Philadelphia County Traffic Court Records

Philadelphia County traffic court records are some of the most active in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is a consolidated city-county, meaning the city and county share the same government and court system. The Philadelphia Municipal Court Traffic Division handles all moving violations filed in the county. This court processes more than 250,000 traffic cases each year. Records are available online through the Philadelphia Courts website and the UJS Portal. You can search Philadelphia County traffic court records by docket number, defendant name, or citation number at no cost.

How to Search Philadelphia Traffic Court Records

Philadelphia County offers two main ways to find traffic court records. The first is the online traffic docket search at courts.phila.gov/TrafficDockets. This tool is specific to Philadelphia and lets you search by docket number, defendant name, or citation number. Case status and hearing information appear for each result. Historical dockets go back to 2006 in this system.

The second option is the statewide UJS Web Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. The UJS Portal also covers Philadelphia Municipal Court traffic dockets. Both systems are free to search. The Philadelphia-specific docket tool may have more detail for local cases. The UJS system is useful if you need to compare records across counties.

For in-person access, go to the Traffic Division at 800 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130. The office is in Room 256. Court files are available for public inspection during business hours. To request copies of records, contact Carlos Jackson at 215-686-1566 or Carlos.Jackson@courts.phila.gov. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

Note: Parking violations are not handled by the Traffic Division. Parking matters go to the Philadelphia Parking Authority at 215-561-3636.

Philadelphia County Court Structure for Traffic Cases

Philadelphia County is the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. The court system includes the Court of Common Pleas and the Philadelphia Municipal Court. Traffic cases are handled exclusively by the Municipal Court Traffic Division. This division was created after Act 17 of 2013 abolished the old Philadelphia Traffic Court. The Municipal Court took over traffic jurisdiction and has operated the Traffic Division since then.

The Philadelphia Courts website for the First Judicial District provides access to all court divisions, including traffic dockets. The Traffic Division hears only moving violations. It does not handle parking, red light camera, or speed camera cases. All moving violation hearings in Philadelphia County take place at 800 Spring Garden Street.

The Court of Common Pleas handles appeals from Traffic Division decisions. Appeals must be filed within 30 days of the final order. Each citation requires a separate $35.00 filing fee. Under 234 Pa. Code Rule 1002, the procedure for summary traffic offenses in Philadelphia follows specific rules set by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The Office of Judicial Records maintains court files and provides access to the public during business hours.

Philadelphia Municipal Court Traffic Division

The Traffic Division at 800 Spring Garden Street is the center of Philadelphia County traffic court activity. This office schedules hearings, processes payments, and maintains all traffic case files. The division handles more than 250,000 cases per year, making it one of the busiest traffic courts in Pennsylvania.

The Philadelphia Municipal Court Traffic Division page provides current contact information, hearing schedules, and instructions for paying fines or requesting a hearing. You can pay your traffic citation online through PAePay. This is the fastest way to resolve a traffic matter without visiting the courthouse in person. The Traffic Division also offers online payment options directly through the Philadelphia Courts site.

Appealing Traffic Court Decisions in Philadelphia County

If you lose a traffic case in the Philadelphia Municipal Court Traffic Division, you can appeal to the Court of Common Pleas. You must file the appeal within 30 days of the final order. The filing fee is $35.00 per citation. If you received multiple citations in one stop, each citation needs its own appeal fee.

The appeal goes to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas at the Criminal Justice Center. The new hearing is a de novo proceeding, meaning the case starts fresh. You present your defense again before a Common Pleas judge. Under 42 Pa.C.S. Section 1302, the traffic court jurisdiction in Pennsylvania is defined at the state level. Philadelphia County follows these statewide rules in handling all traffic appeals.

The appeal creates a new layer of court records in Philadelphia County. These records are maintained by the Court of Common Pleas Clerk and are accessible through the UJS Portal. Transcript requests for Traffic Division hearings go to Melissa Copestake at (215) 683-8000.

Note: Filing an appeal does not automatically stop payment of fines or delay any PennDOT action on your license.

Philadelphia County Traffic Dockets and Public Access

Traffic docket sheets in Philadelphia County are public records. Each case has a docket that lists all filings, charges, hearing dates, continuances, verdicts, and payment information. You can access these dockets for free through the traffic docket search at courts.phila.gov or through the UJS Portal.

The Philadelphia Municipal Court Traffic Dockets search shown above provides the most direct access to Philadelphia County traffic records. The docket shows the full case history. This includes the original charge, any amendments, payment records, and the outcome of any hearings. Historical dockets go back to 2006.

The Pennsylvania Courts website also explains how public access works across all counties. In Philadelphia, the Office of Judicial Records manages the record-keeping function for the court system. The Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, Title 75, defines the offenses that appear on traffic dockets throughout the state, including Philadelphia County.

PennDOT Records and Philadelphia Traffic Convictions

Every traffic conviction in Philadelphia County is reported to PennDOT. The state adds the conviction to your driving record and assigns points based on the type of violation. PennDOT tracks this information for all Pennsylvania drivers. A high point total can lead to hearings, mandatory training, or license suspension.

You can view your driving record online at the PennDOT driver records portal. This shows all reported convictions, including those from Philadelphia County traffic court. The PennDOT public records FAQ covers who can request driving records and what the records include. Philadelphia County traffic convictions carry the same weight as those in any other Pennsylvania county when PennDOT calculates points.

Under 42 Pa.C.S. Section 1515, Magisterial District Judge jurisdiction applies statewide. In Philadelphia, the Municipal Court Traffic Division performs the same function as MDJ courts in other counties, processing traffic offenses and reporting results to PennDOT.

Cities in Philadelphia County

Philadelphia is a consolidated city-county. All traffic cases are filed at the Philadelphia Municipal Court Traffic Division. The Traffic Division at 800 Spring Garden Street serves every neighborhood in the county.

Philadelphia is the only municipality in Philadelphia County. As a consolidated city-county, all traffic matters are processed at the single Municipal Court Traffic Division location.

Nearby Counties

Philadelphia County borders three other Pennsylvania counties. If you are unsure which county's court has your traffic case, check where the citation was issued.

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