Bradford County Public Records / Bradford County Arrest Records

Bradford County Arrest Records

Are Arrest Records Public in Bradford County

Arrest records in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, are generally considered public records under state law. The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (§ 65 P.S. 67.101 et seq.) establishes the legal framework governing public access to government records, including those maintained by law enforcement agencies. Under this statute, members of the public may inspect and obtain copies of records held by Commonwealth agencies, local agencies, and law enforcement bodies, subject to specific exemptions.

It is important to distinguish between an arrest record and a conviction record. An arrest record documents the fact that an individual was taken into custody by law enforcement and does not constitute evidence of guilt or a finding of criminal liability. A conviction record, by contrast, reflects a formal judicial determination of guilt following a plea or trial. Under Pennsylvania law, arrest records that did not result in conviction may be subject to expungement, limiting their availability to the general public. The PA Office of Open Records provides guidance on which categories of law enforcement records are subject to disclosure and which are exempt under current law.

What's in Bradford County Arrest Records

Bradford County arrest records contain a standardized set of data fields compiled at the time of booking and updated as a case progresses through the criminal justice system.

Arrestee Identifying Information:

Full legal name and known aliases
Date of birth and age at time of arrest
Gender, race, and physical descriptors (height, weight, eye and hair color)
Last known residential address

Arrest Details:

Date, time, and location of arrest
Name and badge number of arresting officer
Arresting agency (e.g., Bradford County Sheriff's Office, Pennsylvania State Police)

Charge Information:

Specific criminal charges filed, including statute citations
Charge classification (felony, misdemeanor, summary offense)
Disposition of each charge, if available

Warrant Information (if applicable):

Warrant number and issuing court
Date warrant was issued and basis for issuance

Booking Information:

Booking number and date
Facility where the individual was processed
Fingerprint and photograph (mugshot) notation

Bond/Bail Information:

Bail amount set by the court
Type of bail (cash, surety, recognizance)
Current bail status

Court Information:

Assigned court docket number
Scheduled hearing or arraignment dates
Presiding judge or magisterial district judge

Custody Status:

Current incarceration status and facility
Release date or projected release date, if applicable

Additional Information May Include:

Prior arrest history linked to the individual
Probation or parole status
Detainer information from other jurisdictions

How To Look Up Arrest Records in Bradford County in 2026

Members of the public seeking arrest records in Bradford County may access them through several official channels. The following steps outline the standard process currently in use.

Identify the correct custodial agency. Arrest records may be held by the Bradford County Sheriff's Office, the Pennsylvania State Police Troop P (Towanda), or the Bradford County Prothonotary, depending on the nature of the arrest and the stage of proceedings.
Submit a Right-to-Know request. Pursuant to § 65 P.S. 67.703, requesters must submit a written request to the agency's designated Open Records Officer. Requests may be submitted in person, by mail, or electronically where the agency permits.
Provide identifying information. Requesters should supply the full name of the subject, approximate date of arrest, and any known case or docket numbers to facilitate record retrieval.
Pay applicable fees. Agencies may charge duplication fees as permitted under the Right-to-Know Law. Fee schedules are available at each agency's public counter.
Await agency response. Under current law, agencies are required to respond to Right-to-Know requests within five business days, with the possibility of a 30-day extension under specified circumstances.

Bradford County Sheriff's Office 301 Main Street, Towanda, PA 18848 (570) 265-1703 Sheriff | Bradford County, PA

Bradford County Prothonotary 301 Main Street, Towanda, PA 18848 (570) 265-1706 Prothonotary | Bradford County, PA

Public counter hours for both offices are generally Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding official holidays.

How To Find Bradford County Arrest Records Online

Several official online platforms currently provide access to Bradford County arrest and criminal history information.

Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH): The Pennsylvania State Police operates the ePATCH online portal, which allows members of the public to submit name-based criminal history record checks. The overview of PATCH explains submission procedures, applicable fees, and the scope of records returned.
Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania: Court docket information, including charges and case dispositions, may be searched through the UJS Web Portal case search, which indexes records from courts of common pleas across the Commonwealth.
Pennsylvania State Police Public Information Release Reports: The Pennsylvania State Police publishes public information release reports that include incident and arrest data organized by county, including Bradford County.
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Inmate Locator: Individuals currently incarcerated in a state correctional institution may be located through the Inmate/Department Supervised Individual Locator, maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
Bradford County Departments Portal: General departmental information, including offices responsible for record maintenance, is accessible through the Bradford County Departments page.

How To Search Bradford County Arrest Records for Free?

