Dauphin County Divorce Records

Divorce records are a subset of civil court records generated during marital dissolution proceedings. In Dauphin, divorce actions are heard by the Court of Common Pleas, which has original jurisdiction over family law matters, including divorce, annulment, and related civil claims.

The Office of the Prothonotary serves as the official custodian of divorce records in Dauphin. This office is responsible for maintaining, indexing, and providing access to civil case filings created within the county court system.

Under § 213.81 of the Pennsylvania Code, divorce records are generally presumed to be public. Accordingly, members of the public are permitted to inspect and obtain copies of these records unless a document or portion of the case has been sealed by court order or restricted by law.

The scope and contents of a divorce record vary depending on whether the divorce case is contested or uncontested. However, in most instances, individuals reviewing a divorce file may encounter the following categories of information:

• Identifying details of the parties, including the names of the spouses and their legal representatives
• Case data, such as the filing date, docket number, assigned judge, hearing officers, and case classification
• Case outcomes, including the type of disposition, the date judgment was entered, and the form of relief granted
• Chronological docket entries reflecting filings, hearings, motions, and court actions
• Associated legal documents, which may include the divorce complaint, affidavits of service, divorce information sheets, motions, interim orders, and the final judgment or decree

Divorce decrees formally conclude divorce proceedings and document the court’s final determinations.

According to the Court of Common Pleas’ 2024 caseload report, approximately 700 new divorce cases were filed in Dauphin during the reporting period, and 630 cases reached disposition.

County	Court Name	Address	Phone Number	Office Hours
Dauphin County	Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas	101 Market Street Suite 101 Harrisburg, PA 17101	(717) 780-6520	8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday