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  1. Dauphin County Court
  2. Dauphin County Arrest Records

Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Arrest Records

Arrest records are the official records of an individual’s booking and detention after they are arrested for a crime. These records are typically generated and maintained by the arresting agency and contain information detailing the offense, including the name of the suspect, a physical description, the charges to be filed, booking details, the arresting agency/officer, the suspect’s custody status, jail housing, and the date, time, and location of the arrest.

Arrest records generally indicate that a person was detained on suspicion, but are not considered proof of guilt or the result of a criminal case. These types of records for Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, are generated and maintained by the Dauphin County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies.

Arrest records are typically considered public information under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law (RTKL), codified as 65 P.S. §§ 67.101 et seq. The law fosters accountability and transparency in government, aiming to raise community confidence by shining a light on how various agencies, including law enforcement, perform their core functions, such as processing arrests and detaining offenders.

Criminal history information in Pennsylvania is governed by the Criminal History Record Information Act (CHRIA), found at 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101–9183. The act determines how government agencies compile, store, and make available to the public data from a person’s criminal history, including arrest records and related information. The CHRIA is stricter than the Right-to-Know law and imposes more stringent access controls on criminal history details, going beyond basic arrest information.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Dauphin, Pennsylvania?

Under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (RTKL), arrest records in Pennsylvania, including those in Dauphin County, are considered public information. The law instructs government agencies to provide the public with access to records in their custody unless the record is exempt by statute. This means that unless the information is restricted or exempted, law enforcement agencies must provide the public with access to arrest records in their custody.

Although arrest records are typically considered public, some kinds of information may be restricted or exempt from disclosure under the law. Some examples of these records include the following:

  • Information concerning confidential informants or covert investigation techniques
  • Information that may endanger victims or witnesses to a crime
  • Information that would negatively affect an ongoing investigation or trial
  • Arrest records of juveniles and minors are typically restricted from public access
  • Expunged or sealed criminal history information is restricted from the public
  • Personal identifiers such as addresses, financial details, Social Security Numbers, and driver’s license information are restricted

Dauphin County Arrest Search

Interested parties may use the following state and federal law enforcement sources to look up arrest information concerning Dauphin County.

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) provides access to arrest record information through the  Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) system. Registered and unregistered (guest) users can look up statewide arrest information online using the online database for various purposes, including personal record reviews, expungement petitions, and company background checks. Requests can also be mailed to the state police headquarters.

Although federal arrest databases are not publicly accessible, arrest information from cases that resulted in a federal criminal trial may be available through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database. The search tools on the PACER database allow users to search federal criminal case files, which may include arrest records.

Dauphin County Inmate Locator

Members of the public may use the Dauphin County Inmate Look Up to search for inmates housed in the Dauphin County Prison. Visitors can use the search tool on the prison's website to locate inmates currently housed or recently released, using search criteria such as the inmate’s name, date of birth, and booking number. Inquiries can also be made directly to prison staff by calling the prison at (717) 780-6800.

Active Warrant Search in Dauphin County 

An arrest warrant is an official court order issued by judicial officials serving a county court, instructing law enforcement to arrest an individual and bring them before the court. In Dauphin County, warrants are issued and signed by a local magisterial district judge or a judge of the Court of Common Pleas after probable cause is shown that the subject of the warrant committed a crime.

Warrants can be issued for various reasons, including parole violations, not appearing in court, failure to obey court orders, and new criminal charges. Once a warrant is issued, it usually remains active until executed or quashed by the court.

A Dauphin County arrest warrant typically contains a combination of the following information.

  • The names and a reasonable description of the subject
  • The charges against them and their official statutes
  • The date, location, and court of issuance
  • The statement authorizing law enforcement to detain the subject
  • The signature and title of the issuing judge

The Dauphin County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for maintaining, processing, and executing warrants issued in the county. To find out about active warrants in Dauphin County, contact the Warrants Division of the sheriff's office by calling (717) 780-6590.

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Dauphin County

Interested parties may be able to find Dauphin County for free by contacting the Central Booking in the sheriff’s office at (717) 547-4040 or the mainline at (717) 780-6590. Inquiries about arrests and booking details may be directed at these sources during office hours. The online inmate locator found on the county prison website also provides free access to basic arrest information.

Dauphin County Arrest Report

Arrest reports and arrest records are two law enforcement documents that are often mixed up but are distinct in content and purpose. The rules for obtaining these records may also vary according to local access rules.

Arrest reports are narrative documents prepared by the arresting agency that detail how and why the offender was arrested. An arrest report will usually contain an account of the arrest, including probable cause, evidence, witness testimony, and a timeline of incidents leading to the arrest. These reports serve as legal justification for arrests and provide district attorneys and prosecutors with information to help charge offenders.

