Perry County Police Records
Perry County is a largely rural county in central Pennsylvania, located west of Harrisburg along the Susquehanna River. With a population of approximately 46,000 residents spread across heavily forested ridges and farming valleys, the county seat of New Bloomfield serves as the governmental hub for a jurisdiction that has very little municipal police presence. The Pennsylvania State Police Newport Barracks provides the overwhelming majority of law enforcement services throughout the county, making PSP the primary source for most police records generated in Perry County.
This guide explains how to access Perry County police records through the county Sheriff, the Clerk of Courts, the PSP Newport Barracks, the statewide PATCH system, and the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law process. Whether you are looking for an arrest record, a criminal history summary, a crash report, or a court docket, the following sections describe each resource and the procedures for obtaining what you need.
Perry County Quick Facts
Perry County Police Records and RTK Law
Police records in Perry County are generated primarily by the Pennsylvania State Police Newport Barracks, with additional records from the Perry County Sheriff's Office for warrant and civil process matters and the Clerk of Courts for criminal court filings. The county has very few municipal police departments, which means that PSP handles the bulk of patrol, investigation, and incident reporting across the townships and boroughs of the county.
The image below is from the Perry County official website, which serves as the gateway to county departments including the Sheriff, Clerk of Courts, and Prothonotary.
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104 governs public access to records held by Perry County agencies. Criminal history records are further regulated under the Criminal History Record Information Act at 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. These two statutes define what records are public and which categories of records are protected from disclosure. The RTKL presumes that all records are public unless an exemption applies, and the agency bears the burden of demonstrating that an exemption covers the requested information.
Because PSP is a state agency, records from the Newport Barracks are subject to PSP's own open records procedures rather than Perry County's RTK process. Requesters seeking PSP incident reports, arrest records, or crash reports must submit their requests to PSP directly through the appropriate state channels rather than to the county government. The county offices handle requests for records generated by the Sheriff, Clerk of Courts, Prothonotary, and other county agencies.
Perry County Sheriff's Office
The Perry County Sheriff's Office is located at 25 West Main Street, New Bloomfield, PA 17068. The Sheriff's Office is responsible for civil process service, warrant execution, courthouse security, and transport of prisoners throughout the county. The Sheriff also maintains records related to these functions, including warrant documentation and civil process returns.
The image below is from the Perry County Sheriff's Office page on the county website, which provides current contact information and details about the office's services.
Residents who need to confirm whether an individual has an active warrant in Perry County can contact the Sheriff's Office at the New Bloomfield address. Formal records requests for warrant documentation or civil process records should be submitted in writing to the Sheriff's designated open records officer. The office is required to respond within five business days under the Right-to-Know Law.
The Perry County Sheriff's Office also manages sheriff's sales for court-ordered property disposals. Records of these sales are public and available through the Sheriff's Office or through the county court records system. Contact the office directly for information on current sheriff's sales and how to access historical sale records.
Perry County operates a relatively small county prison system due to its modest population. Custody information and booking records may be available through the county or through a formal public records request. The Sheriff's Office can direct you to the appropriate contact for inmate status inquiries within the county detention system.
Clerk of Courts Records in Perry County
The Perry County Clerk of Courts maintains all adult criminal case files originating from the Court of Common Pleas. The office is located in the Perry County Courthouse at 25 West Main Street in New Bloomfield. Criminal records held by the Clerk include criminal complaints, information filings, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and post-sentence proceedings such as appeals or probation hearings.
The image below is from the Perry County Clerk of Courts page, which describes the office's responsibilities and how to contact the Clerk for records requests.
Criminal court records at the Clerk's office are governed by CHRIA at 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. Conviction records are generally available to any member of the public. Non-conviction records and juvenile case files are subject to access restrictions. Certified copies of criminal court documents are available for a fee. Contact the Clerk's office to confirm the current fee schedule and request procedure.
The Pennsylvania UJS Portal provides free online access to Perry County court dockets. You can search by name or docket number and retrieve criminal, civil, and Magisterial District Judge records without visiting the courthouse. This is often the most efficient method for initial case research before submitting a formal records request to the Clerk's office for certified copies.
The Prothonotary's office handles civil case records separately from the Clerk of Courts. Civil case filings, including judgments and domestic relations matters, are maintained by the Prothonotary. The image below links to the Perry County Prothonotary page.
