Lehigh County Police Records
Lehigh County is located in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, with a population of approximately 380,000 residents. Allentown, the county seat, is the third-largest city in Pennsylvania and a major urban center in the region. Police records in Lehigh County are generated by a variety of agencies including the Lehigh County Sheriff's Office, the Clerk of Courts, Allentown Police Department, numerous municipal departments, and the Pennsylvania State Police at the Fogelsville Barracks. This guide explains how to locate, request, and interpret police records from each of these sources using the appropriate official channels.
The county's urban concentration in Allentown and surrounding communities, combined with a significant rural and suburban population in western areas, means that records may originate from many different departments. Knowing which agency handled an incident is critical to identifying the correct records custodian and submitting an effective request.
Lehigh County Quick Facts
Lehigh County Police Records Access
Accessing police records in Lehigh County involves understanding the different custodians responsible for maintaining different types of records. The Lehigh County Sheriff's Office handles warrants, civil process, gun permits, and courthouse security. The Clerk of Courts maintains criminal court records from the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. Allentown Police Department holds incident reports and arrest records from within city limits. Bethlehem, Easton, and various township departments cover their own jurisdictions, while the Pennsylvania State Police Fogelsville Barracks covers rural areas without a local department.
The image below is sourced from the Lehigh County official website, which provides a central directory of all county departments and their contact information.
The Lehigh County website serves as the starting point for locating the right office for your records request. Department pages include addresses, phone numbers, and in some cases online request portals. The county's commitment to public transparency includes maintaining updated contact information and records guidance for each of its offices.
Lehigh County Sheriff's Office
The Lehigh County Sheriff's Office is located at 455 West Hamilton Street, Room 253, Allentown, PA 18101. The phone number is 610-782-3175. Sheriff Joseph N. Hanna oversees an office that is responsible for a wide range of functions including civil process service, warrant enforcement, firearms license administration, courthouse security, and managing the transport of prisoners between the county prison and court facilities.
The Sheriff's Office issues License to Carry Firearms permits to Lehigh County residents. Applications are processed at the office and are subject to a background check. While the existence of a permit is generally confidential under state law, the process itself is publicly documented. Applicants can contact the office at 610-782-3175 or visit the Lehigh County Sheriff's Office website for current application requirements and fees.
The image below comes from the Lehigh County Sheriff's Office official page, which provides detailed information about the office's functions, staff, and records access procedures.
Civil process records from the Sheriff's Office include service records for Protection from Abuse orders, civil summonses, and other court-ordered documents. These records are available through a formal Right-to-Know request. The Sheriff's Office also handles sheriff's sales of real estate when properties are subject to mortgage foreclosure or tax lien proceedings in Lehigh County. Records of sheriff's sales are public records.
Warrant service is a primary function of the Sheriff's deputies. Active warrant information may be reflected on court dockets accessible through the UJS Portal. For questions about a specific warrant, contacting the Sheriff's Office at 610-782-3175 is recommended. The office is generally open Monday through Friday during normal business hours.
Clerk of Courts and Criminal Records
The Lehigh County Clerk of Courts is located at the Lehigh County Courthouse, 455 West Hamilton Street, Allentown. The Clerk's office is the official custodian of criminal court records for cases prosecuted in the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. This includes charging documents, court motions, plea agreement records, trial transcripts, sentencing orders, probation violation filings, and other court documents associated with adult criminal cases.
The image below is sourced from the Lehigh County Clerk of Courts page, which provides contact information and guidance on requesting certified copies of court records.
Access to criminal court records in Lehigh County is governed by the Criminal History Record Information Act at 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. Conviction records in adult criminal cases are publicly accessible, while juvenile records, sealed records, and expunged records are protected from public disclosure. The Clerk's office can confirm whether a case file exists and provide copies of publicly accessible documents for $0.25 per page plus applicable certification fees.
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System (UJS) Portal allows free online searches of Lehigh County criminal case dockets. You can search by defendant name or docket number to find case summaries, hearing schedules, and disposition information without visiting the courthouse. This portal is updated regularly and reflects current case status across all Lehigh County courts including Magisterial District Judge proceedings.
For older records not available through the UJS Portal, contact the Clerk's office directly. Staff can assist in locating archival records stored in physical files. Court orders for expungement or sealing must be obtained from a judge and then certified to the Clerk's office before records can be removed from public access.
Right-to-Know Requests in Lehigh County
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104 gives the public the right to request access to records held by county agencies, municipal police departments, and other government bodies. Lehigh County has a designated Open Records Officer who handles formal RTKL requests directed to county-level agencies. Each municipal police department and the Allentown Police Department also have their own Open Records Officers.
To submit a Right-to-Know request to Lehigh County, prepare a written request identifying the records you are seeking with enough detail for the agency to locate them. Include your name and contact information. Requests can be submitted in person, by mail, or by email. The agency must respond within five business days of receiving the request.
