Pennsylvania Divorce Decree Records by County
Pennsylvania has 67 counties. Each one keeps its own divorce decree records through the county Prothonotary office. When a marriage ends in court, the divorce decree is filed at the courthouse in the county where one spouse lives. That county holds the file from that point forward. You do not need to go to a state office to find a decree. You go to the county where the case was heard. Use the list below to find the right county and get started on your search.
How Pennsylvania Divorce Decree Records Are Organized by County
Pennsylvania law requires that a divorce case be filed in the county where at least one spouse lives. This rule has been in place for a long time. It means that records are spread across all 67 counties in the state rather than stored in one central location. Each county Court of Common Pleas holds its own set of divorce case files. These files include the complaint in divorce, any responses, agreements between the parties, and the final divorce decree signed by the judge.
The system works this way because Pennsylvania courts are organized at the county level. Each county has its own Court of Common Pleas. That court handles family law matters including all divorce cases for people who live there. The Prothonotary is the clerk of that court. The Prothonotary keeps the case files and can give you copies. If you know the county where the divorce was filed, you can go straight to that Prothonotary and ask for the record.
If you are not sure which county handled a case, the UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us lets you search across all 67 counties at once. You type in a name and the system returns matching cases from any county in Pennsylvania. This is often the first step when you do not know where the divorce was filed. The UJS Portal is free to use and available at any time.
The Role of the Prothonotary in Each Pennsylvania County
The Prothonotary is a key office in every Pennsylvania county. This office serves as the clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for civil matters. That includes all divorce cases. When a person files for divorce, the complaint goes to the Prothonotary. That office assigns a case number and keeps the file throughout the proceedings. When the judge signs the divorce decree, the Prothonotary records it and keeps it on file.
You can contact the Prothonotary in any Pennsylvania county to ask about divorce decree records. Most offices can search their records by the names of the parties or by case number. They can tell you if a case exists and what documents are in the file. Copies are available for a fee. Certified copies cost more than plain copies but carry an official seal. Many people need a certified copy of a divorce decree for legal purposes such as remarrying, changing a name, or updating financial accounts.
Some Prothonotary offices in Pennsylvania have placed older records online. Others keep records only in paper form at the courthouse. Hours and services vary by county. It is best to call ahead or check the county website before visiting in person. The Pennsylvania Courts public records page at pacourts.us has contact information and links for each county court.
Prothonotary offices handle requests promptly in most cases. If you visit in person, bring the full names of both spouses and the approximate year of the divorce. That information helps staff locate the file quickly. If you are not sure of the year, a range of a few years is usually enough to narrow the search.
How to Search Divorce Decree Records Online in Pennsylvania
The fastest way to find a divorce decree record in Pennsylvania is to use the UJS Portal. The portal covers all 67 counties. You can search by party name or case number. The results show the case status, filing date, and the county where the case was filed. The portal is free and does not require an account.
To use the UJS Portal, go to ujsportal.pacourts.us. Select the Court of Common Pleas search option. Enter the last name of either spouse. You can narrow results by county or by date range. The system will show all matching cases. Click on a case to see more details. The portal shows basic case information but not the full documents. To get copies of the actual divorce decree, you need to contact the Prothonotary in the county where the case was filed.
The PA Department of Health Division of Vital Records also holds divorce certificates for divorces in Pennsylvania dating back to 1906. A divorce certificate is a short summary document. It confirms that a divorce took place and lists the names of both spouses and the date the decree was entered. It does not include the full terms of the decree. You can order a certificate online through VitalChek, by mail, or in person at the state office in Harrisburg.
For older records, the Pennsylvania State Archives may have divorce records that predate modern court filing systems. The archives hold historical records from across the state. If you are researching an ancestor or a very old case, the archives can be a useful resource. The FamilySearch Pennsylvania Divorce Records page also offers guidance on tracing historical divorce records in Pennsylvania.
Browse Divorce Decree Records by County
Select a county below to find divorce decree records, Prothonotary contact information, and local courthouse resources for that county in Pennsylvania.