, marriage, divorce, MDJ, or appellate.
- Use UJS by docket number, participant name, citation number, OTN, complaint number, incident number, SID, organization, or date filed.
- Limit results to Mercer County, Judicial District 35, or the correct Magisterial District Court when possible.
- Read the docket sheet for status, events, hearings, filings, disposition, sentence, appeal entries, and payment events.
- Contact the Prothonotary or Clerk/Register office for copies, civil images, archive retrieval, or certification.
The UJS public search page is assigned to the Mercer County Court records index in the image manifest.
That portal is often the fastest starting point, but it is not the final source for every Mercer County Court document.
Mercer County Court System
Mercer County is Pennsylvania's Thirty-fifth Judicial District. The main trial court is the Court of Common Pleas, which hears major civil cases, criminal cases, family matters, juvenile matters, Orphans' Court matters, and appeals from minor courts. The lower local courts are Magisterial District Courts. They handle traffic citations, non-traffic summary offenses, civil claims within the MDJ limit, preliminary arraignments, preliminary hearings, and some misdemeanor matters.
The county's record structure is split. The Prothonotary is the civil Common Pleas records custodian. The combined Clerk/Register office handles criminal Common Pleas records, estates, guardianships, adoptions, marriage licenses, Orphans' Court records, juvenile and dependency records, and cost collections. Appeals from Common Pleas generally go to the Superior Court for criminal, civil, and family matters or the Commonwealth Court for government and agency matters.
| Court or Office | Main Role | Common Record Types |
|---|---|---|
| Court of Common Pleas | General county trial court | Major criminal, civil, family, juvenile, Orphans' Court, and appeals from minor courts. |
| Magisterial District Courts | Minor courts and first criminal stage | Traffic, summary offenses, preliminary hearings, preliminary arraignments, and small civil claims. |
| Prothonotary | Civil Common Pleas records | Divorce, custody, PFA, civil complaints, foreclosures, liens, and appeals. |
| Clerk/Register Office | Criminal, probate, marriage, and Orphans' Court records | Criminal filings, estates, guardianships, adoptions, marriage licenses, and cost collections. |
The county Court System page is one of the assigned index images.
That official page links court administration, judges, district courts, schedules, forms, local rules, and specialty court resources.
Mercer County Court Record Types
Mercer County Court records include civil cases, criminal cases, MDJ traffic and summary matters, family cases, divorce, custody, PFA filings, probate, estates, guardianships, adoptions, marriage licenses, juvenile and dependency files, road and bridge dockets, public-official records, and appeals. Public access varies by type. A public criminal docket is easier to view online than a scanned civil pleading. An adoption record is confidential. An older criminal file may need archive retrieval.
UJS confirms that public web docket sheets allow users to search, view, and print docket sheets for appellate courts, criminal Courts of Common Pleas, Magisterial District Courts, and Philadelphia Municipal Court. Mercer County adds local office access for the files UJS does not provide as images.
| Record Type | Primary Access Path |
|---|---|
| Criminal Common Pleas | UJS public docket search, then Clerk of Courts for copies and archived records. |
| Civil Common Pleas | Prothonotary public terminals, mail, phone, and Infocon docket-entry subscription without images. |
| Traffic and summary cases | UJS, PAePay, or the issuing Magisterial District Court. |
| Probate and Orphans' Court | Register of Wills and Orphans' Court Division terminals, microfiche, forms, and archive request. |
| Marriage and divorce | Marriage through the Clerk of Orphans' Court; divorce through the Prothonotary. |
Mercer County Court Judges
The Court of Common Pleas sits at the Mercer County Courthouse and is the center of county trial court work. The county lists President Judge Daniel P. Wallace, Judge Tedd C. Nesbit, Judge Ronald D. Amrhein Jr., and Judge D. Neil McEwen. Senior Judges Christopher J. St. John and Robert G. Yeatts are also listed on the county court homepage.
Case path: MDJ start › Common Pleas filing › hearings and motions › disposition or judgment › appeal to the appropriate Pennsylvania appellate court.
The official county homepage is assigned as an image source for the Mercer County Court records index.
The county homepage is a practical starting point for offices, notices, public meetings, and courthouse-related departments.
Mercer County MDJ Court Records
Magisterial District Courts are central to Mercer County Court records because many cases start there. Traffic citations, summary offenses, preliminary arraignments, preliminary hearings, and smaller civil claims may all have MDJ docket activity. If a serious criminal case is held for court, the record then moves into Common Pleas criminal handling.
The county lists five MDJ offices: 35-2-01 in Sharon, 35-2-02 in Farrell, 35-3-01 in Mercer, 35-3-02 in Grove City, and 35-3-03 in Greenville. Search filters that include the MDJ office can make a Mercer County docket search more precise.
The Magisterial District Courts overview is assigned to the index page.
That source is useful when the municipality, traffic citation, or preliminary hearing points to a specific MDJ office.
Mercer County Court Public Access
Public access in Mercer County depends on the record owner and the law that controls it. The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law governs agency records. The UJS Case Records Public Access Policy governs court case records. Pennsylvania criminal history statutes govern criminal-history dissemination, expungement, and limited access. Juvenile records are limited by statute. Adoption and dependency records are confidential.
Key authorities: Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, UJS Case Records Public Access Policy, 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91, 18 Pa.C.S. 9122, 18 Pa.C.S. 9122.1, and 42 Pa.C.S. 6307 shape access to Mercer County Court records.