Arrest records are summarized administrative records maintained in a booking database that document the facts of an arrest. The record will include basic arrest information, including the suspect's name, physical description, the time and location of the arrest, any charges filed, and bail information, when applicable. Sometimes, it may have biometrics such as mugshots and fingerprints. Arrest records are mainly used to document the arrestee's entry into the county criminal database.

Arrest reports are more likely to be restricted or withheld because they contain investigative material and restricted information, such as witness or victim details. On the other hand, arrest records mainly contain basic information and can be obtained through a public record request to the appropriate custodian.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Dauphin County

Arrest records for Dauphin County may be removed from law enforcement and government agencies through a process called expungement. Eligibility for this process will depend on several criteria, including the type of offense, the final judgment, and the time elapsed since the arrest. For Dauphin County, expungements will be governed by Pennsylvania law under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.

Some types of expungement granted in Pennsylvania include the following:

  • A common eligibility criterion for expungement is when the case did not end in a conviction. Petitioners usually qualify when the case was dismissed, no charges were filed, the prosecution was withdrawn, or the petitioner was acquitted at trial.
  • First-time or low-level offenders whose arrests were resolved through pretrial resolution programs may qualify for expungement. If the petitioner completes an ARD (Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition) and similar programs that allow offenders to avoid jail time, they may qualify to have the record expunged.
  • If no final disposition has been recorded for a case after 18 months, the case may qualify for expungement. This option may be available for old cases that had no formal resolution.
  • A person who is at least 70 years old and has been free of prosecution and arrest for at least 10 years may petition for expungement of their arrest records and some convictions.

In Pennsylvania, most convictions cannot be expunged, and serious felony arrests and convictions will remain part of a person’s criminal record permanently.

The following steps are useful when petitioning for an expungement in Dauphin County.

  • Go through the expungement laws to confirm eligibility.
  • Gather the relevant paperwork for the petition, including the case files, a full criminal record, and documents showing the final disposition of the case.
  • Collect the relevant forms, fill them out, and submit them to the Dauphin County Clerk of Courts for the local Court of Common Pleas.
  • Copies of the petition and its supporting documents must be served to the government agencies involved, such as the County District Attorney and the arresting agency, who may challenge the petition.
  • If there is no challenge, the court may grant the petition based on the submitted documents.
  • If law enforcement challenges the petition, the court schedules a hearing at which all parties may present their case.
  • When the petition is granted, the court issues an order instructing all law enforcement agencies listed in the petition to remove the record from their public databases.

How Do You Remove Dauphin County Arrest Records From the Internet?

Removing arrest records and information from the internet is a different process from requesting an expungement or sealing of the official arrest records. Even after the records are officially sealed, third-party websites, data broker sites, and news outlets may continue to display the information. To remove them from the internet, Dauphin County residents must try a combination of private requests and legal remedies.

The following are some steps to consider when trying to remove records from the internet.

  • Obtain an expungement or sealing of the record through a court order. The strongest foundation for online removal is a court order expunging or restricting the record.
  • Identify what type of information is involved and where it appears. Common online sources of arrest information include commercial background check companies, mugshot aggregation websites, public record databases, news outlets and archives, and social media posts.
  • Most third-party record sites and data broker websites provide procedures for removing records, usually requiring a formal written request, ID verification, expungement orders, and case disposition documents. While some sites remove records voluntarily, others may charge administrative fees to do so.
  • First Amendment principles protect news articles, so they are not required to delete an article if it was accurate. However, you can request that they update the story to include the expungement or case dismissal, or publish a follow-up clarifying the situation.
  • A search engine cannot remove the records, but it can help limit their visibility online. With proof of the expungement, you can request the de-indexing of the specific website URL and removal of outdated or inaccurate personal data from search results.

Even after records are removed online, they may still appear from data sharing or new sources. Periodic monitoring and checks help make sure these bodies continue to comply with the removal.    

What Do Public Dauphin County Arrest Records Contain?

The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know law and the Criminal History Information Act govern arrest records in the state. Arrest records are generally public in the state and contain essential but non-confidential details about the arrestee and the crime they are suspected of committing. Public arrest records in Pennsylvania usually contain a combination of the following details.

  • Identifying information for the arrestee, including full name and any aliases
  • An accurate physical description of the arrestee
  • Booking details, including booking number, booking date, and time
  • Details of the charges filed, including offense descriptions and official statutes
  • Bail information, including type and amount
  • Case information, such as arrest date, arresting agency, and case number
  • Case dispositions showing if it is pending, in progress, dismissed, or ended in a conviction