Centre County Traffic Court Records
Centre County traffic court records are maintained by the combined Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts office at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. The office is led by Jeremy S. Breon and handles all civil and criminal court filings, including appeals from traffic citations. Traffic cases in Centre County begin at the Magisterial District Judge level. You can search Centre County traffic court records online using the statewide UJS Portal at no cost. In-person access is also available during regular business hours at the courthouse.
Centre County Quick Facts
How to Search Centre County Traffic Court Records
The fastest way to look up Centre County traffic court records is through the UJS Web Portal case search at ujsportal.pacourts.us. This statewide system covers all Magisterial District Court dockets in Centre County as well as Court of Common Pleas traffic appeal records. You can search by docket number, defendant name, or citation number. Results show case status, hearing dates, and the outcome of each matter.
The combined Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts office maintains the official court files for Centre County. Jeremy S. Breon leads this office. You can reach the office by phone at 814-355-6700 or visit the Centre County Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts page for current contact details and office hours. The courthouse is located in Bellefonte. Records are available to the public during business hours.
For broader research on how Pennsylvania courts manage public access to traffic dockets, visit pacourts.us. The Pennsylvania Courts website explains how the unified judicial system operates statewide.
Note: Traffic citation payments at the Magisterial District Judge level are separate from the Court of Common Pleas filings held by the Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts office.
Centre County Court Structure for Traffic Cases
Centre County operates under the Pennsylvania unified judicial system. Traffic citations issued in Centre County are first heard by a Magisterial District Judge. The MDJ court handles the initial proceeding, collects fines, and issues a ruling. If a driver wants to contest the outcome, they file an appeal with the combined Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts office at the Court of Common Pleas. That appeal creates a new layer of Centre County traffic court records at the county level.
The Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte is home to the Court of Common Pleas. This court has general jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters, including traffic appeals. Under 42 Pa.C.S. Section 1515, Magisterial District Judges across Pennsylvania have original jurisdiction over summary traffic offenses. Centre County MDJ offices cover different townships and boroughs throughout the county. When a case reaches the Court of Common Pleas on appeal, the proceeding is de novo, meaning the case starts fresh before a judge of that court.
The combined office structure in Centre County means one elected official oversees both the Prothonotary function and the Clerk of Courts function. This streamlines record requests. You contact a single office whether your question involves a civil traffic matter or a criminal traffic appeal.
The Centre County Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts website shown below provides current information on office services, filing procedures, and public access to court records.
The office maintains all Centre County traffic court records filed at the Common Pleas level, including appeal filings, orders, and judgments. These records are part of the public record and can be inspected during regular courthouse hours.
Centre County Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts
Jeremy S. Breon serves as the elected Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts for Centre County. The combined office is the official custodian of Court of Common Pleas records. This includes all traffic appeal filings, civil dockets, criminal dockets, and judgments entered by the court. The office phone number is 814-355-6700.
When you file an appeal from a Magisterial District Judge traffic decision, that filing goes to the Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts office. The appeal docket becomes part of the public record. Any party to the case can request copies of documents from the file. Document copy fees apply. The office follows the standard fee schedule set by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and local court rules.
| Office |
Centre County Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts Centre County Courthouse Bellefonte, PA Phone: 814-355-6700 |
|---|---|
| Key Official | Jeremy S. Breon, Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts |
| Office Structure | Combined Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts |
| Online Access | UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us |
| Website | centrecountypa.gov |
Centre County Traffic Records and Appeals
Centre County traffic court records at the Magisterial District level are accessible through the UJS Portal. These dockets show the citation, the charge, any scheduled hearings, the outcome, and payment information. MDJ dockets cover all traffic violations handled at the local court level across Centre County.
If a driver appeals a traffic conviction, the appeal docket at the Court of Common Pleas becomes a separate record. Both the MDJ docket and the Common Pleas docket are searchable through the UJS Portal. The UJS Web Portal is free to use and does not require registration. You can search by name, docket number, or citation number. Results appear immediately and show the full case history for each docket found.
Under 42 Pa.C.S. Section 1302, the jurisdiction framework for traffic courts in Pennsylvania defines how cases move from the MDJ level to the Court of Common Pleas. Centre County follows these statewide rules. Appeals must be filed within 30 days of the MDJ decision. The Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts office accepts the appeal filing and assigns a new docket number.
Note: The UJS Portal is the primary tool for online access to Centre County traffic court dockets at both the MDJ and Common Pleas levels.
PennDOT and Centre County Traffic Convictions
Every traffic conviction in Centre County is reported to PennDOT. The state records the conviction on your driving history and assigns points based on the violation type. Drivers with high point totals face hearings, mandatory courses, or license suspension. PennDOT tracks all Pennsylvania convictions, including those from Centre County MDJ courts.
You can check your driving record using the PennDOT driver record portal. This shows all reported convictions on your Pennsylvania record. Centre County traffic convictions appear there after the MDJ reports the outcome to PennDOT. The Pennsylvania Courts website also explains how court records and PennDOT reporting work together under state law.
The Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, Title 75, defines the traffic offenses that carry point values in Pennsylvania. Centre County drivers are subject to the same point schedule as drivers in every other county. Convictions from Centre County MDJ courts count the same as those from any other jurisdiction when PennDOT calculates your total.
Nearby Counties
Centre County borders several other Pennsylvania counties. If you are not sure which county court has your traffic record, check where the citation was issued. The county where the stop occurred is the county that has jurisdiction.