How to Get a PA Background Check (PATCH) in Berks County

A Pennsylvania criminal background check comes from the state, not the county. The Pennsylvania State Police run it through an online system called PATCH, short for Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History, at epatch.pa.gov. An individual check costs $22, most people get a result on the spot, and there is no Berks County office you have to visit: you request it yourself online, or by mail.

This guide covers what a PATCH check is, how to request one online, what it costs, when it is free, how to do it by mail, and what the result means. It also explains where PATCH stops and the separate fingerprint clearances begin, which is where most people get confused.

What PATCH is

PATCH is a search of the criminal history the Pennsylvania State Police keep in the state's central repository. It is name-based: you enter a person's name and date of birth, and the system returns what matches. It covers Pennsylvania records only, so it will not show charges from other states or the federal courts.

People use a PATCH check for a job, a volunteer role, a housing application, or to see their own record before filing to clear it through expungement or Clean Slate. You can run a check on yourself or on someone else; the public individual check does not require the subject's consent.

How to request a check online

The online route at epatch.pa.gov is the fastest. You do not need an account for a one-time request, though creating one lets you track and reprint results.

1. Go to epatch.pa.gov and choose to submit a new record check as an individual.
2. Accept the terms and enter the reason for the request (for example, employment or personal).
3. Enter the subject's information: full name, date of birth, and Social Security number if you have it (it sharpens the match but is not required).
4. Pay the fee by credit or debit card.
5. Submit. Many requests with no matching record return a result within minutes on screen.

What it costs

An individual PATCH check is $22. A notarized copy costs an extra $5, for $27, and a notarized copy has to be requested by mail; the online system does not produce one.

Paying online by credit card adds a 2% fee per transaction, in effect since April 22, 2026. Two groups avoid it: holders of a registered PATCH account (pre-approved organizations) and anyone who mails the request and pays by check.

Free volunteer checks

Volunteers do not pay. Pennsylvania law lets people who volunteer with children get the state criminal check for free through PATCH. Choose the volunteer option when you start the request rather than the standard individual check, and the fee is waived. A free volunteer check cannot be notarized.

A volunteer role with children usually requires more than the state police check. Pennsylvania also asks volunteers for a Child Abuse History Certification from the Department of Human Services, which is free for volunteers too. Depending on the organization and how long you have lived in Pennsylvania, an FBI fingerprint check may also be required; long-term Pennsylvania residents can often skip it. The organization you volunteer for will tell you which clearances it needs, and the fingerprint check is a separate process (see below).

How to do it by mail

If you would rather not pay the online card fee, or you want to pay by check, you can mail the request. Download form SP 4-164 (the individual request) or SP 4-164A (the volunteer request) from the State Police page, fill it out, and mail it with payment to the Pennsylvania State Police. Paying by check avoids the card processing fee. A mailed request takes longer than the online search, which can answer in minutes. A notarized copy of a record check can only be requested by mail. The PATCH Helpline is 1-888-783-7972.

What the result means

An online request comes back as either No Record (no criminal history in the state police repository for that name and date of birth) or Record (the search found matching criminal history). Most no-record checks come back on the spot: the State Police return a No Record certificate immediately about 85% of the time.

Some checks are not instant and take longer to process. Either way, PATCH no longer mails the result of a check requested online. You check the status on the site and print the No Record or Record response yourself. If an employer, landlord, or licensing board needs a notarized copy, request it by mail from the start, because the online system cannot notarize a result.

Fingerprint checks are different

PATCH is name-based. Some jobs and clearances require a fingerprint-based check instead, and that does not go through PATCH. Teachers, child-care workers, and many people who work or volunteer with children need an FBI fingerprint check, which is scheduled and taken through the state's fingerprint vendor, IdentoGO, not the State Police website. If an employer or agency asks for a "fingerprint" or "Act 114 FBI" clearance, that is the separate system; if they ask for a "state criminal" or "Act 34" check, that is PATCH.

FAQ

How much is a PATCH background check in Pennsylvania?

An individual check is $22, plus $5 for a notarized copy (which must be requested by mail). Paying online by credit card adds a 2% fee, in effect since April 22, 2026; mailing the request and paying by check avoids it. Volunteer checks with children are free.

How long does a PATCH check take?

A no-record check often comes back within minutes: the State Police return a No Record certificate immediately about 85% of the time, and you print it yourself. Other checks take longer to process. PATCH no longer mails the result of an online request, so you check the status on the site and print it when it is ready.

Is there a Berks County office that does PATCH checks?

No. PATCH is a Pennsylvania State Police system, run online at epatch.pa.gov or by mail. There is no county office in Berks that issues the report; you request it yourself.

Does a PATCH check show records from other states?

No. PATCH covers Pennsylvania criminal history only. It will not show charges from other states or federal court. For a nationwide check, you need an FBI fingerprint-based check, which is a separate process through IdentoGO.

What is the difference between PATCH and fingerprint clearances?

PATCH is a name-based search of Pennsylvania State Police records. Fingerprint clearances, such as the FBI check required for school and child-care work, are taken at a fingerprint site through the vendor IdentoGO and are a separate step. Many volunteer and child-serving roles require both, plus a Child Abuse History Certification.

Sources

• PA State Police: Request a Criminal History Background Check — the $22 fee, $5 notarization, free volunteer checks, and the mail forms.
• Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) — the online request system and how results are returned.
• PA State Police: Overview of PATCH — how the system works and how to read a result.

To check your own Berks County court cases for free, see our guide to searching court records online; to clear an old case, see expungement and Clean Slate.