The Prothonotary's office is co-located with other court offices in the Perry County Courthouse and maintains civil records going back many years. Civil records from the Prothonotary may be relevant when researching matters that involve both law enforcement activity and civil litigation.
Right-to-Know Requests in Perry County
Perry County's government agencies are subject to Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104. Each county agency designates an open records officer to receive and process formal RTK requests. The Perry County Commissioners' office is the primary contact for requests directed at general county government records, while individual offices such as the Sheriff and Clerk of Courts have their own designated contacts.
To submit an RTK request to a Perry County agency, prepare a written request identifying the specific records sought. The request does not need to state a reason or purpose. Submit it in writing by mail, email, or in person to the relevant agency's open records officer. The agency must respond within five business days with a grant, denial, or request for a 30-day extension. Copy fees for paper records are $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 17101. The OOR is reachable at 717-346-9903 and at openrecords.pa.gov. Appeals must be filed within 15 business days of the denial. The OOR issues written decisions on appeals and has the authority to order agencies to produce records.
For PSP Newport Barracks records, submit your RTK request directly to the Pennsylvania State Police through the PSP right-to-know request system. PSP records are state agency records and are not accessible through the county's RTK process. The same is true for any other state agency records that originate from Perry County activities.
Pennsylvania State Police in Perry County
The Pennsylvania State Police Newport Barracks serves Perry County as the primary law enforcement agency for rural and unincorporated areas. Given the county's limited municipal police presence, PSP handles the vast majority of patrol calls, criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, and emergency response outside of any small borough police operations that may exist within the county.
Incident reports generated by PSP Newport Barracks are state agency records. To request a PSP incident report, submit a Right-to-Know request to the Pennsylvania State Police. For vehicle crash reports, the fee is $22 and requests are submitted through the PSP crash report request page. Crash reports can also be obtained by mail with payment submitted to the PSP Records Office in Harrisburg.
PSP also compiles and maintains crime statistics for Perry County through the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting system. Aggregate UCR data for Perry County and its communities is available through the Pennsylvania UCR Statistics page. This data provides context about crime trends in the county over multiple years.
Because PSP is the dominant law enforcement presence in Perry County, many residents who need a police report for insurance, legal, or personal purposes will find that the report they are looking for was generated by the Newport Barracks rather than a local municipal department. Starting your search with PSP is almost always the right approach for Perry County incident records outside of the county seat and a few small boroughs.
PATCH System for Perry County Criminal History
The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) system allows individuals to obtain a statewide criminal history check from the Pennsylvania State Police for a fee of $22. PATCH covers all Pennsylvania counties, including Perry, and returns conviction records compiled under CHRIA at 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. Requests are submitted online through the PATCH overview page.
A PATCH search returns any Pennsylvania conviction on file for the searched individual. Results are returned electronically and are typically available quickly. The system searches by name and date of birth. PATCH is the most efficient method for a statewide criminal background check that covers all 67 counties in a single search.
PATCH has limitations that requesters should understand. It shows conviction records only, not arrests that did not lead to conviction, expunged records, or pending cases. PATCH does not search federal criminal records or records from other states. For Perry County-specific court records, the UJS Portal and the Clerk of Courts offer additional detail about cases that may have been handled in the local Court of Common Pleas.
Megan's Law Registry in Perry County
Pennsylvania's Megan's Law sex offender registry is maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police and publicly accessible through the Pennsylvania Megan's Law website. The registry allows searches by name, county, address, or zip code and displays information about registered sex offenders residing, working, or enrolled in educational programs in Perry County.
Each registry entry includes the offender's name, photograph where available, home address, physical description, and the offense that triggered the registration requirement. Registration under Pennsylvania's SORNA law is tiered: Tier I offenders register for 15 years, Tier II for 25 years, and Tier III and sexually violent predators are required to register for life. The Newport Barracks processes Megan's Law registrations for Perry County offenders subject to the registration requirement.
Failure to comply with registration requirements is a serious felony under Pennsylvania law. Community notification for high-risk offenders is managed by PSP and may involve contact with local schools, organizations, and neighbors. The Megan's Law website offers an email notification feature that allows residents to receive alerts when a registered offender moves into a specific area or changes their registered address.
Nearby Counties
Perry County shares borders with several central Pennsylvania counties. If the records you need relate to activity near county boundaries, check neighboring counties as well.