Lycoming County Clerk of Courts
Lycoming County uses Pennsylvania's split clerk model. The Prothonotary is the civil clerk, while the Clerk of Courts is the criminal clerk for Court of Common Pleas records. The county presents the functions together on the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts official page, but a criminal-record request should be routed to the Clerk of Courts side.
The Clerk of Courts is the access point for Common Pleas criminal docket filings, certified criminal court copies, criminal costs and fines information, bail or bond accounting where handled by the office, and criminal case records tied to felony and misdemeanor matters. A person who only has a traffic citation, preliminary hearing, or summary criminal matter may also need to search Magisterial District Court records because those cases often begin below Common Pleas.
Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts
Officeholder: Holly Thomas
48 West Third Street, 1st Floor
Williamsport, PA 17701
(570) 327-2251
Fax: (570) 320-8197
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Lycoming County Criminal Records
Criminal court records in Lycoming County may show the complaint, formal information, docket sheet, bail entries, arraignment, motions, pleas, verdict, sentencing order, probation conditions, costs, restitution, and appeal activity. Some charge details begin at the Magisterial District Court level through a preliminary arraignment or preliminary hearing before the case reaches the Court of Common Pleas.
The Clerk of Courts record is not the same as a police report or jail booking record. It is the court file for the criminal case. Police and prosecutors create parts of the case record, but the Clerk of Courts maintains the Common Pleas criminal docket and copy channel. The full criminal case discussion belongs with Lycoming County criminal court records, while the Clerk of Courts page is focused on office access and copy routing.
| Criminal record need | Best starting channel | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Public docket lookup | UJS Case Search | Search by docket number, participant name, county, and court type. |
| Certified criminal copy | Clerk of Courts | Certification must come from the official office. |
| Costs, fines, and restitution | Clerk of Courts or PAePay | Online payment depends on eligibility and case status. |
| Preliminary criminal matter | Magisterial District Court search | Some cases remain at MDJ level or start there before transfer. |
| Bail or bond status | UJS docket and Clerk of Courts | Dockets may show bail entries; office handling depends on case stage. |
Search Lycoming County Criminal Dockets
The statewide UJS portal covers public docket sheets for Pennsylvania appellate courts, Courts of Common Pleas, and Magisterial District Courts. For Lycoming County Clerk of Courts records, choose the Common Pleas criminal docket search when the case has reached the county trial court. If the case is still at preliminary hearing, summary, traffic, or landlord-tenant level, choose the Magisterial District Court view.
- Open UJS Case Search and choose the docket-sheet search that fits the case level.
- Select Lycoming County to avoid statewide results with the same name.
- Search by docket number when known. Common Pleas criminal numbers often use a CP-41-CR style.
- When searching by name, compare the caption, filing date, court, status, and charge section before relying on the result.
- For certified copies, contact the Clerk of Courts because UJS docket sheets do not guarantee downloadable court documents.
| UJS field | Type | Use for Clerk of Courts records |
|---|---|---|
| Docket sheets search | Tab or view | Choose Common Pleas for county criminal cases. |
| Participant name | Text | Use exact spelling where possible. |
| Docket number | Text | Best field when the number is known. |
| County | Dropdown | Select Lycoming. |
| Court type | Dropdown | Common Pleas or Magisterial District Court, depending case stage. |
| Case category | Dropdown | Use criminal, traffic, summary, or other available category. |
Certified Criminal Copies
Certified criminal copies may be needed for appeals, licensing, immigration, employment explanations, expungement petitions, sentence proof, or proof of disposition. The public docket helps identify the right case, but certification is an office function. A request should make clear whether the requester needs a certified docket sheet, sentencing order, disposition, plea document, bail order, or another specific record.
- Locate the docket number through UJS, court papers, counsel, or the Clerk of Courts.
- Confirm whether the case is a Common Pleas criminal file or a Magisterial District Court matter.
- Complete the request-for-access form and select the Clerk of Courts criminal records option.
- List the document requested, the number of copies, and whether certification is required.
- Ask the office for the total cost and accepted payment method before mailing a request.
Criminal Request Form Fields
The Lycoming County request form is shared by the civil and criminal office functions. For Clerk of Courts records, the critical checkbox or selection is the criminal records route. The form also includes staff-use fields for cost and payment, so the office can price the request after identifying the file.
| Field | How it applies | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Requester name and daytime phone | Identifies who is asking | Use a number the office can call for cost or file questions. |
| Clerk of Courts criminal records selection | Routes the request | Use this for Common Pleas criminal files. |
| Case name or caption | Identifies the defendant or case | Use Commonwealth v. defendant format if known. |
| Docket number | Matches the criminal case | CP-41-CR style numbers help avoid wrong-case matches. |
| Document requested | Tells staff what to copy | Examples include docket sheet, disposition, sentencing order, or bail entry. |
| Certification request | Changes the copy type | Certified copies cost more than plain copies. |
Costs Fines and Bail
Criminal dockets may show court costs, fines, restitution, bail, payment status, and other financial entries when those fields are public. The PAePay portal is the online payment channel for eligible court costs, fines, restitution, and traffic citations. It is not a complete criminal-record database, and payment eligibility depends on the case and balance.
Bail and bond information may appear on docket entries, especially after preliminary arraignment or later Common Pleas proceedings. The Lycoming County Public Defender's criminal-process material notes that an arrested person may appear before a Magisterial District Judge in person or by video for preliminary arraignment and that employment, residence, criminal history, and other information may be used to determine bail. That process can create docket entries before the Common Pleas case is fully open.
| Financial item | Where to check | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Court costs and fines | UJS docket, Clerk of Courts, PAePay | Online balances may not cover every obligation. |
| Restitution | Criminal docket and office records | Payment and distribution details may require office contact. |
| Bail or bond | Criminal docket and issuing court | Current custody or release terms should be verified with the court. |
| Certified-copy fee | Clerk of Courts fee booklet | Ask before mailing payment. |
Criminal Court Office Routing
The Clerk of Courts does not prosecute cases and does not defend people charged with crimes. The District Attorney prosecutes criminal cases in the Court of Common Pleas, while the Lycoming County Public Defender represents eligible defendants who cannot afford counsel in qualifying cases. Public Defender records and eligibility materials are not the same as court-record access.
The Public Defender office is listed on the 3rd floor of the Lycoming County Courthouse, with phone (570) 327-2367, fax (570) 320-8130, and hours of 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. The research notes that the office is closed on holidays and daily from noon to 1:00 p.m. for lunch. Applicants are told to bring a copy of charges and case information. The Clerk of Courts remains the copy and docket office, not the legal-advice office.
Restricted Criminal Records
Not every Lycoming County criminal record is open for public inspection. Juvenile matters are restricted under 42 Pa.C.S. 6307, and expunged or sealed records are removed or limited after a court order. The UJS Case Records Public Access Policy also limits personal identifiers, confidential material, and certain remote access.
Expungement in Pennsylvania is tied to court action under statutes such as 18 Pa.C.S. 9122. A person seeking record relief usually needs the docket sheet, disposition, sentence-completion information, arrest or charge identifiers, and a petition filed in the court that handled the case. The Clerk of Courts can help identify records, but it cannot promise eligibility or remove a public record without a court order.