Free Washington County Public Records: Search Marital, Crimes, Arrests, Court & More

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Search Free Public Records in Washington County PA Search

Access Washington County Records: marriage, divorce, warrants, arrests, probation, criminal, court, background checks, and all public records.

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Search Washington County public records for free to find information on marriages, divorces, court cases, and property in this region of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.

Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law and the U.S. Freedom of Information Act allow members of the public to access many kinds of records kept by government agencies. That means it’s legal to look up information about another person — even their criminal record, which includes details of any warrants, arrests, probation sentences, and prisoner information.

This resource explains how to track down various public records in Washington County, Pennsylvania, and provides guidance on how to order a background check report.

How To See Who’s in a Washington County Jail & the Reason for the Arrest for Free

The county-run jail, the Washington County Correctional Facility, houses inmates who are awaiting trial and post-trial convicts who have been sentenced to two years or less.¹

People who have received a sentence of longer than two years’ imprisonment are transferred to a state-run facility.

The first way to find out if someone has been arrested in Washington County is by contacting the jail. If you have no luck with those agencies, the next best step is to contact the sheriff’s office, as well as other local law enforcement agencies within Washington County’s borders.

Determine if Someone Was Arrested & Taken to the Washington County Jail

Citing Pennsylvania’s Criminal History Record Information Act, Washington County has opted not to host an inmate search tool on its website.²

Instead, to determine if someone has been incarcerated in the Washington County Correctional Facility or even to find someone’s mugshot, researchers should email a written request to [email protected].

You can use the Pennsylvania Standard Right-to-Know Law Request Form to request copies of jail records, as well as to request any other types of records from the agencies discussed in this article.

To inquire about Washington County arrest records, it may also be worth reaching out to the Correctional Facility directly by using this contact information:

Washington County Correctional Facility
100 West Cherry Avenue
Washington, PA 15301

Phone: 724.228.6846

Check for Arrests via the Sheriff’s Office & Local Police Departments

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is the top law enforcement agency in the county. Unlike many other sheriff’s offices across the country, it doesn’t manage the county jail.

However, it is responsible for transporting prisoners, serving warrants, and providing security for the courthouse and other county facilities. If you want to find out if someone has been arrested in Washington County, it’s worth contacting this office. Here’s the address:

Washington County Sheriff’s Office
100 West Beau Street., Ste. 303
Washington, PA 15301

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 724.228.6840

In addition, you can try contacting the different local law enforcement agencies headquartered in Washington County. There are dozens of local police departments in the county. Here’s a list of the five largest jurisdictions to help you start searching:

Local Police Department	Address	Phone Number
City of Washington Police Dept.	56 W. Strawberry Ave. Washington, PA 15301	724.223.4226
Canonsburg Police Dept.	68 E. Pike St. Canonsburg, PA 15317	724.745.8020
California Police Dept.	225 3rd St. California, PA 15419	724.938.3233
Peters Township Police Dept.	200 Municipal Dr. McMurray, PA 15317	724.942.5030
Donora Police Dept.	601 Meldon Avenue Donora, PA 15033	724.379.9292

To locate the contact information for another police department in Washington County, you can try googling “[town name] Pennsylvania police department.” You can also find an online directory of phone numbers for all of the law enforcement agencies on the Washington County government website.³

How To Search Criminal Records in Washington County Pennsylvania

You can conduct a free criminal record check by looking up information on court cases, arrest warrants, and probation sentences.

Much of this information can be accessed by checking with Washington County agencies or record custodians, such as the county’s Clerk of Courts, the Sheriff’s Office, and others.

Figure Out if Someone Criminal History in Washington County Pennsylvania via the Clerk of Courts

The Washington County Clerk of Courts is responsible for maintaining records concerning criminal cases.

These include felony cases, which are tried by the county’s Court of Common Pleas, as well as criminal misdemeanor cases, which are tried by the county’s 11 Magisterial District Courts. The Magisterial District Courts are also responsible for preliminary hearings for felony cases that will then be transferred to the Court of Common Pleas.

You can submit a written request for information concerning Washington County criminal records by using the office’s File Request Form. You can fill out the form to the best of your knowledge and mail it to the Clerk of Courts Office or bring it in person. Here’s the address:

Washington County Clerk of Courts
100 West Beau St., Ste. 206
Washington, PA 15301

Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Along with your request, submit payment for the $10.50 search fee in the form of a check or money order made out to “Washington County Clerk of Courts”.

The county will contact you at your provided phone number or email address to let you know of additional costs — record copies cost 25 cents per page, and document certification will add another $10 to the total.

