Forest County Police Records
Forest County is one of Pennsylvania's smallest and most rural counties, located in the northwestern part of the state with a population of approximately 7,000 residents. The county seat is Tionesta, a small borough situated along the Allegheny River. Because Forest County has no municipal police departments, the Pennsylvania State Police provide all primary law enforcement coverage through the PSP Marienville Station. Police records in Forest County include incident reports generated by PSP, criminal case records maintained by the Clerk of Courts, warrant and civil process records held by the Sheriff's Office, and public records subject to Right-to-Know requests at the county level. This guide explains how to find Forest County police records using state and county resources, online tools, and formal records request procedures.
Forest County Quick Facts
Forest County Police Records and State Police
Forest County is unique among Pennsylvania counties in that it has no municipal police departments. All primary law enforcement duties within the county are carried out by the Pennsylvania State Police. The PSP Marienville Station covers the county and responds to all calls for law enforcement service across Forest County's rural townships and boroughs, including Tionesta. This means that virtually all incident reports, arrest records, and law enforcement activity records originating in Forest County are state agency records held by PSP rather than local department records.
Because PSP serves as the sole law enforcement agency, anyone seeking Forest County police records should begin their search with the Pennsylvania State Police records request system rather than a local police department. Incident reports from the Marienville Station can be requested through the PSP Records Request portal. PSP follows the Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104, and must respond to records requests within five business days, with the same extension and exemption rules that apply to all Pennsylvania state agencies.
Vehicle crash reports from PSP-investigated accidents in Forest County cost $22 per report. These can be ordered separately through the crash report request page. Crash reports are one of the most commonly requested PSP records and are used for insurance claims, legal proceedings, and general research purposes. The $22 fee covers one copy of a single crash report and is non-refundable.
PSP does not release records related to active criminal investigations. If the case you are researching is still open, the relevant incident report will not be releasable until the investigation concludes. Contact the Marienville Station directly to determine whether a specific case is closed before investing time in a formal records request. Officers at the station can confirm general case status without releasing protected investigative details.
Forest County Sheriff's Office
The Forest County Sheriff's Office is located in Tionesta at the Forest County Courthouse. Although the Sheriff is not the primary law enforcement provider in Forest County given PSP's countywide coverage role, the Sheriff's Office performs important county-level functions. These include civil process service, warrant enforcement, courthouse security, and transportation of inmates between facilities. Records related to these activities are maintained at the Sheriff's Office.
The Forest County Sheriff handles service of civil process documents such as subpoenas, summonses, and Protection From Abuse orders. Service records documenting when and how civil process was served are maintained at the Sheriff's Office and may be accessible through a direct inquiry or a formal Right-to-Know request. These records can be important in civil litigation matters, divorce proceedings, and custody cases where proof of service is needed.
Warrant records in Forest County are maintained jointly by the Sheriff's Office and the courts. The Sheriff is responsible for executing active arrest warrants issued by the Forest County Court of Common Pleas. If you need to determine whether a specific individual has an active warrant in Forest County, contacting the Sheriff's Office or reviewing the court dockets through the UJS Portal are two options. Active warrant information has limitations on public release, but court records may reflect outstanding bench warrants in public docket entries.
Because Forest County is small and rural, the Sheriff's Office operates with limited staff and resources. In-person visits to the Tionesta courthouse should be arranged during regular business hours on weekdays. The courthouse serves multiple county offices, and contacting the county in advance to confirm office hours and the best contact person for your specific records need will make the process more efficient. All public records requests must comply with the Right-to-Know Law regardless of the county's size or staffing level.
Criminal Records at Forest County Clerk of Courts
The Forest County Clerk of Courts is the official custodian of criminal court records in the county. This office maintains adult criminal case files including all charges, pleas, verdicts, sentencing orders, probation records, and post-conviction filings generated in the Forest County Court of Common Pleas. If you need certified documentation of a criminal conviction or case outcome in Forest County, the Clerk of Courts in Tionesta is the primary in-person source.
Criminal history records held by the Clerk of Courts are governed by the Criminal History Record Information Act, 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. This law controls access to criminal record data and determines what information can be disclosed and to whom. Records that have been expunged or placed under limited access through Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law, 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.2, are not accessible through the Clerk's office or any public database. If you are unsure whether a specific record has been expunged, the Clerk's office can confirm availability after you provide identifying details.
