Arrest records are public documents in Indiana, Pennsylvania, pursuant to the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law (65 P.S. § 67.101 et seq.). This legislation establishes the presumption that government records, including those pertaining to arrests, shall be accessible to the public unless specifically exempted by statute, regulation, or court order. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania maintains this policy to ensure transparency in governmental operations and accountability within the criminal justice system.
Members of the public may access these records through designated repositories maintained by law enforcement agencies and court administrative offices. The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System (UJS) serves as the primary custodian for court-related arrest documentation, while local law enforcement agencies maintain booking and detention records.
Certain exceptions to public disclosure exist under 65 P.S. § 67.708, including:
The Commonwealth provides multiple channels through which citizens may obtain arrest records in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. Requestors seeking such information may utilize the following official methods:
Individuals may submit requests directly to the custodian of records at the appropriate agency:
Indiana County Sheriff's Office
825 Philadelphia Street
Indiana, PA 15701
Phone: (724) 465-3930
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Indiana County Sheriff's Office
Indiana County Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts
825 Philadelphia Street, 2nd Floor
Indiana, PA 15701
Phone: (724) 465-3855
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Web Portal provides electronic access to court dockets and case information. Users may search by:
Access to the UJS Portal is available at https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/
Additionally, the Pennsylvania State Police maintain the Public Information Release Reports system, which contains information about recent arrests and incidents of public interest.
Written requests may be submitted pursuant to the Right to Know Law by completing the standard RTK request form and submitting it to the appropriate agency's Open Records Officer. Requests must:
Agencies must respond within five business days, as mandated by 65 P.S. § 67.901.
Arrest records maintained by Indiana County law enforcement agencies and court administrators typically contain the following categories of information as prescribed by Pennsylvania Administrative Code Title 37, Chapter 51:
Pursuant to 18 Pa.C.S. § 9121, certain information may be redacted from public versions of arrest records, including Social Security numbers, financial account information, and information pertaining to victims of certain offenses.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provides statutory mechanisms for the expungement of arrest records under specific circumstances. In Indiana County, individuals may petition for expungement pursuant to 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 when:
The expungement process requires:
Upon granting of an expungement order, all criminal justice agencies must remove the specified records from public access and either destroy physical records or segregate them from publicly accessible repositories. Electronic records must be extracted from databases accessible to standard record checks.
The Pennsylvania Clean Slate Law (Act 56 of 2018) provides for automatic sealing of certain non-violent misdemeanor convictions after 10 years without subsequent offenses. While sealed records remain available to law enforcement agencies, they are not disclosed in standard background checks.