For more information, you can call the Clerk of Courts at 724.228.6787.

Verify if Someone Has a Criminal History by Utilizing the Pennsylvania Judicial System Online Search Tool

You can also perform a free public records search of criminal cases by using the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal.⁵

This public records repository contains information on nearly all Pennsylvania court cases (Family and Juvenile Court cases are among the exceptions).

You can choose to conduct a Washington County case search using the database by entering a participant name, court date, attorney, or incident number, in addition to other options. You can choose to search just criminal cases heard by Washington County trial courts by making the appropriate selections in the drop-down menus.

By clicking on the “Courthouse” icon, you can see a simple summary of the case with basic information, such as the charges, dates, and sentencing. By clicking on the “Document” icon in the column to the right, you can view the complete docket sheet for that particular case, including charge, judgment, and sentencing information.

How To Look Up Washington County Pennsylvania Warrants

To find out if someone has a warrant out for their arrest, the first place to contact is the Washington County Sheriff’s Office’s Fugitive Warrant Unit. This department is responsible for serving and enforcing arrest, bench, domestic, juvenile, and search warrants within the county.

You can contact the Fugitive Warrant Unit by calling 724.229.5907 or by writing to or visiting the sheriff’s office at this address:

Washington County Sheriff’s Office
100 West Beau Street., Ste. 303
Washington, PA 15301

You can also try inquiring about Washington County warrants from any of the local law enforcement agencies (see the section on arrest searches for contact information). However, it’s important to remember that, if you have an open warrant, visiting any Washington County law enforcement agency will likely lead to your immediate arrest.

One other way to find out if someone is a fugitive from the law in Washington County is by pulling up a list of “most wanted” sex offenders from Washington County on the Pennsylvania Megan’s Law website.⁶ The website’s database will display each offender’s photograph, physical description, and last-known residential address.

How To Find Probation Records & Determine Who’s on Probation in Washington County

Washington County’s Adult Probation Department is in charge of overseeing services for offenders who have been sentenced to rehabilitative supervision in the community, rather than incarceration in jail.

To make a records request, you can submit a Pennsylvania Standard Right-to-Know Law Request Form by mailing it to the department or delivering it in person. Here’s the address:

Washington County Adult Probation
29 West Cherry Ave.
Family Court Center, Ste. 413
Washington, PA 15301

The phone number for the department is 724.228.6860.

You can also find out if someone has been granted a probation sentence by looking up Washington County criminal records using the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal. You’ll find details of any probation sentence in the docket sheet for a criminal case.

How To Perform a Background Check in Washington County Pennsylvania

Background checks broadly fall into two categories: personal and professional.

Personal background checks are performed for reasons unrelated to employment, tenancy, volunteering, or licensing. Scenarios for conducting a personal background check include to find out about a new neighbor’s past or to look up someone’s criminal record before going out on a date with them.

There’s no need to obtain the consent of the subject of a personal background check, and you can complete one for free by checking the public records in Washington County as explained in this resource.

However, it is important to note that it’s illegal to use any information that you find when you check public records to harass, stalk, or intimidate another person. On the other hand, professional background checks are those performed for reasons such as to screen potential employees, tenants, volunteers, and licensees.

By law (the U.S. Fair Credit Reporting Act), you must obtain the written consent of the subject before you start a professional background check.⁸

Check the final section of this resource for information about what to do if you believe someone has conducted a professional background check without your consent.

The State Police offers background checks through its Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) program. PATCH checks search Pennsylvania public records for information on criminal activity.

You can order a PATCH search of your own files to make sure there are no surprises or inaccuracies in your personal records. These checks can be ordered by mail and cost $20, payable with a money order or certified check.

To order a personal PATCH check, you can print and complete the Request for Individual Access and Review form. The completed form should be mailed, along with a photocopy of your state-issued photo ID and payment to:

Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository
1800 Elmerton Ave
Harrisburg, PA 17110

Businesses may also submit a PATCH Company Request for professional purposes. These cost $22 and can be ordered and paid for online.

Finally, if you wish to volunteer with an organization that requires you to undergo a background check, you can do so through PATCH online for free. In order to complete a PATCH Volunteer Request, you must be able to provide the name of the authorized organization.

For more information on PATCH, you can write to the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository at the address above or call 888.783.7972 during business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday).

How To Access Public Criminal Records Throughout Pennsylvania

If your search of Washington County bookings and other criminal records kept by county agencies is too narrow in scope, you may want to consult state and even federal custodians.

These include:

• Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal: You can use this service to look up information on criminal court cases throughout the state.
• Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Inmate/Parolee Locator: You can use this tool to look up inmates currently incarcerated in state facilities, as well as offenders who have been granted parole.
• PA Megan’s Law Website: You can search on this site for sex offenders by name, county, zip code, location, and compliance status.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Search Tool: You can use this service to search inmates currently doing time in federal-run prisons.
• U.S. Justice Dept.’s National Sex Offender Public Website: You can use this site to search for sex offenders nationwide by name or location.

How To Run a Washington County Court Case Search

Washington County has two trial courts — the Court of Common Pleas and the Magisterial District Court. Both operate out of the Washington County Courthouse.

In Washington County, the Court of Common Pleas has jurisdiction over felony-level criminal cases, as well as family, probate, and civil cases in which claims are worth more than $12,000. The Court of Common Pleas is also responsible for hearing and considering appeals of cases originally tried in the Magisterial District Courts.

On the other hand, the county’s 11 Magisterial District Courts are responsible for hearing misdemeanor criminal cases, as well as cases related to traffic violations, ordinances, and small claims.

It’s possible to find most Washington County court records (except for Family and Juvenile Court cases) online by using the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal. This website will allow you to search criminal and civil cases tried by both the Washington County Court of Common Pleas and the Magisterial District Courts.

By selecting the “Courthouse” icon to the right of any line item in the search results, you’ll be able to view a summary of the case, including the involved parties, dates, judgments, etc. By choosing the “Document” icon, you’ll be able to see the complete docket sheet for the case.

You can also order copies of Washington County judicial records related to criminal cases directly from the Clerk of the Courts. You can request copies of records from this office by using the File Request Form. This form can be brought in person or mailed to the Clerk of Courts Office at this address:

Washington County Clerk of Courts
100 West Beau St., Ste. 206
Washington, PA 15301

Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Note that there’s a search fee of $10.50 that must be paid via check or money order made out to “Washington County Clerk of Courts”.

After receiving your form and search fee payment, the office will call or email you at the provided contact information to let you know how much you’d owe to receive copies. The office charges 25 cents per page, plus $10 per document for certification (if desired).

Unlike many other county Clerk of Courts offices, Washington County’s does not keep records involving civil cases.

For $2 per record, you can view and download Court of Common Pleas civil case records (including Family Court records) using the Washington County Civil Case Lookup.¹⁰ You can pay online using a credit or debit card.

You can also request copies of civil court case records from the Washington County Prothonotary by mail or in person by using the Pennsylvania Standard Right-to-Know Law Request Form. Records cost 25 cents per page. You can submit your request to the following address in person or via mail:

Washington County Prothonotary
100 W. Beau St., Ste. 205
Washington, PA 15301

Phone: 724.228.6770

Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To order copies of civil cases tried by the county’s 11 Magisterial District Courts, you can also send the Pennsylvania Standard Right-to-Know Law Request Form to the appropriate court using this contact information:

District	Address	Phone
27-1-01	26 S. Main St., Ste. 100 Washington, PA 15301	724.228.8836
27-1-.02	604 B Park Ave. Monongahela, PA 15063	724.258.5106
27-1-03	416 Fallowfield Ave. Charleroi, PA 15022	724.483.6373
27-2-01	68 E. Pike St., Ste. 205 Canonsburg, PA 15317	724.745.5754
27-3-01	453 Valleybrook Rd., Ste. 100 McMurray, PA 15317	724.941.1015
27-3-02	900 Main St., Ste. 120 Bentleyville, PA 15314	724.239.5050
27-3-03	685 National Pike W. Brownsville, PA 15417	724.632.3143
27-3-05	1929A Rt. 519 Canonsburg, PA 15317	724.746.1227
27-3-06	Cecil Town Cntr., Ste. 103 3441 Millers Run Rd. Cecil, PA 15321	724.746.8515
27-3-07	2038 Smith Twnshp. Rd, Ste. 3 Burgettstown, PA 15021	724.947.5492
27-3-10	200 Buffalo Cntr. Ln. Ste. C Washington, PA 15301	724.222.8122

If you’re not sure which Magisterial District you should contact, you can consult the Washington County GIS Hub Magisterial Districts map.

