Luzerne County Police Records
Luzerne County is located in northeastern Pennsylvania's Wyoming Valley region, with a population of approximately 313,000 residents. Wilkes-Barre serves as the county seat and is one of the major urban centers in the region. Luzerne County has a rich industrial history tied to the anthracite coal industry, and today its communities span urban neighborhoods, suburban townships, and rural mountain terrain. Police records in Luzerne County are maintained by multiple agencies including the Luzerne County Sheriff's Office, the Clerk of Courts, Wilkes-Barre City Police, Hazleton City Police, numerous municipal departments, and the Pennsylvania State Police at the Wyoming Barracks. This page explains how to access those records and what to expect when submitting a formal records request.
The county's geographic diversity and population concentration in several distinct urban areas mean that records may originate from a wide range of departments. Identifying the correct agency before submitting a request is essential to getting an efficient response. This guide addresses each major records source in Luzerne County and explains the procedures, fees, and timelines involved.
Luzerne County Quick Facts
Luzerne County Police Records Overview
Luzerne County has a complex law enforcement landscape due to its size and population distribution. Multiple urban centers, dozens of small boroughs, and large rural townships all generate their own police records through separate agencies. The county-level records custodians are the Sheriff's Office and the Clerk of Courts. Municipal departments such as Wilkes-Barre City Police and Hazleton City Police maintain their own records. The Pennsylvania State Police Wyoming Barracks covers rural and unincorporated areas.
The image below comes from the Luzerne County official website, which provides a directory of county departments, contact information, and links to online resources including records request guidance.
The Luzerne County website is the best starting point for identifying the correct department for your records request. The site includes contact pages for the Sheriff, Clerk of Courts, and other county offices, along with general guidance for submitting public records requests to county-level agencies.
For criminal case records from the Court of Common Pleas, the Clerk of Courts is the appropriate office. For warrant and civil enforcement records, the Sheriff's Office handles those functions. For incident reports from a specific municipality, contact that municipality's police department. For incidents in rural areas without a local department, contact the PSP Wyoming Barracks or use the PSP records request portal.
Luzerne County Sheriff
The Luzerne County Sheriff's Office is located at the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711. The Sheriff is an elected county official responsible for civil process service, warrant enforcement, courthouse security, firearms license administration, and prisoner transport between the Luzerne County Correctional Facility and court facilities.
The Sheriff's Office issues License to Carry Firearms permits to Luzerne County residents who meet the eligibility criteria. Applications are processed at the office and include a background check. The permits themselves are subject to confidentiality provisions under state law, but information about the application process is publicly available by contacting the Sheriff's Office.
Civil process records from the Sheriff's Office include documentation of service for Protection from Abuse orders, divorce summonses, eviction notices, tax sale notices, and other court-ordered documents requiring official service on parties. These civil process records are available through a written Right-to-Know request. Responses to RTKL requests must be provided within five business days, and copy fees are $0.25 per page.
Warrant information for Luzerne County cases can be found on the criminal case dockets accessible through the Pennsylvania UJS Portal. Active bench warrants appear on docket records as a matter of public record. For specific questions about the status of a warrant or to confirm whether someone is subject to an active warrant, contacting the Sheriff's Office or the court directly is advisable.
The Luzerne County Correctional Facility, also managed in coordination with county government, holds pretrial detainees and sentenced inmates serving shorter terms. Inmate status information may be available by contacting the facility directly. The Sheriff's Office may also have information on recent arrests and bookings depending on its data sharing practices.
Clerk of Courts Criminal Records
The Luzerne County Clerk of Courts is the official custodian of criminal court records for the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas. Located at the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre, the office maintains complete criminal case files including all court filings, plea agreements, trial records, sentencing orders, and related documents for adult criminal cases prosecuted in the county.
Criminal history records held by the Clerk of Courts are governed by the Criminal History Record Information Act at 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. This law defines what is publicly accessible and what must be protected. Conviction records in adult criminal cases are generally available to the public, while records involving juvenile defendants, expunged cases, and sealed files are not accessible to the general public.
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System (UJS) Portal provides free online access to Luzerne County criminal case dockets. Searches can be conducted by defendant name, docket number, or other identifiers. Case summaries, docket sheets, and selected documents are available online. The UJS Portal covers Court of Common Pleas cases as well as proceedings before Luzerne County's Magisterial District Judges, making it a comprehensive starting point for online research.
For certified copies of specific court documents, contact the Clerk of Courts in person or by phone. Certification fees apply in addition to the standard $0.25 per page copy charge. The Clerk's staff can also assist in researching older cases that predate the UJS Portal's online coverage, which may require accessing physical archival files.
Individuals who are researching their own criminal history in Luzerne County for purposes such as expungement petitions should use the UJS Portal to identify relevant case numbers and then request certified copies from the Clerk of Courts to document the current status of each case.
