Dauphin County Divorce Decree Search
Dauphin County divorce decree records are filed with the Prothonotary at the Dauphin County Courthouse in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Prothonotary, currently Matthew Krupp, maintains all civil court records including every divorce filed in Dauphin County. E-filing has been implemented, and divorce records are available for public search. Because Harrisburg is the state capital, additional state-level resources including the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the State Archives are also located nearby. If you need a certified copy of a Dauphin County divorce decree, contact the Prothonotary office directly.
Dauphin County Quick Facts
Dauphin County Prothonotary Office
The Dauphin County Prothonotary, Matthew Krupp, maintains all civil court records for the county, including divorce decrees. The office is at the Dauphin County Courthouse, Front and Market Streets, Harrisburg, PA 17101. The phone number is (717) 780-6670. E-filing is fully implemented, allowing attorneys and self-represented parties to file documents without a trip to the courthouse in Harrisburg.
Divorce records in Dauphin County are available to the public. You can search by party name or case number. Staff can pull files and provide plain or certified copies of the divorce decree and related documents. The filing fee to start a divorce case in Dauphin County is $297.00 for the complaint. This is one of the more specific county fee amounts in Pennsylvania and can help you budget before filing your case.
Dauphin County sits at the center of Pennsylvania government. The PA Department of Health and the Pennsylvania State Archives are both located in Harrisburg, which can be a convenience for researchers who need both county-level divorce records and state-level vital records in the same visit. The Prothonotary website is at dauphincounty.gov/prothonotary.
The Dauphin County Prothonotary website provides access to court case information and filing services:
The office handles all civil filings for Dauphin County, including divorce complaints and decrees.
| Office |
Dauphin County Prothonotary Matthew Krupp, Prothonotary Dauphin County Courthouse Front & Market Streets Harrisburg, PA 17101 Phone: (717) 780-6670 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | dauphincounty.gov/prothonotary |
How to Search Dauphin County Divorce Records
The Pennsylvania UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us is the starting point for any online search of Dauphin County divorce records. Search by participant name or docket number. The portal is free and open to the public. Results include docket sheets with case numbers, filing dates, and document entries. This covers all publicly accessible case information for Dauphin County divorce filings.
The Dauphin County Prothonotary website also provides access to case records. Since e-filing has been implemented, the county's online system may have more complete and up-to-date case information than some neighboring counties. For cases not easily found online, contact the Prothonotary at (717) 780-6670 or visit the courthouse at Front and Market Streets in Harrisburg. Staff can search by name and retrieve files from the archive. Bring the full names of both parties and a rough filing date if you know it.
Dauphin County divorce records are public records under Pennsylvania law. Any person may request a copy of the divorce decree. The full file may have restricted information in certain cases, but the decree itself is accessible. Certified copies require a fee, while plain copies cost less. The Prothonotary can confirm current rates when you call.
Note: Because e-filing is live in Dauphin County, recent filings often appear on the online systems faster than in counties still using paper-only processes.
Dauphin County Divorce Decree Contents
The Dauphin County divorce decree is the final court order from the Court of Common Pleas that ends the marriage. It follows the form required by Pennsylvania Rule 1920.76 and includes the names of both parties, the date of the order, and the legal language of dissolution. A judge of the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas signs the decree, and the court seal is applied to certified copies issued by the Prothonotary.
Since Act 106 of 2022 took effect, all Pennsylvania divorce decrees must include a notice under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3323(b.1) about beneficiary designations. The decree warns that failure to update beneficiary designations on life insurance, annuities, pensions, and profit-sharing plans after divorce may result in revocation of those designations under state law. This notice is part of every Dauphin County decree entered after the law took effect.
The full divorce file at the Dauphin County Prothonotary typically contains the divorce complaint, any answer filed, affidavits of consent or separation, proof of service, interim orders, a marital settlement agreement if the parties reached one, and the final decree. Property division terms, support agreements, name restoration requests, and custody arrangements entered in the case are all part of the record. Most of the file is public unless the court has restricted access to specific items.
Divorce Filing in Dauphin County
Divorce cases in Dauphin County begin with a complaint filed at the Prothonotary office. The current filing fee is $297.00 for a divorce complaint. Pennsylvania requires that at least one spouse have been a state resident for six months before the filing date. If you live in Dauphin County, you file in Harrisburg at the courthouse on Front and Market Streets.
Pennsylvania's no-fault divorce law allows for two paths. The first is mutual consent, where both spouses sign affidavits agreeing to the divorce. After a 90-day period, the court may enter the decree. The second is irretrievable breakdown after a two-year separation. Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3105, any marital settlement agreement the parties reach has the force of a court order and can be enforced the same way. Fault-based divorce is also available under Pennsylvania law but is far less common.
E-filing in Dauphin County means you can submit documents, pay fees, and track your case online without always needing to visit the courthouse. Both attorneys and self-represented litigants may use the e-filing system. The Prothonotary website at dauphincounty.gov/prothonotary has instructions for getting started with e-filing in Dauphin County.
For legal help in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Legal Aid provides free assistance to qualifying low-income residents. They serve the Harrisburg area and can help with divorce filings, court forms, and related legal questions.
State Resources Located in Harrisburg
Harrisburg is home to several state agencies that handle Pennsylvania records. The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, is at 625 Forster Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120. The state vital records office handles birth and death records but does not issue divorce decrees. For any divorce record, you must go to the Prothonotary in the county where the divorce was granted.
The Pennsylvania State Archives, at 1681 N. Sixth Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102, holds historical court records including early Supreme Court divorce papers from 1786 to 1815. Researchers looking into very old Dauphin County divorce history may find useful records there. The Archive can be reached at (717) 783-3281. They do not issue certified copies but can assist with historical research.
The CDC's Where to Write guide for Pennsylvania confirms that divorce copies must be obtained from the county Prothonotary. For Dauphin County, that means the Prothonotary in Harrisburg at (717) 780-6670. The state does not maintain a central registry of divorce decrees for public copy requests.
Nearby Counties
Dauphin County is centrally located in Pennsylvania. Neighboring counties each have their own Prothonotary office. If you need a divorce record from a nearby county, contact that county's Prothonotary directly in the county seat where the case was filed.