The response may grant full access, provide partial access, deny the request with a written explanation citing a specific legal exemption, or request a 30-day extension. Copy fees are set at $0.25 per page. If your request is denied, you may appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at 333 Market Street, 16th Floor, Harrisburg, PA, phone 717-346-9903, website openrecords.pa.gov. Appeals must be filed within 15 business days of the denial.
Common exemptions that may be cited in denials of police-related records include active criminal investigation exemptions, personal security exemptions, and exemptions for records that identify confidential sources. Once a criminal investigation is concluded, more of the associated records may become accessible. If you believe a denial is improper, the Office of Open Records provides a free and relatively quick review process.
Records from the Lehigh County District Attorney's office may also be relevant to criminal case research. The District Attorney handles felony and misdemeanor prosecutions in Lehigh County. Records held by the DA's office are subject to the RTKL but are also subject to exemptions for prosecutorial work product and active investigation files. The Lehigh County District Attorney's office is another potential source of records related to criminal cases prosecuted in the county.
The District Attorney's office can provide information about active prosecutions, plea agreements, and sentencing recommendations in Lehigh County criminal cases. For records related to completed cases, the Clerk of Courts is typically a better source, as the DA's files may contain protected work product materials.
Allentown and Municipal Police Records
Allentown Police Department is the largest municipal law enforcement agency in Lehigh County, serving a city of approximately 125,000 residents. The department operates independently from the county Sheriff and maintains its own incident reports, arrest records, and internal records. For records from incidents within Allentown city limits, contact the Allentown Police Department's records division directly. Requests for police reports and other records should be submitted in writing pursuant to the RTKL.
Other significant municipal departments in Lehigh County include Whitehall Township Police, Salisbury Township Police, Emmaus Borough Police, Macungie Borough Police, and Slatington Borough Police, among others. Each department maintains its own records for incidents within its jurisdiction. For records from a specific municipality, contact that department's records division or its designated Open Records Officer.
In areas of Lehigh County not served by a local police department, the Pennsylvania State Police Fogelsville Barracks handles patrol and incident response. PSP records from the Fogelsville Barracks must be requested through the PSP records portal, as they are state agency records subject to state-level RTKL processing.
Vehicle crash reports from incidents within Lehigh County may be held either by the responding agency (Allentown PD, a township department, or PSP) or through PSP's centralized crash report system. Reports ordered through PSP cost $22 and are available through the PSP crash report request page. For crash reports involving a municipal department as the investigating agency, contact that department directly.
PATCH Background Checks in Lehigh County
The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) system provides statewide criminal background checks administered by the Pennsylvania State Police. The fee is $22 per search. PATCH results cover conviction records from all 67 Pennsylvania counties, including Lehigh, and are governed by 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183.
To request a PATCH check, visit the PATCH overview page. You will need the subject's full legal name and date of birth. Online requests are processed quickly and results are returned digitally. PATCH is widely used in Lehigh County for employment screening, tenant screening, licensing, and personal record verification.
PATCH results only include Pennsylvania conviction records. Arrests that did not result in conviction, withdrawn charges, and expunged records do not appear. Federal records and convictions from other states are excluded. For comprehensive background screening that requires multi-state or federal data, supplement PATCH with FBI Identity History Summary checks or commercial background screening services that access national databases.
Employers in Lehigh County who use PATCH results for hiring decisions should be aware of applicable provisions under the Pennsylvania Criminal History Record Information Act, which govern how arrest and conviction records may be used in employment decisions. Certain positions, particularly those involving children or vulnerable populations, have additional requirements regarding criminal history checks.
Sex Offender Registry in Lehigh County
Pennsylvania's Megan's Law registry is publicly searchable through the Pennsylvania Megan's Law website. Residents, employers, and community organizations can search for registered sex offenders in Lehigh County by name, address, zip code, or municipality. Registry entries include current addresses, photographs where available, and offense information.
Sex offenders residing, working, or attending school in Lehigh County register with the Pennsylvania State Police. Registration frequency and duration are determined by the offender's tier classification under Subchapter H of Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. Tier I offenders register annually for 15 years, Tier II semi-annually for 25 years, and Tier III quarterly for life.
Allentown's urban population density means there may be a higher concentration of registered offenders within city limits compared to rural parts of the county. The Megan's Law website allows map-based and address radius searches that make it easy to identify registrations within a specific area of Lehigh County. If you have questions about a specific registration or an offender's compliance status, contact the Pennsylvania State Police Fogelsville Barracks.
Nearby Counties
Lehigh County is located in the Lehigh Valley and borders several other counties in eastern Pennsylvania. If the records you need involve activity near county lines, check these neighboring jurisdictions as well.