Pennsylvania Code, Subchapter D, Section 213.81 - Case Records Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Code

Section 1.0. Definitions.

A. "Abuse Victim" is a person for whom a protection order has been granted by a court pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. No. 1901 et seq. and 23 Pa.C.S. §§ 6101 et seq. or Pa.R.C.P. No. 1951 et seq. and 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 62A 01 et seq., as well as Pa.R.C.P.M.D.J. No. 1201 et seq.

B. "Case Records" are (1) documents for any case filed with, accepted and maintained by a court or custodian; (2) dockets, indices, and documents (such as orders, opinions, judgments, decrees) for any case created and maintained by a court or custodian. This term does not include notes, memoranda, correspondence, drafts, worksheets, and work product of judges and court personnel. Unless otherwise provided in this policy, this definition applies equally to case records maintained in paper and electronic formats.

C. "Clerical errors" are errors or omissions appearing in a case record that are patently evident, as a result of court personnel's action or inaction.

D. "Court" includes the Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, Courts of Common Pleas, Philadelphia Municipal Court, and Magisterial District Courts.

E. "Court of Record" includes the Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, Courts of Common Pleas, and Philadelphia Municipal Court.

F. "Court Facility" is the location or locations where case records are filed or maintained.

G. "Custodian" is any person responsible for maintaining case records or for processing public requests for access to case records.

H. "Docket" is a chronological index of filings, actions, and events in a particular case, which may include identifying information of the parties and counsel, a brief description or summary of the filings, actions, and events, and other case information.

I. "Financial Account Numbers" include financial institution account numbers, debit and credit card numbers, and methods of authentication used to secure accounts such as personal identification numbers, usernames and passwords.

J. "Financial Source Documents" are:

1. Tax returns and schedules;

2. W-2 forms and schedules including 1099 forms or similar documents;

3. Wage stubs, earning statements, or other similar documents;

4. Credit card statements;

5. Financial institution statements;

6. Check registers;

7. Checks or equivalent; and

8. Loan application documents.

K. "Medical/psychological records" are records relating to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual.

L. "Minor" is a person under the age of eighteen.

M. "Party" is one who commences an action or against whom relief is sought in a matter.

N. "Public" is any person, member of the media, business, non-profit entity, organization or association. The term does not include a party to a case; the attorney(s) of record in a case; Unified Judicial System officials or employees if acting in their official capacities; or any federal, state, or local government entity, and employees or officials of such an entity if acting in their official capacities.

O. "Remote Access" is the ability to electronically search, inspect, print or copy information in a case record without visiting the court facility where the case record is maintained or available, or requesting the case record from the court or custodian pursuant to Section 4.0.

Section 2.0. Statement of General Policy.

A. This policy shall govern access by the public to case records.

B. Security, possession, custody, and control of case records shall generally be the responsibility of the applicable custodian and designated staff.

C. Facilitating access by the public shall not substantially impede the orderly conduct of court business.

D. A court or custodian may not adopt more restrictive or expansive access protocols than provided for in this policy. Nothing in this policy requires a court or custodian to provide remote access to case records. However, if a court or custodian chooses to provide remote access to any of its case records, access shall be provided in accordance with Section 10.0.

Section 3.0. Access to Case Records.

All case records shall be open to the public in accordance with this policy.

Section 4.0. Requesting Access to Case Records.

A. When desiring to inspect or copy case records, a member of the public shall make an oral request to the applicable custodian, unless otherwise provided by a local rule or an order issued by a court of record.

B. When the information that is the subject of the request is complex or voluminous, the custodian may require a written request. If the requestor does not submit a written request when required, access may be delayed until the written request is submitted or a time when an individual designated by the custodian is available to monitor such access to ensure the integrity of the case records is maintained.

C. Requests shall identify or describe the records sought with specificity to enable the custodian to ascertain which records are being requested.

Section 5.0. Responding to Requests for Access to Case Records.

A. A custodian shall fulfill a request for access to case records as promptly as possible under the circumstances existing at the time of the request.

B. If a custodian cannot fulfill the request promptly or at all, the custodian shall inform the requestor of the specific reason(s) why access to the information is being delayed or denied.

C. If a custodian denies a written request for access, the denial shall be in writing.

D. Except as provided in Subsection E, relief from a custodian's written denial may be sought by filing a motion or application with the court for which the custodian maintains the records.