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System (UJS) Portal provides free online access to Forest County court dockets. You can search by name or case number and view publicly available case information without traveling to Tionesta. The portal covers criminal, civil, traffic, and magisterial district court cases in Forest County and is updated on a regular basis. For many routine records lookups, the UJS Portal provides sufficient information without the need for an in-person visit or formal records request.
Because Forest County has a small population, the court system handles a relatively modest volume of cases compared to larger Pennsylvania counties. This can make in-person records requests more efficient, as office staff are often able to locate records quickly. However, the same rules and fees apply regardless of county size. Copy fees are $0.25 per page for standard copies, with certified copies carrying an additional fee. Confirm current certified copy fees with the Clerk's office before your visit.
Right-to-Know Law in Forest County
Forest County follows Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104, for all public records requests. The county has a designated Open Records Officer who processes formal RTK requests submitted to county agencies. All records requests submitted to the Forest County Sheriff, Clerk of Courts, or other county departments must comply with the RTK law's procedures, including being submitted in writing and identifying the specific records sought.
To submit an RTK request to Forest County, prepare a written request identifying the records you need, the approximate date range, and any other details that will help locate the documents. Submit the request to the county Open Records Officer in Tionesta by mail or in person. The county must respond within five business days by granting access, denying the request in writing with a cited legal exemption, or requesting a 30-day extension. Copy fees are $0.25 per page for paper copies.
For records held by the Pennsylvania State Police, which generates most of the law enforcement records in Forest County given its role as the sole police agency, you must submit a separate RTK request directly to PSP. The PSP records request portal handles these submissions. State agency records are subject to the same RTK law but processed through the state agency's own Open Records Officer rather than the county's officer. This distinction is especially important in Forest County, where PSP records far outnumber county-level law enforcement records.
If your RTK request to any Forest County agency is denied, you have 15 business days to appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. Appeals are free and can be filed online at openrecords.pa.gov, by mail at 333 Market Street, 16th Floor, Harrisburg, or by phone at 717-346-9903. The Office of Open Records will review the denial and issue a binding determination. If you disagree with that determination, further appeal to the Forest County Court of Common Pleas is available within 30 days.
PATCH System for Forest County
The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) system is the statewide tool for obtaining a Pennsylvania criminal history record check. The fee is $22 per request, and submissions are accepted online through the PATCH overview page. PATCH searches the Pennsylvania State Police criminal history database and returns conviction records for the searched individual across all 67 Pennsylvania counties, including Forest.
PATCH is administered by the Pennsylvania State Police under authority granted by the Criminal History Record Information Act, 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. The system searches by name and date of birth and returns any Pennsylvania conviction records associated with that combination. Because all law enforcement in Forest County is conducted by PSP, the PATCH system is closely connected to Forest County records, as all arrests and convictions in the county flow through the same state criminal records system.
Online PATCH requests typically process within one to three business days. Results are delivered electronically and include a certification from the Pennsylvania State Police. This certified result is accepted by many employers, licensing boards, and housing providers as official confirmation of an individual's Pennsylvania criminal history. The $22 fee is non-refundable regardless of the result returned.
PATCH only returns conviction records. Arrests that did not lead to conviction, pending charges, juvenile records, and records from other states or the federal system are not included. Records sealed under Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law, 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.2, are also excluded from PATCH results. For employment purposes in regulated fields such as education, childcare, or healthcare, additional background check components including FBI fingerprint checks are typically required alongside PATCH. PATCH alone does not satisfy the background check requirements for most licensed professional positions.
Sex Offender Registry for Forest County
Pennsylvania's Megan's Law sex offender registry is publicly searchable online through the Pennsylvania Megan's Law website, maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police. You can search for registered sex offenders in Forest County, Tionesta, or any specific address in the county. The registry includes offender names, current registration addresses, photographs where available, and information about the offense requiring registration.
Forest County offenders required to register under Megan's Law complete their registration at the PSP Marienville Station, which serves as the registration point for county residents. Because PSP is the only law enforcement agency operating in Forest County, all Megan's Law registration functions are handled through the state barracks rather than any local municipal department. Registration requirements and frequency depend on the offender's tier classification and offense type under Pennsylvania's Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The Megan's Law registry is updated as offenders provide updated registration information. Offenders who move, change addresses, or update employment information are required to notify PSP within specified time periods. Failure to register or keep registration information current is a separate criminal offense. To report a suspected registration violation in Forest County, contact the PSP Marienville Station or call the Megan's Law unit through the Pennsylvania State Police headquarters.
Nearby Counties
Forest County borders several counties in northwestern Pennsylvania. If the records you need involve activity near county lines, check these neighboring counties as well.