It’s also possible to order a transcript of a court proceeding by submitting a Request for Transcript form, along with a $50 deposit in the form of a money order or certified check payable to the appropriate department:

Case Type	Address	Phone
Criminal	Washington Co. Clerk of Courts 100 W. Beau St., Ste. 206 Washington, PA 15301	724.228.6787
Civil	Washington Co. Prothonotary 100 W. Beau St., Ste. 205 Washington, PA 15301	724.228.6770
Family	Washington Co. Domestic Relations 29 W. Cherry Ave., Ste. 311 Washington, PA 15301	724.228.6756
Estate	Washington Co. Register of Wills 100 W. Beau St., Ste. 102 Washington, PA 15301	724.228.6775

Copies of transcripts range in cost from $2.75 per page for standard service to $6.75 per page for same-day turnaround. Once the appropriate department has received your request, you will be contacted with the full amount owed.

In addition, there are three appellate courts in Pennsylvania that hear appeals from the lower courts. The Commonwealth Court has jurisdiction over matters of administrative and civil public law, and the Superior Court has jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases previously heard by the Court of Common Pleas.^{11, 12}

At the highest level is the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which is the U.S.’s oldest appellate court.¹³ This court oversees the entire state court system and hears appeals from the Commonwealth and Superior Courts.

You can search the records of these three appellate courts by using the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal. You can do this by selecting “Appellate” from the “Search By” drop-down menu.

How To Track Down Vital Records in Washington County Pennsylvania (Marriage, Divorce, Birth & Death)

Whether you want to request a copy of your birth certificate in order to prove your identity or simply want to check if someone is married, you’ll need to search for vital records as the embody several types of records involving major life events.

Vital records are documents kept by government custodians that pertain to significant life events. They include birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, and sometimes divorce records.

Check Someone’s Marital Status (Divorced or Married) via Official Channels

The county’s Register of Wills maintains Washington County marriage records dating back to 1885.¹⁴ Anyone can order a copy of a marriage certificate from Washington County as long as they know the date of the marriage and the full names of both spouses.

Copies cost $10, which is payable by a personal check, money order, or cashier’s check made out to “Register of Wills.” Send the payment, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope and a completed Request for a Certified Copy of Marriage License form to this address:

Washington County Register of Wills
100 West Beau St., Ste. 102
Washington, PA 15301

Or you can visit the office in person to purchase a copy of a marriage certificate in person. For more information, call 724.228.6775. Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

It’s theoretically possible to find copies of divorce documents by using the Washington County Civil Case Lookup. However, it costs $2 to even view a court document, and the website doesn’t clearly identify whether a particular case is a divorce case or another civil matter.

Therefore, the best option for locating Washington County divorce records is by contacting the Prothonotary. The Prothonotary’s office maintains records pertaining to cases heard by the Family Court’s Divorce and Custody Division.

To find out information about Washington County divorces, make a direct records request in writing by sending a letter with as many details as you can to:

Washington County Prothonotary
1 South Main St., Ste. 1001
Washington, PA 15301

For more information, you can contact the Prothonotary’s office at 724.228.6770 Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Look Up Birth & Death Records in Washington County Pennsylvania via Official Avenues

The Washington County Register of Wills maintains birth and death records dating from 1893 through 1906. Anyone may order a copy of these records by submitting a record request (including as much detail as possible) to this address or by visiting it in person:

Washington County Register of Wills
1 South Main St., Ste. 1002
Washington, PA 15301

All birth and death certificate searches cost $20. If sending your request by mail, include the payment in the form of a personal check, money order, or cashier’s check payable to “Register of Wills” along with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Call 724.228.6775 for more information.

For birth and death certificates from later than 1906, requesters will need to contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health.¹⁵ The PA Department of Health charges $20 to order a certificate of birth. However, in order to request a copy of a birth certificate, you must be one of the following:

• The registrant named on the certificate
• Their spouse
• Their parent or step-parent
• The sibling or half-sibling
• Their son, daughter, step-son, or step-daughter
• Their grandparent or great-grandparent
• Their grandchild or great-grandchild
• Their legal representative

If the registrant on the birth certificate has passed away, a family member other than those listed above may request a copy upon submitting a copy of the death certificate. You can apply online for a birth certificate copy using the Health Department’s Online Vital Record Ordering service.

This method costs an additional $10 in processing fees, payable by credit card. Alternatively, you can complete the Application for Birth Certificate and mail it, along with a check or money order payable to “Vital Records” to this address:

Division of Vital Records
Birth Certificate Processing Unit
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, Pennsylvania 16103

Or you can bring the form to the nearest Department of Health Public Office (you can find a list of locations at the link).

