Berks County Clerk of Courts: Criminal Case Records

The Clerk of Courts is the elected county official who keeps Berks County's criminal court records: the charges, filings, orders, and outcomes for cases in the criminal division of the Court of Common Pleas. Most people can look up a Berks County criminal case for free online through the state courts portal, but a certified copy for a background check, a job, or a court in another state comes from this office, on the 4th floor of the Berks County Courthouse, 633 Court Street in Reading.

The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the phone number is 610-478-6550. This guide covers what the Clerk of Courts handles, how to search a criminal case online, how to get a copy, and how it differs from the other county court offices.

What the Clerk of Courts handles

The current Clerk of Courts is Beth A. Jones. The office prepares and maintains the records for the criminal division of the Court of Common Pleas, which is where felony and most misdemeanor cases are handled after they move up from a district court. The office:

• Keeps the official file for each criminal case: charges, motions, court orders, verdicts, and sentences.
• Signs and seals the court's writs and processes, and certifies and distributes the court's orders.
• Administers oaths and affirmations, and keeps custody of the court's seal and records.
• Prepares each defendant's bill of costs and collects and disburses fines, costs, and restitution.

A criminal case reaches this office after a preliminary hearing before a magisterial district judge. For how a case moves from arrest through the district court to Common Pleas, see our guide to what happens after an arrest in Berks County.

Which office you need

Berks County splits court and property records among four elected row offices. Sending a request to the wrong one is the most common delay.

• Clerk of Courts (Courthouse, 4th floor, 610-478-6550): criminal Court of Common Pleas cases.
• Prothonotary (Courthouse, 2nd floor, 610-478-6970): civil cases, judgments, liens, divorce, custody.
• Register of Wills (Services Center, 2nd floor, 610-478-6600): wills, estates, and inheritance tax.
• Recorder of Deeds (Services Center, 3rd floor, 610-478-3380): deeds, mortgages, and notary commissions.

How to look up a criminal case online

The fastest and cheapest way to find a Berks County criminal case is the statewide Pennsylvania Judiciary Web Portal, known as the UJS Portal, at ujsportal.pacourts.us. It is free, needs no login, and lets you search by a person's name or by docket number.

The portal shows the docket sheet for each case, which is the official summary of the charges, the filings, the court dates, and how the case ended. It covers Common Pleas criminal cases, magisterial district court cases, and appeals. You can view and print a docket sheet yourself at no charge.

The Clerk of Courts office page points the public to this same portal for criminal dockets and calendar events. For a fuller walkthrough of the portal and the county's other search tools, see our guide to searching Berks County court records online.

A docket sheet you print from the portal is a public record, but it is not a certified copy. If an employer, licensing board, or court requires a certified document, you need one from the Clerk of Courts.

How to get a copy or certified copy

A certified copy is one the office stamps and seals as a true copy of what is on file. Banks, employers, immigration offices, and courts in other states often require it; a plain printout will not do.

To get a copy from the Clerk of Courts, bring or send the defendant's name and the docket number, which the online portal gives you. The office is on the 4th floor of the courthouse at 633 Court Street. You can request a copy in person or by mail; open records requests can be emailed to COC@Berkspa.gov.

The Clerk of Courts does not publish its copy and certification fees online. Call 610-478-6550 to confirm the current cost and the accepted payment methods before you go or mail a request, so your request is not held up for the wrong amount.

Court transcripts are different

People often ask the Clerk of Courts for a "transcript" when they mean the docket or the case file. A transcript is the court reporter's word-for-word record of what was said in the courtroom, and it comes from a different place.

Transcripts are prepared by the court's official court reporters, not the Clerk of Courts, and no transcript can be made without the written consent of the Common Pleas judge. The cost is set countywide: $2.75 a page for the original and $0.75 a page for a copy. To order one, get a Request for Transcript form from a courtroom or the Court Reporters' Office and contact the reporter for an estimate; for a criminal case, half the cost is paid up front to the Clerk of Courts. The Chief Court Reporter's office can help identify the right reporter at 610-478-6467.

Paying fines, costs, and restitution

If a criminal case ended with a sentence, the fines, court costs, and restitution are collected through the Clerk of Courts, which prepares the bill of costs for each defendant. There are three ways to pay a Court of Common Pleas case; put the docket number on any payment.

1. Online: through the UJS Portal ePay tab, by Visa, MasterCard, or Discover. A $2.75 convenience fee is added.
2. By mail: a check or money order payable to "Central Collection Bureau," c/o Clerk of Courts Office, Berks County Courthouse, 4th Floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601.
3. In person: at the Clerk of Courts on the 4th floor, by cash, check, money order, or Visa, MasterCard, or Discover; card payments must be made before 4 p.m.

Clearing an old case from your record is a separate process; see our guide to expungement and Clean Slate.

FAQ

What does the Clerk of Courts do in Berks County?

The Clerk of Courts keeps the records for criminal cases in the county Court of Common Pleas, certifies the court's orders, and collects fines, costs, and restitution. It is where you get a certified copy of a Berks County criminal case. Civil cases go to the Prothonotary instead.

How do I look up a criminal case in Berks County for free?

Use the statewide UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. It is free and needs no login, and you can search by name or docket number to view and print the docket sheet for a Common Pleas criminal case, a district court case, or an appeal.

What is the difference between the Clerk of Courts and the Prothonotary?

The Clerk of Courts keeps criminal records; the Prothonotary keeps civil records like lawsuits, judgments, and divorces. Both sit in the courthouse, but the Clerk of Courts is on the 4th floor and the Prothonotary is on the 2nd.

How much does a certified criminal record cost in Berks County?

The Clerk of Courts does not post its copy and certification fees online. Call the office at 610-478-6550 to confirm the current cost and payment methods before you request one.

How do I get a copy of a Berks County criminal record by mail?

Send a written request with the defendant's name and the docket number to the Clerk of Courts, Berks County Courthouse, 633 Court Street, 4th Floor, Reading, PA 19601. Call 610-478-6550 first to confirm the fee, since the office does not publish its copy costs online.

Sources

• Berks County Clerk of Courts — office duties, location, hours, and public criminal-records access.
• Pennsylvania Judiciary Web Portal (UJS Portal) — free statewide search for criminal dockets.
• Berks County court transcripts — how court reporters prepare transcripts, and the per-page cost.
• How to pay court fines in Berks County — paying fines, costs, and restitution.

Clerk of Courts: Berks County Courthouse, 633 Court Street, 4th Floor, Reading, PA 19601; 610-478-6550; COC@Berkspa.gov; Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.