Wyoming County Police Records
Wyoming County is a small, rural county in northeastern Pennsylvania with a population of approximately 28,000 residents. The county seat is Tunkhannock, and the county is characterized by forested ridges, small farming communities, and a limited number of incorporated municipalities. Because of its rural nature and sparse population, Wyoming County has very few municipal police departments. The Pennsylvania State Police at the Tunkhannock Barracks handle the majority of law enforcement patrol activity across the county, making PSP the primary source for most incident reports and arrest records generated in Wyoming County.
This guide explains how to access Wyoming County police records from the Sheriff's Office, the Clerk of Courts, state police, and the statewide PATCH system. It also covers the Right-to-Know Law and how it applies to records requests within the county.
The image below is from the Wyoming County official website, which provides department information, contact details, and links to county government services including records access.
The Wyoming County government website is the starting point for finding the right office and contact information for any records request involving county agencies in Tunkhannock.
Wyoming County Quick Facts
Wyoming County Police Records and RTK Law
Police records in Wyoming County are public records under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, codified at 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104. This law grants residents the right to request records from government agencies, including police departments, the Sheriff's Office, and county government offices. Any agency subject to the RTKL must respond to a records request within five business days. The agency may grant full access, deny access with a written explanation citing a specific legal exemption, or request a 30-day extension for particularly complex requests.
Criminal history records in Pennsylvania are additionally governed by the Criminal History Record Information Act, known as CHRIA, found at 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. CHRIA establishes who can access which types of criminal record information and under what circumstances. Conviction records are generally public under CHRIA, while arrest records that did not lead to a conviction are subject to greater restrictions. Records related to juvenile offenses are handled under a separate confidentiality framework.
In Wyoming County, the rural character of the county means that a large proportion of police records originate with the Pennsylvania State Police rather than a local municipal department. PSP is a state agency, not a county agency, and its records are requested through PSP's own records process rather than the county Right-to-Know officer. Sending a RTKL request to Wyoming County for a PSP incident report will result in a redirect at best, so it is important to identify the correct originating agency before submitting any request.
If an agency denies a Right-to-Know request or fails to respond within the statutory five-business-day deadline, you may appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at 333 Market Street, 16th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101. The OOR can be reached by phone at 717-346-9903, and their website is openrecords.pa.gov. The OOR appeal process is free of charge and typically resolves within 30 days. Requesters are not required to hire an attorney to file an OOR appeal.
Standard copy fees under the RTKL are capped at $0.25 per page for paper copies. Electronic records may be provided at no charge if the agency maintains them in electronic format. Agencies cannot charge for time spent reviewing records to determine what can be released, though some fee schedules allow for charges related to conversion of non-electronic records.
Wyoming County Sheriff's Office
The Wyoming County Sheriff's Office is located at 1 Courthouse Square, Tunkhannock, PA 18657. The Sheriff serves as the county's chief law enforcement officer and is responsible for civil process service, warrant execution, courthouse security, and the transport of inmates between county facilities and state institutions. The Sheriff's Office works in coordination with the Wyoming County Correctional Facility on matters involving custody and inmate movement.
Civil process records from the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office are public records. These include writs of execution, served summonses, and documentation related to civil court orders that the Sheriff has been directed to carry out. If you are researching a civil judgment, lien, or other court-ordered action that required Sheriff's service, the Sheriff's Office is the appropriate place to look for confirmation that service was completed.
Warrant information is also maintained at the Sheriff's Office. The Wyoming County Sheriff can confirm whether an active arrest warrant has been issued for an individual within the county. Bench warrants issued by the Wyoming County Court of Common Pleas may also be visible in court docket records accessed through the UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us.
To submit a Right-to-Know request to the Sheriff's Office, send a written request to 1 Courthouse Square, Tunkhannock, PA 18657. Identify the record type, date range, and any case or individual information that would help locate the record. The Sheriff designates a Right-to-Know officer who will process and respond to requests within the five-business-day statutory window.
Unlike in more densely populated counties, the Wyoming County Sheriff does not typically conduct routine patrol activities. Day-to-day law enforcement in unincorporated parts of the county is handled primarily by the Pennsylvania State Police Tunkhannock Barracks. The Sheriff's function is focused on court-related operations and civil process. For incident reports and arrest records from patrol activities, PSP is the more likely originating agency in most areas of Wyoming County.
The concealed carry permit program for Wyoming County residents is administered by the Sheriff's Office. These permits are not public records under Pennsylvania law, but residents may apply for or renew permits through the Sheriff's Office at the Courthouse Square address in Tunkhannock.
Clerk of Courts Records
The Wyoming County Clerk of Courts is located in Tunkhannock at the county courthouse at 1 Courthouse Square. The Clerk of Courts is responsible for maintaining official records for all adult criminal cases processed in the Wyoming County Court of Common Pleas. These records include criminal complaints, formal charges, information documents, plea agreements, trial materials, sentencing orders, and post-sentence filings.
To access criminal court records at the Clerk of Courts, visit the courthouse in Tunkhannock during regular business hours. Staff can locate case files by defendant name or docket number. Certified copies of court documents are available for a fee, and uncertified copies are provided at a lower rate. The Clerk's office can also confirm current case status and provide information about scheduled court dates and hearings.
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System (UJS) Portal provides free online access to Wyoming County criminal case dockets. You can search by name, docket number, or date range to find publicly available case information. The portal covers cases in both the Court of Common Pleas and the Magisterial District Courts serving Wyoming County. For most routine case lookups, the UJS Portal provides sufficient information without requiring a visit to the courthouse.