E. Relief from a magisterial district court may be sought by filing an appeal with the president judge of the judicial district or the president judge's designee. Relief from a written denial by the Philadelphia Municipal Court may be sought by filing a motion with the president judge of Philadelphia Municipal Court or the president judge's designee.

Section 6.0. Fees.

A. Unless otherwise provided by applicable authority, fees for duplication by photocopying or printing from electronic media or microfilm shall not exceed $0.25 per page.

B. Except as provided in Subsection C, a custodian shall establish a fee schedule that is (1) posted in the court facility in an area accessible to the public, and (2) posted on the custodian's website.

C. Any fee schedule for a magisterial district court shall be established by the president judge of the judicial district by local rule pursuant to Pa.R.J.A. No. 103(c). The fee schedule shall be publicly posted in an area accessible to the public.

Section 7.0. Confidential Information.

A. The following information is confidential and shall not be included in any document filed with a court or custodian, except on a Confidential Information Form filed contemporaneously with the document:

1. Social Security Numbers;

2. Financial Account Numbers, except an active financial account number may be identified by the last four digits when the financial account is the subject of the case and cannot otherwise be identified;

3. Driver License Numbers;

4. State Identification (SID) Numbers;

5. Minors' names and dates of birth except when a minor is charged as a defendant in a criminal matter (see 42 Pa.C.S. § 6355); and

6. Abuse victim's address and other contact information, including employer's name, address and work schedule, in family court actions as defined by Pa.R.C.P. No. 1931(a), except for victim's name.

This section is not applicable to cases that are sealed or exempted from public access pursuant to applicable authority.

B. The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts shall design and publish the Confidential Information Form.

C. Reserved.

D. Parties and their attorneys shall be solely responsible for complying with the provisions of this section and shall certify their compliance to the court. The certification that shall accompany each filing shall be substantially in the following form: "I certify that this filing complies with the provisions of the Case Records Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania that require filing confidential information and documents differently than non-confidential information and documents." The certification language may be inserted in the document to be filed, thereby obviating the need for a separate certification form.

E. A court or custodian is not required to review or redact any filed document for compliance with this section. A party's or attorney's failure to comply with this section shall not affect access to case records that are otherwise accessible.

F. If a filed document fails to comply with the requirements of this section, a court of record may, upon motion or its own initiative, with or without a hearing, order the filed document sealed, redacted, amended or any combination thereof. A court of record may impose sanctions, including costs necessary to prepare a compliant document for filing in accordance with applicable authority.

G. If a filed document fails to comply with the requirements of this section, a magisterial district court may, upon request or its own initiative, with or without a hearing, order the filed document redacted, amended or both.

H. This section shall apply to all documents for any case filed with a court or custodian on or after the effective date of this policy.

Section 8.0. Confidential Documents.

A. The following documents are confidential and shall be filed with a court or custodian under a cover sheet designated "Confidential Document Form":

1. Financial Source Documents;

2. Minors' educational records;

3. Medical/Psychological records;

4. Children and Youth Services' records;

5. Marital Property Inventory and Pre-Trial Statement as provided in Pa.R.C.P. No. 1920.33;

6. Income and Expense Statement as provided in Pa.R.C.P. No. 1910.27(c); and

7. Agreements between the parties as used in 23 Pa.C.S. § 3105.

This section is not applicable to cases that are sealed or exempted from public access pursuant to applicable authority.

B. The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts shall design and publish the Confidential Document Form.

C. Confidential documents submitted with the Confidential Document Form shall not be accessible to the public, except as ordered by a court. However, the Confidential Document Form or a copy of it shall be accessible to the public.

D. Parties and their attorneys shall be solely responsible for complying with the provisions of this section and shall certify their compliance to the court. The certification that shall accompany each filing shall be substantially in the following form: "I certify that this filing complies with the provisions of the Case Records Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania that require filing confidential information and documents differently than non-confidential information and documents." The certification language may be inserted in the document to be filed, thereby obviating the need for a separate certification form.

E. A court or custodian is not required to review any filed document for compliance with this section. A party's or attorney's failure to comply with this section shall not affect access to case records that are otherwise accessible.

F. If confidential documents are not submitted with the Confidential Document Form, a court of record may, upon motion or its own initiative, with or without a hearing, order that any such documents be sealed. A court of record may also impose appropriate sanctions for failing to comply with this section.

G. If a filed document fails to comply with the requirements of this section, a magisterial district court may, upon request or its own initiative, with or without a hearing, order that any such documents be sealed.

H. This section shall apply to all documents for any case filed with a court or custodian on or after the effective date of this policy.