Right-to-Know Requests in Luzerne County
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104 establishes the public's right to request access to records held by government agencies including Luzerne County offices, municipal police departments, and the Sheriff's Office. Each agency in Luzerne County that is subject to the RTKL must have a designated Open Records Officer who receives and processes formal records requests.
To submit a Right-to-Know request to Luzerne County, prepare a written request that clearly identifies the records sought. Include your name and contact information so the agency can respond to you. Requests may be submitted by mail, in person, or by email. The agency must acknowledge the request and respond within five business days.
The five-day response window may result in full access, partial access, a written denial with a legal exemption cited, or a request for a 30-day extension. All denials must cite the specific statutory exemption being applied. Common exemptions include active criminal investigation records, personal security information, and records protected by attorney-client privilege or other specific statutes.
Copy fees under the RTKL are $0.25 per page for standard paper copies. For large requests, ask the agency for a fee estimate before the copies are made. Electronic records may be available at reduced or no cost depending on the agency's practices and the nature of the records.
If your request is denied or you do not receive a response within the required timeframe, 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 or deemed denial. The Office of Open Records reviews the agency's basis for denial and can order records released if the denial was improper.
For records from Wilkes-Barre City Police, Hazleton City Police, or other municipal departments within Luzerne County, each department has its own Open Records Officer. You must direct your request to the specific department that holds the records you are seeking. The county Open Records Officer does not process requests on behalf of municipal departments.
Municipal Police in Luzerne County
Luzerne County has numerous municipal police departments serving its cities, boroughs, and townships. Wilkes-Barre City Police is the largest department in the county and serves Wilkes-Barre, the county seat. Hazleton City Police serves Hazleton, the county's second-largest city located in the southern part of the county. Other significant departments include Kingston Borough Police, Pittston City Police, Nanticoke City Police, West Pittston Borough Police, and Plains Township Police, among others.
Each municipal department maintains its own incident reports, arrest records, and related documents for incidents within its jurisdiction. To obtain records from a specific department, contact that department's records division directly. A written request under the Right-to-Know Law is the appropriate mechanism for accessing most police records. Some departments may have online portals for certain types of records requests, while others require in-person or mail submissions.
Municipal departments in Luzerne County are required to comply with the RTKL and must respond to properly submitted requests within five business days. Copy fees are $0.25 per page. Some departments may have specific forms available for records requests, which can streamline processing. Contact the department in advance to ask about preferred submission formats and estimated processing times for the type of records you need.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Uniform Crime Reporting data provides crime statistics for Luzerne County municipalities, available through the Pennsylvania UCR system website. This data can help provide context for crime trends in specific parts of Luzerne County when conducting research.
PATCH System for Luzerne County
The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) system is the official statewide tool for obtaining a Pennsylvania criminal background check. The fee is $22 per search. PATCH is administered by the Pennsylvania State Police and returns conviction records governed by 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. The system covers all 67 Pennsylvania counties, including Luzerne.
Requests are submitted online through the PATCH overview page on the Pennsylvania government website. You will need the full legal name and date of birth of the individual being searched. Results are returned promptly for online submissions. PATCH is commonly used for employment background checks, volunteer screening, professional licensing, and personal record verification.
PATCH results include only Pennsylvania conviction records. Arrests that did not result in a conviction, withdrawn or dismissed charges, and expunged records do not appear. Federal convictions and convictions from other states are not reflected. Individuals who need a comprehensive multi-state background check should supplement PATCH with additional searches through federal or commercial background screening systems.
For individuals who discover an error in their PATCH record, the Pennsylvania State Police has a record challenge process. The individual must submit documentation from the relevant court showing that the record is inaccurate, such as a certified copy of a dismissal order or expungement decree. The PSP will review the documentation and update the record accordingly if the challenge is supported by valid evidence.
Megan's Law Sex Offender Registry
Pennsylvania's Megan's Law registry is maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police and is publicly searchable at the Pennsylvania Megan's Law website. The registry is a free public resource allowing searches by name, address, municipality, zip code, or geographic radius. Entries include current addresses, photographs where available, and information about the offense that requires registration.
Sex offenders residing, working, or attending school in Luzerne County are required to register with the Pennsylvania State Police at the Wyoming Barracks. Registration requirements, reporting 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.
Luzerne County's urban areas, particularly Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton, may have higher concentrations of registered offenders. The Megan's Law website allows for map-based and radius searches that make it practical to identify registered offenders in specific neighborhoods or near specific addresses. Community members and organizations can use this tool to stay informed about registered offenders in their area.
Compliance with registration requirements is monitored by PSP and local law enforcement agencies. Failure to comply with registration obligations is a criminal offense in Pennsylvania. If you have concerns about a specific offender's compliance status, contact the Pennsylvania State Police Wyoming Barracks.
Nearby Counties
Luzerne County is located in northeastern Pennsylvania and borders several counties in the region. If the records you need involve activity near county lines, check these neighboring jurisdictions as well.