CHRIA at 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183 governs what criminal record information can be released and to whom. The Clerk of Courts follows these restrictions when processing requests for criminal history information. Expunged records are sealed and will not appear in Clerk of Courts records or on the UJS Portal. Arrest records for cases that did not result in conviction may also be restricted depending on the circumstances and the type of requestor.
For civil court records in Wyoming County, the Prothonotary's office maintains filings related to civil cases, including judgments, protection from abuse orders, and civil case dockets. Civil records are separate from criminal records but may be relevant when researching law enforcement-related civil matters. Contact the Wyoming County Prothonotary's office at the same courthouse address for civil record inquiries.
Right-to-Know Requests
Wyoming County government agencies, including the Sheriff, Clerk of Courts, and county commissioners' office, are all subject to the Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104. To submit a Right-to-Know request to any Wyoming County agency, send a written request to the Wyoming County Courthouse at 1 Courthouse Square, Tunkhannock, PA 18657, addressed to the Right-to-Know officer for the specific agency you are requesting records from.
Written requests should identify the record as specifically as possible. Include the date range of the record, the type of document being requested, and any relevant case numbers, individual names, or location information. Vague or broad requests are more likely to be delayed, returned incomplete, or result in a request for clarification from the RTK officer.
For records held by the Pennsylvania State Police Tunkhannock Barracks, PSP records requests must go through the PSP Records Request portal rather than Wyoming County. PSP is a state agency and maintains its own RTK process separately from county government. Sending a request to the county for a PSP record will not produce the record you need.
Copy fees under the RTKL are $0.25 per page for standard paper copies. Electronic records may be provided at no cost. If you believe a request has been improperly denied or the agency failed to respond within five business days, you can appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at 333 Market Street, 16th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101, phone 717-346-9903, website openrecords.pa.gov.
Not all government records are subject to release. Exemptions under the RTKL and CHRIA protect active investigation files, certain juvenile records, personal identification information in some contexts, and records covered by other specific statutes. Any denial must cite the applicable exemption in writing, and a partial release must explain which portions were withheld and why.
State Police Coverage in Wyoming County
The Pennsylvania State Police Tunkhannock Barracks provides the primary law enforcement patrol coverage for Wyoming County. Because the county has very few incorporated municipalities with their own police departments, PSP handles the bulk of patrol response, incident documentation, and arrest activity throughout the county's townships, boroughs, and rural areas. The Tunkhannock Barracks is the central point of contact for PSP activity in Wyoming County.
Incident reports and arrest records from PSP Tunkhannock are state agency records. To request a copy of a PSP incident report from Wyoming County, use the PSP Records Request portal. You can also submit a formal Right-to-Know request to PSP using the PSP RTK request page. PSP does not release records for active investigations, and requests for recent incident reports may be denied until a case is closed or no longer under active investigation.
Vehicle crash reports from PSP-investigated accidents in Wyoming County cost $22 per report. These reports can be ordered through the PSP crash report request page. Provide the approximate date, location, and names of parties involved to help PSP identify the specific report. Crash reports from the rare municipal police departments in Wyoming County must be requested from the relevant department directly.
PSP Tunkhannock also contributes crime data to the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting system. Annual UCR statistics for Wyoming County are available through the Pennsylvania Attorney General's UCR page. These reports break down reported crimes by offense type and municipality, providing useful context for understanding law enforcement patterns in different parts of Wyoming County.
In addition to patrol duties, PSP handles specialized functions in Wyoming County including DUI enforcement, drug investigations, and traffic safety programs. PSP criminal investigation units may also assist or lead investigations in Wyoming County that exceed the resources of county-level law enforcement. Records from these specialized investigations are subject to the same PSP records request process as routine patrol records.
PATCH System for Wyoming County Criminal History
The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) system is the statewide tool administered by the Pennsylvania State Police for obtaining certified criminal background checks. PATCH searches cover all Pennsylvania counties, including Wyoming County, and return conviction records maintained under 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183. The fee for a PATCH search is $22 per name searched, and results are typically returned quickly for online submissions.
To submit a PATCH request, visit the PATCH overview page. The search requires the subject's full legal name and date of birth. PATCH results reflect Pennsylvania conviction records only. Arrests that did not result in conviction, federal criminal records, and records from other states are not included in a PATCH result.
In Wyoming County, where PSP handles much of the day-to-day law enforcement activity, conviction records arising from PSP-generated arrests are well represented in the PATCH database. Individuals convicted through the Wyoming County Court of Common Pleas following a PSP arrest will appear in PATCH results if the conviction was properly reported to PSP by the court.
PATCH is commonly used by employers, schools, volunteer organizations, landlords, and individuals who need to verify their own criminal history. Under CHRIA, individuals have the right to obtain their own PATCH report and to challenge any information they believe to be inaccurate or incorrectly attributed. To initiate a challenge, contact the PSP Records Request division with supporting documentation. PSP will investigate and update the record if the challenge is validated.
For Wyoming County residents seeking a more complete background check that covers activity in neighboring New York State or other jurisdictions, a PATCH search should be supplemented with additional state or federal requests. PATCH covers only Pennsylvania convictions and provides no information about out-of-state records regardless of how long the individual has lived in Pennsylvania.
Nearby Counties
Wyoming County borders several Pennsylvania counties. If records you need involve activity near a county line, check these neighboring counties as well.