Guide
Pennsylvania Expungement Research Resources
Pennsylvania offers expungement and limited access, a form of sealing; you petition through the clerk of courts in the county of arrest. The official Pennsylvania sources are listed below.
- Unified Judicial System, Forms for the PublicExpungement petitions under Rules 490 and 790 and limited access orders
- Pennsylvania State Police, Apply for Criminal Record ExpungementSteps and the State Police role after a court order
- 18 Pa.C.S. Section 9122Expungement of criminal history record information
This directory is for informational and research use only. Expungement eligibility, waiting periods, filing fees, notice rules, and the effect on background checks can differ significantly depending on the state, offense level, case outcome, and later law changes.
Guide
Sealing a divorce or civil file in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania closes the money documents in a divorce by policy rather than by motion. Section 8.0(A) of the Case Records Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System, 204 Pa. Code 213.81, effective January 1, 2022, lists the documents that are confidential and not accessible to the public: financial source documents, minors' educational records, medical and psychological records, children and youth agency records, the Marital Property Inventory and Pre-Trial Statement under Pa.R.C.P. 1920.33, the Income and Expense Statement under Pa.R.C.P. 1910.27(c), and agreements between the parties under 23 Pa.C.S. 3105. The filer submits each under a Confidential Document Form, and Section 7.0 requires Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, driver license numbers, State Identification numbers, minors' names and birth dates and, in family court actions, an abuse victim's address and other contact information to be kept off all filings and placed on a Confidential Information Form.
For a document not on the list, a party moves the court to seal it, and the Policy recognizes information sealed or protected by court order in Section 9.0; the Policy itself states no standard for sealing. A court may also, on motion or on its own initiative, order a filing that failed to follow the Policy sealed, and a filing that exposes confidential information may also be ordered redacted or amended. The Policy is at pacourts.us.
Guide
Research Notes
- Start with the court and the originating agency. Expungement or sealing requests are often handled through the court that heard the case, sometimes with supporting records from police, prosecutors, or corrections agencies.
- Terminology differs by state. Some jurisdictions use terms such as sealing, set-aside, vacatur, dismissal relief, or nondisclosure instead of expungement.
- Verify current law. Eligibility rules can change through legislation or court decisions, so always confirm the current process before relying on older instructions or third-party summaries.
- Understand downstream effects. Even after record relief, treatment of court, police, private-background check, and federal records may differ depending on the system involved.
By state