If you wish to obtain a certificate of death from the PA Department of Health, you must be one of the following:

• The decedent’s spouse or former spouse
• Their parent or step-parent
• The sibling or half-sibling
• Their son, daughter, step-son, or step-daughter
• Their grandparent or great-grandparent
• Their grandchild or great-grandchild
• Their legal representative
• A representative of their estate
• An individual with a provable direct financial interest

Each death certificate copy costs $20.

You can apply for a death certificate through the Department of Health’s Online Vital Record Ordering website. As with birth certificates, this option incurs an extra $10 processing fee. Online orders are payable with a credit card.

Or you can complete the official Application for a Death Certificate form and mail it, along with a payment in the form of a personal check, money order, or cashier’s check made out to “Vital Records” to:

Division of Vital Records
Death Certificate Processing Unit
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, Pennsylvania 16103

You can also visit any of the Department of Health Public Office locations to order a death certificate copy in person. For more information about ordering birth or death certificates, you can contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health by calling 724.656.3100 Monday through Friday, from 7:15 a.m. to 10 p.m.

How To Retrieve Property Ownership & Tax Information in Washington County Pennsylvania

There are several ways to track down information about who owns what property in Washington County.

One method is by using the online Washington County Public Access Website’s Property Records search tool.¹⁷ You can use this tool to search property information from the county’s tax roll by owner’s name, address, and parcel number.

There’s also an “advanced” search option that allows you to input a variety of criteria, as well as a map search that wasn’t functioning correctly as of this writing. After entering your search criteria, you’ll be able to scroll through a public index of potential matches.

If you click on a line item, the site will display more information about the property, including the owner’s mailing address, assessed values, information about buildings on the parcel, and photos of the building.

Another way to search property records is by conducting a Washington County Treasurer’s Office Search to look up real estate tax information.¹⁹ You can use this feature to search properties by owner name, address, or parcel number.

This search won’t yield quite as much information as the Washington County Public Access site’s tool. However, you’ll be able to see the property’s owner’s address, information about the most recent sale, tax assessment information, and a history of tax bills.

For more details about using this site, you can contact the Treasurer’s Office directly using this contact information:

Washington County Treasurer
95 West Beau Street, Ste. 130
Washington, PA 15301

Phone: 724.228.6780

Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You can also use the Washington County Parcel Viewer to enter an address or parcel number and find out who owns the property.

You can also search ownership records by looking up the property on a GIS (geographic information system) map. (However, it’s important to note that GIS maps are not necessarily 100% accurate and shouldn’t be used in place of an official land survey.)

When you select a property, you can see a card that contains the address, as well as the hot-linked words “More info.” This hotlink takes you to the corresponding page for the property on the Washington County Public Access Website discussed above.

You can also use the Washington County LANDEX site to look up and purchase copies of property documents held by the county’s Recorder of Deeds. These documents include deeds, mortgages, subdivisions, and other real estate-related documents dating back to 1781.

Requesters should be sure to select the box for “Washington” from the list of available Pennsylvania counties in the column on the left-hand side of the page. You can also select which kinds of property records you wish to view: deeds, mortgage documents, wills, or “other.”

The site won’t allow you to see the documents in question; instead, you’ll need to order them from the Washington County Recorder of Deeds office through the LANDEX site. Document prices vary from $3.50 to over $1,000. All orders incur an extra $5 processing fee.

You can pay for the document copies online with a credit card; however, it’s important to note that there’s a $25 minimum for each credit card transaction. You can also send a check to the Recorder of Deeds directly at this address:

Washington County Recorder of Deeds
95 West Beau Street, Ste. 520
Washington, PA 15301

Once your payment has been processed, you’ll receive an email that will provide instructions for accessing your documents. You can also visit the Recorder’s office at the address above in person to view property documents.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call 724.228.6806.

Citizens’ Rights & Responsibilities Regarding Washington County Public Records

Members of the public have the right to access certain records kept by government agencies thanks to the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law.^{21, 22}

You can consult these records for a variety of purposes, such as to find out if someone is married, to check if someone has a criminal record, or to determine who owns a particular property.

However, there are responsibilities to keep in mind when researching Washington County records. For one thing, you must never use the information gathered from a records search to commit a crime such as identity theft or harassment.

As discussed in the section about background checks in this resource, it’s also a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to use information gleaned from a personal check for professional reasons, such as pre-employment, tenancy, or licensing screenings.²³

Anyone who believes they have been illegally discriminated against due to their personal information can contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and/or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for assistance.^{24, 25}

In addition, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and the state’s Attorney General’s Office can help state residents who are the victims of discrimination.

When used legally and responsibly, Washington County public records are a great resource of information that everyone can access with the right know how.