Plain copies and certified copies come from the filing office. Research lists Prothonotary copies at $0.50 per page, first certification at $4.75, certified divorce decree at $7.75, Clerk of Courts certification at $10, Clerk exemplification at $11.50, and Register/Orphans' Court research at $7 per name or record.
What Mercer County Records Show
Mercer County Court records can show docket numbers, filing dates, parties, court office, judges, hearing dates, motions, orders, status, charges, pleas, dispositions, judgments, sentences, bail, costs, fines, restitution, payment plans, certifications, and appeals. Probate records add decedent, estate, personal representative, inventory, claim, and inheritance-tax details. Marriage records require at least one name and an approximate date for search.
- Docket
- A chronological case record showing filings and events.
- OTN
- Offense Tracking Number used in Pennsylvania criminal charge records.
- Disposition
- The final outcome of a charge or case.
- Certification
- The clerk's official statement that a copy is true and correct.
Mercer County Sheriff and Jail
The Mercer County Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Tim Callahan. Sheriff functions relevant to court records include courthouse security, daily prisoner transport, county-issued bench warrant service, and pursuit of fugitives on warrants issued by District Judges, the Court of Common Pleas, and Domestic Relations. The public wanted fugitives page had no current postings in the research and should not be treated as a searchable warrant database.
The Mercer County Jail is at 55 Thompson Road. The research lists Warden Mac McDuffie and a jail population report search. The public jail report is limited compared with many county jail tools because it shows name, commit date, admission type, and committing authority rather than a full booking profile.
The Sheriff's Office homepage is assigned as an index image source.
The sheriff source is relevant for courthouse security, bench warrant service, prisoner transport, and wanted-person context.
The Mercer County Jail homepage is also assigned to the index page.
Use jail records for custody status and committing authority, then use criminal court records to read the case path and disposition.
Mercer County Probate and Family Records
Divorce and custody are civil records kept by the Prothonotary. Protection from abuse filings are accepted by the Prothonotary during listed weekday hours, while emergency PFAs after that window route to a local or on-call Magisterial District Judge. Marriage records begin in 1885 and are handled by the Clerk of Orphans' Court. Probate records begin in 1800 through the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court Division.
Probate searches can require a first and last name and benefit from an approximate date of death. Many older probate records are on microfiche, while records not on microfiche may require archive retrieval with advance notice. Records after 1944 are available at office public terminals, and estates after 1993 are in the computer.
Mercer County Specialty Courts
Mercer County Specialty Courts include Treatment Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Treatment Court. The research identifies Aimee Oxenham as Specialty Courts coordinator. The 2024 referral and application form applies to Drug Treatment Court, Veterans Treatment Court, and Mental Health Court and collects legal, medical, substance-use, employment, housing, and education information.
Treatment Court is an intensive drug and alcohol treatment alternative for eligible defendants with addiction-related or addiction-driven offenses. Mental Health Court works with applicants who have mental health needs and possible co-occurring substance-use issues. Veterans Treatment Court coordinates the Court of Common Pleas, District Attorney, Public Defender, County Department of Veterans Affairs, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Specialty Courts homepage is assigned to this index page.
Specialty court records may still appear in criminal case context, but program admission and treatment details can be limited.
The Treatment Court source is also assigned.
Treatment Court details help explain why a criminal docket may show frequent review hearings, testing, costs, or program-related events.
The Mental Health Court source is assigned to the index page.
Mental Health Court context matters when docket events refer to specialty supervision rather than ordinary case scheduling.
The Veterans Treatment Court source is assigned as the final index specialty image.
Veterans Treatment Court links criminal case handling with local veterans services, accountability, and Common Pleas supervision.
Mercer County Courthouse Records
The main courthouse is the Mercer County Courthouse at 125 S. Diamond Street, Mercer, PA 16137. Court Administration is in Suite 310. The Prothonotary is in Suite 105. The combined Clerk of Courts, Register of Wills, and Clerk of Orphans' Court is in Suite 112. The courthouse closes at 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday except holidays, and county policy identifies the south entrance as the security-screening entry point.
Mercer County's courthouse history is unusually rich. The county seat was selected as a central elevated location, and early legal business was held first in a tavern and then in a log structure on the diamond. Two earlier dedicated courthouses burned, one in 1866 and one in 1907. The current Beaux-Arts courthouse opened in 1911, has a 160-foot dome, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 1998.
Mercer County Courthouse
125 S. Diamond Street
Mercer, PA 16137
724-662-3800
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Clerk/Register Office
125 S. Diamond St., Suite 112
Mercer, PA 16137
724-662-3800 ext. 2248
Criminal, probate, marriage, and Orphans' Court records
Mercer County Court Records FAQ
Are Mercer County Court records online? Many public criminal, MDJ, appellate, citation, and calendar records are online through UJS. Civil images, certified copies, archived records, probate files, and marriage records often require the Prothonotary or Clerk/Register office.
Who keeps civil court records? The Prothonotary keeps Mercer County civil Common Pleas records, including divorce, custody, PFA, foreclosures, liens, civil complaints, and appeals. Records from 1994 forward are scanned and viewable at office public terminals.
Who keeps criminal court records? The Clerk of Courts keeps Common Pleas criminal records. Post-1994 criminal records are available through computer access and UJS public docket sheets, while pre-1994 records are in Archives.
Are juvenile court records public? No. Mercer County materials identify juvenile and dependency records as confidential, and Pennsylvania law limits inspection of juvenile court files.