Guide
Pennsylvania Judgments & Liens Search at a Glance
In Pennsylvania, money judgments come from the courts of common pleas and the magisterial district courts. A common pleas judgment is a lien on the debtor's real property in a county once it is entered of record with the county's prothonotary, the office that keeps the civil records of the court of common pleas. UCC financing statements are filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State.
Always confirm the official record by ordering a certified copy from the originating office when accuracy matters for closing, refinancing, or litigation.
Guide
Where to search court judgments in Pennsylvania
The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania web portal searches court cases by participant name, docket number, county and other details. Civil judgments are entered and indexed by the prothonotary, also called the office of judicial records, in each county courthouse.
Guide
Where liens are recorded in Pennsylvania
A judgment of a court of common pleas for the payment of money is a lien on real property when it is entered of record in the office of the clerk of the court of common pleas of the county where the property is, and it can be made a lien in another county by the transfer procedure in the court rules (42 Pa.C.S. 4303). A mechanics lien claim must be filed with the prothonotary within six months after the claimant's work is completed, and the owner must be served with notice within one month after filing (Mechanics' Lien Law of 1963, section 502).
Guide
Pennsylvania UCC filings
UCC financing statements are filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State through its Business Filing System, which also runs the public UCC search.
Guide
How long a judgment lien lasts in Pennsylvania
A writ of revival or an agreement to revive, entered in the judgment index by the prothonotary, continues the judgment lien for five years from that entry (Pa.R.C.P. 3027). An action to revive a judgment lien on real property must be brought within five years (42 Pa.C.S. 5526).
Guide
Finding the debtor's assets after judgment in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's tool is discovery in aid of execution under Rule 3117 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. After judgment, before or after a writ of execution issues, the judgment creditor may take the testimony of any person, including the judgment debtor or a garnishee, by oral examination or written interrogatories, for the purpose of discovering the debtor's assets, using the ordinary deposition and discovery rules.
Two court files may already hold part of the answer. A Pennsylvania divorce file is public except for the documents the Public Access Policy makes confidential, so the sworn inventory and the settlement agreement are withheld, while a decree and equitable distribution order entered by the court after a contested hearing show who received each asset. A bankruptcy file in the Eastern, Middle or Western District lists deposit accounts by institution and the employer by name. The Pennsylvania asset search page covers both.
Guide
Court forms and self-help in Pennsylvania
The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania has a guide for people representing themselves and statewide court forms; the prothonotary, or office of judicial records, takes civil filings in each county.
Guide
Federal & National Authoritative Sources
By state
Judgments and liens in other states
Straight answers
Pennsylvania Judgments & Liens Search, questions
How long is a judgment lien enforceable in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, a money judgment is enforceable as a lien for 20 years from the date it is entered or properly docketed. Creditors who want to extend collection beyond that period must file a renewal motion with the issuing court before the lien lapses. Read the Pennsylvania statute.
What is the deadline for filing a mechanics lien in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, a mechanics lien (also called a construction or materialman's lien) must generally be filed within 30 days after the claimant last furnished labor or materials to the project. Different deadlines may apply to general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers, so check the exact statute before relying on this window. Source: Pennsylvania statute.
What property is protected from judgment creditors in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania protects a homestead, the debtor's primary residence, up to $38,850 in equity from forced sale by most judgment creditors. Personal property exemptions (motor vehicle, household goods, tools of trade, retirement accounts) are listed separately in the state code. Confirm the current amount on the official source.
Where do I file or search a UCC-1 in Pennsylvania?
UCC-1 financing statements for personal-property collateral in Pennsylvania are filed with the Secretary of State (or equivalent state filing office). Open the official Pennsylvania UCC filing portal. Real-property liens (mortgages, judgment-lien dockets, mechanics liens) are recorded at the county recorder/clerk where the property is located, not at the state level.