Section 9.0 .Limits on Public Access to Case Records at a Court Facility.

The following information shall not be accessible by the public at a court facility:

A. Case records in proceedings under 20 Pa.C.S. § 711(9), including but not limited to case records with regard to issues concerning recordation of birth and birth records, the alteration, amendment, or modification of such birth records, and the right to obtain a certified copy of the same, except for the docket and any court order or opinion;

B. Case records concerning incapacity proceedings filed pursuant to 20 Pa.C.S. §§ 5501-5555, except for the docket and any final decree adjudicating a person as incapacitated;

C. Any Confidential Information Form as set forth in Section 7.0;

D. Any document filed with a Confidential Document Form as set forth in Section 8.0;

E. Information sealed or protected pursuant to court order;

F. Information to which access is otherwise restricted by federal law, state law, or state court rule; and

G. Information presenting a risk to personal security, personal privacy, or the fair, impartial and orderly administration of justice, as determined by the Court Administrator of Pennsylvania with the approval of the Chief Justice. The Court Administrator shall publish notification of such determinations in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and on the Unified Judicial System's website.

H. The Unredacted Version of any document filed in accordance with prior versions of this policy.

Section 10.0. Limits on Remote Access to Case Records.

A. The following information shall not be remotely accessible by the public:

1. The information set forth in Section 9.0;

2. In criminal cases, information that either specifically identifies or from which the identity of jurors, witnesses (other than expert witnesses), or victims could be ascertained, including names, addresses and phone numbers;

3. Transcripts lodged of record, excepting portions of transcripts when attached to a document filed with the court;

4. In Forma Pauperis petitions;

5. Case records in family court actions as defined in Pa.R.C.P. No. 1931(a), except for dockets, court orders and opinions;

6. Case records in actions governed by the Probate, Estates and Fiduciaries Code, Adult Protective Services Act and the Older Adult Protective Services Act, except for dockets, court orders and opinions; and

7. Original and reproduced records filed in the Supreme Court, Superior Court or Commonwealth Court as set forth in Pa.R.A.P. 1921, 1951, 2151, 2152, and 2156.

B. With respect to Subsections A(5) and A(6), unless otherwise restricted pursuant to applicable authority, dockets available remotely shall contain only the following information:

1. A party's name;

2. The city, state, and ZIP code of a party's address;

3. Counsel of record's name and address;

4. Docket number;

5. Docket entries indicating generally what actions have been taken or are scheduled in a case;

6. Court orders and opinions;

7. Filing date of the case; and

8. Case type.

C. Case records remotely accessible by the public prior to the effective date of this policy shall be exempt from this section.

Section 11.0. Correcting Clerical Errors in Case Records.

A. A party, or the party's attorney, seeking to correct a clerical error in a case record may submit a written request for correction.

1. A request to correct a clerical error in a case record of the Supreme Court, Superior Court, or Commonwealth Court shall be submitted to the prothonotary of the proper appellate court.

2. A request to correct a clerical error in a case record of a court of common pleas, the Philadelphia Municipal Court, or a magisterial district court shall be submitted to the applicable custodian.

B. The request shall be made on a form designed and published by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

C. The requestor shall specifically set forth on the request form the information that is alleged to be a clerical error and shall provide sufficient facts, including supporting documentation, that corroborate the requestor's allegation that the information in question is in error.

D. The requestor shall provide copies of the request to all parties to the case.

E. Within 10 business days of receipt of a request, the custodian shall respond in writing to the requestor and all parties to the case in one of the following manners:

1. The request does not contain sufficient information and facts to determine what information is alleged to be in error, and no further action will be taken on the request.

2. The request does not concern a case record that is covered by this policy, and no further action will be taken on the request.

3. A clerical error does exist in the case record and the information in question has been corrected.

4. A clerical error does not exist in the case record.

5. The request has been received and an additional period not exceeding 30 business days is necessary to complete a review of the request.

F. A requestor may seek review of the custodian's response under Subsections E(1)-(4) within 10 business days of the mailing date of the response.

1. The request for review shall be submitted on a form that is designed and published by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

2. The request shall be reviewed by the judge(s) who presided over the case. However, if the request for review concerns a magisterial district court's decision, it shall be reviewed by the president judge or his/her designee.

Section 12.0. Continuous Availability of Policy.

A copy of this policy shall be continuously available for public inspection in every court and custodian's office and posted on the Unified Judicial System's website.