Hiring a new employee is one of the most common reasons for using Pennsylvania public records. A small business may prefer to take advantage of the free information available online instead of hiring another company to perform this service.

Finding an applicant with the right job qualifications is only part of the hiring process. Background checks should be essential because the employer can be held responsible for an employee’s actions on the job. PA public records can help identify individuals that could be a poor choice due to their credit or criminal history. Employers must also specifically check people who will be working with children or the elderly for any history of abuse.

There are three types of public records of particular interest when performing background checks:

1. Credit reports that show current lines of credit, payment histories and declarations of bankruptcy.

2. Public records in Pennsylvania that show past convictions, births or divorces. These may also be useful in determining criminal history, residency requirements and alimony payments.

3. PA criminal records. Pennsylvania requires convicted sex offenders to be kept on a list for a specified period after their conviction.

Action Steps
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Use Pennsylvania court records to get general information on individuals

A Pennsylvania record can include information on births, deaths and divorces. Many cities and counties in Pennsylvania have websites with this information that is freely available to the general public.

I recommend: The Greene County Government website has separate application forms for birth, death and marriage certificates. Westmoreland County allows free online searches for public records of civil courts, real estate and marriages.

Use Pennsylvania criminal records to get information on criminal history

Law enforcement agencies keep criminal records which may be publicly available. Laws vary widely by state as to the specific information you will be able to obtain. Some government agencies may also charge fees.

I recommend: The Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) describes the terms needed to access criminal history information in its database. The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare details the steps needed to clear an individual for jobs in child care.

Use public records to conduct a PA criminal record check

There are many sites dedicated to performing background checks for prospective employees. These checks can also include Social Security number verification, education verification and reference checks.

I recommend: Veromi can perform a background check in Pennsylvania by name, address and phone number. EasyBackGroundChecks.com offers background checks in Pennsylvania along with people searches, reverse phone checks and employment screening.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You will first need to obtain some basic information on the individual you are seeking Pennsylvania public records for. Job applicants will need to provide this information on the application form or on a separate form for the background check. Individuals must also grant permission for a background check in most cases.

You can find a variety of PA court records or PA public records online. Whether you're conducting a background search on a potential employee or need access to Pennsylvania court records for a client, you can find a surprisingly large amount of information online.

Visiting a law library allows you to read court decisions, but every law library has different requirements for giving visitors access.

The following are different court systems where you can find Pennsylvania court records:

1. Pennsylvania's Supreme Court system, including Common Pleas, magistrate and municipal courts.
2. United States District courts located within Pennsylvania.
3. U.S. Tax courts located in Pennsylvania.
   

Action Steps
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Locate PA court records online

It's no longer necessary to visit dusty law libraries to find PA public records. Many Pennsylvania public records can be found online. You just have to know where to look.

I recommend: Search for court opinions in the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Simply select from one of more than ten options from a drop-down menu, including either the plaintiff or defendant's name. Search U.S. Tax Court records by individual party name. You'll find additional search links at ConstructionWebLinks.com.

Order PA criminal record reports

Find a variety of reasonably-priced services offering background checks and Pennsylvania criminal records reports.

I recommend: Try IntegraScan if you're interested in detailed background information on a potential employee or tenant. Intelius offers employment screening including instant online access.

Search Pennsylvania public records by name

Use the individual name of the person you're interested in finding background information on when searching.

I recommend: Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator to find out if an individual has ever been incarcerated since 1982. You are required to enter both a first and last name. Find links to county websites. Search for the county where the individual currently lives. Some PA county court records are available online including Pennsylvania criminal records and Pennsylvania divorce records.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be careful when using a service that charges for PA criminal records and background checks. Exhaust publicly available online records before paying for access to such information. It's important to use reputable companies and stay alert for scams. Always read the fine print before signing any contracts.
• •  Certain surnames are common. Verify that you've located the right person before making decisions about employment. It'd be unfortunate to base an important decision on incomplete or inaccurate information.
• •  Many university libraries and some public libraries have access to LexisNexis, an academic search system. You can access court cases and opinions using LexisNexis. This is a popular electronic search tool for lawyers and other legal professionals.

Making the most of Pennsylvania public records will require you to have a guide or referral. You can conduct Internet searches of many government agencies for free but you will spend a lot of time looking at irrelevant links and websites if you have no idea where to start.

You will first need to obtain some basic information on the individual or property you are seeking information on. For example, if you are seeking Pennsylvania criminal records on an individual, it will be helpful to know some addresses where that person has previously lived.

There are three general types of public records in Pennsylvania:

1. PA criminal records that include files on registered sex offenders, past convictions or current information on current inmates in a particular prison. These records can help you investigate individuals such as prospective employees.

2. Non-criminal public records in Pennsylvania such as census records, consumer protection information or legislation minutes. You may find these records helpful when researching a product or political candidate.

3. Real estate records like property appraisals, ownership and taxes. These types of records can be useful when buying or selling a home.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find PA court records from local government agencies

City and county clerks in Pennsylvania can frequently provide a great deal of current information on an individual when you know their name and address.

I recommend: The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania provides links to all of the courts in Pennsylvania and also offers a search capability. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania displays links to the websites for each county in Pennsylvania.

Learn more about the laws regarding Pennsylvania court records

The records that are publicly available vary widely by state. You will want to have at least a general idea of what information you can expect to find before conducting your search for PA county court records.

I recommend: The Pennsylvania Attorney General provides a link to Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law and also offers a site search capability. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation allows drivers to obtain a copy of their driving history.

Perform searches of specific databases of Pennsylvania public records

Many cities and counties in Pennsylvania maintain a variety of records on individuals and property that are freely available to the general public.

I recommend: Northampton County allows you to retrieve property tax records online and also allows you to provide feedback. Carbon County lets you access its property records by owner and parcel id. This site also has an online search capability.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Exhaust free sources of information before you consider paying for Pennsylvania public records. Sites that charge a fee may only provide information you could obtain elsewhere for free. Fortunately, libraries frequently subscribe to services that you would normally need to pay a fee to access. You should also bear in mind that many public records are simply not available online.