Scranton Civil Court Records
Scranton is the county seat of Lackawanna County and home to the 45th Judicial District Court of Common Pleas. Civil court records for Scranton are stored at the Prothonotary's office on North Washington Avenue. The court maintains civil and family dockets that go back to 1995 in digital form. Free document access starts from the early 2000s. You can search these records online or visit the courthouse in person. Scranton is the largest city in northeast Pennsylvania, and its civil docket covers a broad mix of cases filed by local residents, businesses, and government bodies.
Scranton Court of Common Pleas
The Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas sits in Scranton. It is the 45th Judicial District. Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 3732, this court holds civil jurisdiction over cases where the amount in dispute is more than $12,000. It also hears appeals from the magisterial district courts that serve Scranton and the rest of the county.
The courthouse is at 200 North Washington Avenue. All civil case files for Scranton are kept at this site. The court handles a steady volume of new filings each year, from contract disputes to property claims and equity actions.
The following image shows the Scranton city government page.
The city site provides local government contact details and links to county court services.
| Court |
Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas 45th Judicial District 200 N Washington Ave Scranton, PA 18503 |
|---|---|
| Prothonotary |
200 N Washington Ave Scranton, PA 18503 Phone: 570-963-6723 |
Scranton Prothonotary Civil Records
The Prothonotary for Lackawanna County handles all civil court records for Scranton. This office files new suits, keeps dockets current, and issues copies of court documents. You can reach the office at 570-963-6723. The staff can help you search for a case by name, number, or date.
The office keeps records for contract suits, personal injury claims, mortgage foreclosures, liens, and other civil matters. Name change petitions and protection from abuse orders are part of the civil docket too. Each case gets a docket number that lets you track it from start to finish.
For more about the Lackawanna County government and its offices, the county website lists all departments and contact details. You can also visit the City of Scranton site for local government links.
Searching Scranton Civil Dockets Online
Lackawanna County offers online access to civil and family court dockets. The digital records go back to 1995. This is one of the longer online archives in the state. Docket entries show case type, parties, filing dates, and status. Documents filed from the early 2000s are available for free viewing in many cases.
You can search the dockets through the UJS Portal, a free tool that covers all 67 counties. It shows basic case data and is a good first step for any search.
The following image shows the Lackawanna County government site with links to court services.
This page connects to the county's online court tools and department contact details.
Civil Case Types in Scranton
The Court of Common Pleas in Scranton handles many civil case types. Contract disputes make up a large part of the docket. So do tort claims, where one side says the other caused harm. Property cases include foreclosures, quiet title suits, and boundary disputes.
Equity actions ask the court to order a party to act or stop acting in a certain way. Injunctions fall in this group. Tax lien cases and municipal claims also appear on the civil docket. The family division handles custody and divorce, which are civil in nature.
Magisterial district courts hear civil claims up to $12,000. Appeals from those courts go to the Court of Common Pleas in Scranton. The Prothonotary opens a new file for each appeal.
Each case type has its own rules for filing and service. The court's civil division can answer questions about which docket to search for a given matter.
Public Access to Scranton Records
Civil court records in Scranton are public. The Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. § 67.101 gives every person the right to view government records. This covers most civil filings, orders, and docket sheets at the Lackawanna County courthouse.
Some records have limits. Sealed cases and records with data on minors may not be open. The state court public records policies set the rules. Under 204 Pa. Code § 213.81, the courts balance public access with the right to privacy.
You can file a formal Right-to-Know request with Lackawanna County. The county must respond within five business days. Most civil court records in Scranton are turned over without a problem.
Scranton Records on the UJS Portal
The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania runs an online portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. It covers all 67 counties. For Scranton, you can search by party name or docket number. Results show case type, filing date, and current status. The portal is free and does not need a login for basic searches.
The UJS portal is a good starting point. It lets you check if a case exists before you visit the courthouse or call the Prothonotary. For full docket sheets with all entries and linked documents, the Lackawanna County system or an in-person visit is more complete. The portal also covers magisterial district court cases in the Scranton area.
Copies of Scranton Civil Documents
The Prothonotary in Scranton provides plain and certified copies of civil court records. Certified copies have the court seal and are needed for legal use. Plain copies work for your own files. To get copies, visit the courthouse at 200 North Washington Avenue or call 570-963-6723.
Have the case number ready when you make your request. If you lack the case number, a party name and date range will help staff find the right file. Fees follow state law. Certified copies cost more than plain ones. Call ahead to check payment methods.
Nearby Cities
Scranton is in northeast Pennsylvania. If you need records from a nearby area, check which county court has jurisdiction over the events in your case.