Search Pennsylvania DUI Records
Pennsylvania DUI records are public court documents available through the state's Unified Judicial System. The UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us lets anyone search DUI dockets, case filings, and court decisions across all 67 counties at no cost. You can also find impaired driving records through county clerks of courts, the PA State Police PATCH system, and PennDOT driving records. This site helps you locate those resources and understand how the search process works in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania DUI Records Quick Facts
Where to Find Pennsylvania DUI Records
Pennsylvania DUI cases move through two levels of the court system. A DUI arrest begins at the Magisterial District Court, where the preliminary hearing takes place. If the case proceeds, it moves to the Court of Common Pleas in the county where the offense occurred. That court holds the complete case file, including all filings, motions, and the final disposition. The Clerk of Courts in each county maintains those physical records and can provide copies to anyone who requests them.
The Pennsylvania Courts system provides online access through the Unified Judicial System Portal. This free tool lets you search DUI dockets by name or case number across all 67 counties. You can see case status, party names, charges, and filing dates. To view actual documents, you contact the county Clerk of Courts or visit the courthouse directly. Most county courthouses are open during regular business hours for in-person record requests in Pennsylvania.
PennDOT maintains a separate record of DUI convictions through its driving history system at dmv.pa.gov. A DUI conviction can result in a license suspension, which appears on the driving record. PennDOT records are separate from court dockets and show the motor vehicle consequence of a DUI rather than the full criminal history. For a complete picture of a DUI case in Pennsylvania, you typically need both the court docket and the driving record.
Note: Court dockets through the UJS Portal show case information but do not always include scanned copies of documents filed in Pennsylvania DUI cases.
Pennsylvania DUI Tiers and What They Mean
Pennsylvania uses a three-tier DUI system based on blood alcohol content at the time of arrest. Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3802, the tiers are general impairment, high BAC, and highest BAC. Each tier carries different penalties and affects how DUI records are classified. Controlled substance impairment falls into the highest BAC tier regardless of any measured alcohol level in Pennsylvania.
The general impairment tier covers drivers with a BAC between 0.08% and 0.099%. This is the baseline threshold for a DUI charge in Pennsylvania. Penalties at this tier are lighter for first-time offenders, often resulting in probation and no mandatory jail time. The high BAC tier applies to drivers at 0.10% to 0.159%. That tier brings stricter mandatory minimums. The highest BAC tier applies at 0.16% or above, and also covers commercial vehicle operators with a BAC of 0.04% or higher, minors under the zero-tolerance standard, and school bus drivers.
Penalties under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3804 increase with each tier and each subsequent offense. A first offense at the general impairment tier may result in probation. A first offense at the highest BAC tier carries a mandatory minimum of 72 hours in jail. Third and subsequent DUI offenses become felonies in Pennsylvania. Prior offenses under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3806 are counted going back ten years from the date of the current offense. This lookback period is important when reading DUI records in Pennsylvania because it determines how past cases affect current charges.
How to Search DUI Records in Pennsylvania
The fastest way to search Pennsylvania DUI records is through the UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. The portal is free and open to the public at any time. You can search by the name of a defendant, by case number, or by docket number. Results show the court where the case was filed, the charges listed, and the current status. You can view individual docket sheets that detail every filing and court date in the case. No account or registration is required to search DUI dockets through the UJS Portal in Pennsylvania.
To search by name, enter the last name and first name in the search fields. Narrow your results by selecting the county and the case type. For DUI cases, select criminal cases filed in the Court of Common Pleas or Magisterial District Court depending on the stage you are looking for. The portal shows results from both court levels. Once you find the right case, click the docket number to see the full record of the DUI filing in Pennsylvania.
The PA State Police PATCH system at epatch.pa.gov provides criminal history reports that include DUI convictions. PATCH charges a fee for each search. It returns a statewide criminal history rather than a single case docket. This is useful when you want to know whether someone has DUI convictions anywhere in Pennsylvania rather than in one specific county. Chemical testing records from 75 Pa.C.S. § 3814 procedures are part of the court file and may appear in docket exhibits when available.
In-person searches at the Clerk of Courts office in any Pennsylvania county let you view case files directly. Staff can pull records by name or case number. You can request paper copies for a per-page fee. If you know the county where the DUI was filed, an in-person visit gives you access to the full physical file. Contact information for each county clerk can be found through pacourts.us.
ARD Program and First-Time DUI Offenders
Pennsylvania offers the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for eligible first-time DUI offenders. ARD is governed by 75 Pa.C.S. § 3807 and allows qualifying defendants to complete a supervision period and treatment program instead of going through a full criminal trial. If you complete ARD successfully, the DUI charge is dismissed. No conviction appears on your record. This makes ARD a significant outcome to look for when reading Pennsylvania DUI records, because a dismissed ARD case differs greatly from a conviction.
Eligibility for ARD in Pennsylvania requires that the defendant has no prior DUI convictions and no prior ARD participation for DUI within the past ten years. The district attorney in each county decides whether to offer ARD. Serious aggravating factors, such as an accident causing injury or a minor passenger in the vehicle, can disqualify a person from ARD consideration. Each county handles ARD intake differently, so the process and timeline can vary across Pennsylvania's 67 counties.
After completing ARD, a defendant can petition for expungement of the DUI arrest record under Pa.R.Crim.P. 320. Once expunged, the arrest is removed from court records and from the PATCH criminal history database. However, DUI cases that did not result in expungement remain part of the public court record in Pennsylvania. When searching DUI records, you may see cases marked as ARD accepted or ARD completed, which indicates the disposition without a conviction in Pennsylvania.
Note: An ARD record that has not yet been expunged is still visible on the UJS Portal in Pennsylvania, so timing matters when you are searching for DUI case outcomes.
Right-to-Know Access to DUI Records
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. § 67.101 gives the public the right to access government records, including criminal court filings. DUI records held by the courts fall under this framework. You do not need to be a party to the case to request DUI court records in Pennsylvania. The law applies to records held by any state agency or local government body, which includes the offices of the Clerk of Courts in all 67 counties.
To make a formal Right-to-Know request, submit your request in writing to the agency that holds the record. The Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov provides guidance on how to file requests and handles appeals if an agency denies access. For court records specifically, the UJS Portal and direct requests to the Clerk of Courts are usually faster than a formal Right-to-Know request. Most DUI dockets are accessible without any formal request process in Pennsylvania.
Some information in DUI court files may be restricted from public view. Juvenile DUI records are generally sealed. Mental health evaluations ordered by a court may be confidential. Records sealed by a judge are not accessible through a standard Right-to-Know request. The Pennsylvania State Police also maintains records related to DUI arrests that are subject to their own access rules under state law.
Browse Pennsylvania DUI Records by County
Each of Pennsylvania's 67 counties has its own Court of Common Pleas that holds DUI case files for that jurisdiction. Select a county below to find DUI records and local court resources for that area.
DUI Records in Major Pennsylvania Cities
Major cities across Pennsylvania file DUI cases at the county courthouse serving their area. Select a city below to find DUI records resources for that location.