Berks County Prothonotary: Civil Court Records Explained
What the Berks County Prothonotary does: how to search civil court records, judgments, and liens, what it costs to file, and how to get a copy.
The Prothonotary is the elected county official who keeps Berks County's civil court records: lawsuits between people or businesses, money judgments, liens, and family court filings like divorce and custody. The word is an old title for the chief clerk of a court, and in Pennsylvania every county has one for the civil side of the Court of Common Pleas. The office is on the 2nd floor of the Berks County Courthouse, 633 Court Street in Reading, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the phone number is 610-478-6970.
If you need a criminal record, an estate file, or a deed, this is the wrong office. Those go to the Clerk of Courts, the Register of Wills, and the Recorder of Deeds. This guide covers what the Prothonotary handles, how to search its records, what it costs to file, and how to get a copy.
What the Prothonotary handles
The current Prothonotary is Jonathan K. Del Collo. The office files, records, and processes the civil business of the county court:
- Civil lawsuits, including debt collection, mortgage foreclosures, and property disputes.
- Money judgments, and state, federal, and municipal liens filed against a person or property.
- Divorce and custody filings (child and spousal support is handled by the separate Domestic Relations Office).
- Arbitration cases, license-suspension appeals, and appeals to a higher court.
- Writs, which are court orders that start an action such as collecting on a judgment.
The office also records every judgment, order, and decree the civil court issues, and checks that filings follow the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure before accepting them.
Two things the Prothonotary no longer does, despite older directories that still list them. Passport applications have been permanently discontinued. And notary registration moved to the Recorder of Deeds, in the Berks County Services Center, on October 1, 2024.
Which office you need
Berks County splits court and property records among four elected row offices, all in or near the courthouse at 633 Court Street. Sending a request to the wrong one is the most common delay.
- Prothonotary (2nd floor, 610-478-6970): civil cases, judgments, liens, divorce, custody.
- Clerk of Courts (4th floor, 610-478-6550): criminal Court of Common Pleas cases.
- 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 search civil records online
Berks County is changing its online court systems the same week this guide first published, so what you see depends on when you look. Through late September 2026, the Prothonotary's free docket search lived at prothy.countyofberks.com. On Monday, September 28, 2026, the county moves to a new system called CourtPro, which pairs electronic filing with a public CourtPro Viewer for looking up dockets and case information.
A docket is the official list of everything filed in a case and how it ended. In CourtPro, viewing a document is free the first time; after that first view, a copy or download costs $0.25 a page, except in protection-from-abuse and a couple of other protected case types. For the broader how-to, including the statewide portal for criminal cases, see our guide to searching Berks County court records online.
During the changeover the county said there is no remote access to print or download time-stamped copies until CourtPro opens on September 28. If the online system is down or you cannot find what you need, the office will look up a case for you in person.
Judgments and liens
A judgment is a court's ruling that one party owes another money. A lien is a legal claim against property for an unpaid debt or tax. Both are filed with the Prothonotary, and both are public. People search them for practical reasons: to check whether a contractor or a person owes money, to see what claims sit against a property before buying it, or to confirm a debt before a sheriff sale. A search by name turns up money judgments and tax liens on file.
What it costs to file
The Prothonotary charges set fees under a fee bill effective August 1, 2026. The office will not accept a filing without the correct fee, so confirm the amount before you go. Checks are payable to "Prothonotary of Berks County." Common filing fees:
- Civil action complaint (including mortgage foreclosure): $225.
- Legal name change: $250.
- Custody complaint: $225. Divorce or annulment complaint (one count): $250, plus $60 for each additional count.
- Protection from abuse petition: $160 on the schedule, though the person seeking a PFA is not charged to file.
- Confession of judgment: $275.
- Writs to collect on a judgment (money judgment, foreclosure, revival, seizure): $60; a writ of attachment is $75.
A government body, such as a township or borough, pays a reduced fee under state law. A check that bounces is charged a $50 service fee.
Appeals filed here
Some appeals start at the Prothonotary rather than at a higher court directly:
- Appeal from an arbitration award: $60, plus the arbitrators' fee set in the award.
- Appeal from a magisterial district judge, a zoning or land-use decision, or another statutory appeal: $225. This is the path for challenging a small claims or landlord-tenant judgment from a district court.
- Appeal to a state appellate court: $100, plus a separate $91.25 check made out to the Prothonotary of that appellate court.
How to get a copy of a record
You have three ways to get a Berks County civil record. A plain printout from the online search is not certified; a certified copy is one the office stamps as a true copy, which banks, courts, and agencies often require.
- Online: Through the CourtPro Viewer, which opens September 28, 2026, you can view a document once for free, then pay $0.25 a page to copy or download it (protection-from-abuse and a couple of other protected case types are excluded).
- In person: Go to the Prothonotary's office, 2nd floor of the courthouse, with the case name or docket number. Plain copies are $0.25 per page; a certified copy is $10; an exemplification, a higher-level certification used when a record goes to another state, is $45.
- By mail: Send a written request naming the case and docket number, or the statewide Request for Access form, with a check payable to "Prothonotary of Berks County" at $0.25 per page and $10 for certification. Mail it to the Prothonotary, Berks County Courthouse, 633 Court Street, 2nd Floor, Reading, PA 19601.
Having the docket number from the online search makes any request faster. Staff can look a case up by name, but the number pins it down.
FAQ
What does a Prothonotary do?
The Prothonotary is the clerk who keeps the records for civil cases in the county Court of Common Pleas: lawsuits, judgments, liens, divorce, and custody. The office files and stamps court papers, records judgments and orders, and issues writs. It does not handle criminal cases or estates.
What is the difference between the Prothonotary and the Clerk of Courts?
The Prothonotary keeps civil records; the Clerk of Courts keeps criminal records. Both are on the county court side, but a lawsuit over a debt goes to the Prothonotary, while criminal charges go to the Clerk of Courts on the 4th floor.
How do I get a certified copy of a Berks County civil record?
Go to the Prothonotary's office on the 2nd floor of the courthouse, or mail a request with payment. A certified copy costs $10 on top of the $0.25-per-page copy fee. A free printout from the online docket search is not certified.
Does the Prothonotary handle passports or notary registration?
No. Passport service at the Prothonotary has been permanently discontinued, and notary registration moved to the Recorder of Deeds on October 1, 2024. The Recorder of Deeds is on the 3rd floor of the county Services Center; the phone number is 610-478-3380.
Where do I file for a name change or divorce in Berks County?
Both are filed with the Prothonotary. A legal name change costs $250 to file, and a divorce complaint with one count costs $250. A name change also requires a court hearing and legal notice, so allow for added steps beyond the filing fee.
Sources
- Berks County Prothonotary — office duties, location, hours, and the CourtPro online records system.
- Berks County Prothonotary Fee Bill, effective August 1, 2026 — filing, copy, and certification fees.
- Pennsylvania courts Request for Access form — the statewide form for requesting court records by mail.
- Berks County Recorder of Deeds — where notary registration moved on October 1, 2024.
Prothonotary's Office: Berks County Courthouse, 633 Court Street, 2nd Floor, Reading, PA 19601; 610-478-6970; Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Checks payable to "Prothonotary of Berks County."