How-to guides

The steps in a Berks County criminal case after an arrest: booking, preliminary arraignment and bail, the preliminary hearing, and formal arraignment in court.

How to put money on a Berks County Jail inmate's account or tablet, mail letters and photos through TextBehind, and what you cannot send.

Visit an inmate at Berks County Jail: get on the approved list, schedule by phone at 610-208-4800, plus free video calls, ID rules, and dress code.

Find someone in the Berks County Jail System: call the jail at 610-208-4800, look them up free on VINE, or search Pennsylvania court dockets by name.

The Berks County Area Agency on Aging helps residents 60 and older stay independent. What it offers, what it costs, and how to get help for a parent.

Pothole, downed sign, or washed-out road in Berks County? How to tell if a road is PennDOT, township, or a county bridge, and exactly who to call.

BARTA fixed-route fares in Berks County: $1.80 base fare, free rides for seniors 65+, passes, and how to find your bus route in Reading.

Order a certified copy of a Berks County marriage record from the Register of Wills for $5. What to bring, how to request by mail or in person, and how to find old records back to 1885.

Berks County's repository is a standing list of unsold tax-sale properties. Bid by mail or in person; the minimum is $500 or the assessed value.

What a Berks County dog license costs, who needs one, the January 1 deadline, and how to buy it online, by mail, or in person.

What Berks County poll workers do, what they earn, who qualifies, and how to apply to work an election: positions, pay, hours, and training.

How to find when and where your Berks County township, borough, or school board meets: the county directory, the meeting law, agendas, and how to watch.

How to get a protection from abuse (PFA) order in Berks County: where to file, the same-day emergency order, the 10-day hearing, and free help.

How to get a license to carry firearms in Berks County: the $20 fee, applying online or by mail, what to bring, references, and the 45-day decision.

How to sue for up to $12,000 in a Berks County magisterial district court: where to file, the complaint form, filing fees, the hearing, and how to appeal.

What to do when you get a Berks County jury summons: where and when to report, what jurors are paid, how long service lasts, and how to ask to be excused or postponed.

Meet the three Berks County commissioners, what the board controls, how they are elected, and how to reach them or speak at a meeting.

How a Berks County sheriff sale works: where to find the sale list, the deposit you need to bid on Bid4Assets, payment deadlines, and what you're buying.

File a Right-to-Know request with Berks County: who to send it to, what to include, the county's 5-business-day deadline, fees, and how to appeal.

What it costs to record a deed in Berks County: the $88 recording fee, realty transfer tax by municipality, the forms you need, and how to file.