Several no-cost methods are currently available for members of the public seeking Bradford County arrest records without incurring fees.

UJS Web Portal: The Unified Judicial System's case search tool provides free access to court docket information, including criminal case filings and dispositions, for cases processed through Pennsylvania courts of common pleas.
Pennsylvania State Police Public Information Reports: The public information release reports published by the Pennsylvania State Police are available at no charge and include Bradford County arrest and incident data.
In-Person Inspection: Under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, members of the public may inspect public records in person at the custodial agency's office without charge. Fees apply only when copies are requested.
Bradford County Prothonotary: The Prothonotary's office maintains court records that are open for public inspection during regular business hours at no cost for viewing.
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Locator: The inmate locator tool is freely accessible online and requires no registration or fee to search for individuals currently under state supervision.

How To Delete Arrest Records in Bradford County

Pennsylvania law provides two primary mechanisms for limiting public access to arrest records: expungement and limited access (sealing). These remedies are distinct in their legal effect and eligibility requirements.

Expungement results in the physical destruction or removal of arrest records from agency files, effectively eliminating the record from public and most official databases. Limited access, sometimes referred to as sealing, restricts public access to a record while preserving it for use by criminal justice agencies and certain authorized entities.

Under § 18 Pa. C.S. 9122, individuals may petition for expungement of arrest records in the following circumstances:

The individual was arrested but not convicted, and the charges were dismissed, withdrawn, or nolle prossed
The individual was acquitted at trial
The individual has reached 70 years of age, has been free of arrest or prosecution for ten years following the last conviction, and the sentence has been completed
The individual was convicted of a summary offense and has been free of arrest or prosecution for five years following the conviction

The process for seeking expungement or limited access in Bradford County involves the following steps:

Obtain and complete a Petition for Expungement from the Bradford County Court of Common Pleas.
File the petition with the Bradford County Prothonotary and pay the applicable filing fee.
Serve copies of the petition on the District Attorney's Office and any other agencies holding responsive records.
Attend a scheduled hearing before a judge of the Court of Common Pleas, if required.
Upon entry of a court order granting expungement, the order is transmitted to all relevant agencies, including the Pennsylvania State Police, directing destruction or sealing of the records.

Juvenile arrest records are subject to separate provisions under Pennsylvania's Juvenile Act and are generally not accessible to the public.

What Happens After Arrest in Bradford County?

The criminal justice process in Bradford County follows a structured sequence from the point of arrest through final case disposition.

Arrest and Booking: Following an arrest, the individual is transported to the Bradford County Correctional Facility or a local police facility for booking, which includes fingerprinting, photographing, and recording of personal information.
Arraignment: The individual appears before a Magisterial District Judge, who informs the defendant of the charges, sets bail, and schedules a preliminary hearing.
Preliminary Hearing: A Magisterial District Judge determines whether sufficient evidence exists to hold the case for court. Charges may be dismissed, reduced, or bound over to the Court of Common Pleas.
Formal Arraignment: At the Court of Common Pleas level, the defendant enters a formal plea. Cases may proceed to trial or be resolved through a negotiated plea agreement.
Trial or Plea: If the matter proceeds to trial, a judge or jury renders a verdict. Upon conviction, the court schedules a sentencing hearing.
Sentencing: The Court of Common Pleas imposes a sentence, which may include incarceration, probation, fines, or a combination thereof. Individuals sentenced to state incarceration are transferred to a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections facility, where their status may be monitored through the inmate locator.

How Long Are Arrest Records Kept in Bradford County?

Arrest record retention in Bradford County is governed by Pennsylvania's Municipal Records Manual and applicable provisions of state law. Different agencies maintain records for varying periods depending on the nature of the record and the outcome of the associated case.

Under Pennsylvania's records retention schedules, law enforcement agencies are generally required to retain arrest records as follows:

Arrest records resulting in conviction: Retained permanently or for a minimum of 75 years, consistent with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's guidelines for criminal justice records.
Arrest records not resulting in conviction: Retained for a minimum period, typically three to seven years, unless subject to an expungement order, which mandates earlier destruction.
Fingerprint and biometric records: Retained by the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Records and Identification until expunged by court order or otherwise authorized for destruction.

The Pennsylvania State Police, through the PATCH system, maintains a centralized repository of criminal history data submitted by law enforcement agencies statewide. Records retention preserves evidence and accountability across the criminal justice system and ensures that authorized agencies have access to accurate historical data when required for investigative or adjudicative purposes.

How to Find Mugshots in Bradford County

What Mugshots Are

Mugshots are photographic images taken of an individual at the time of booking following an arrest. They are part of the official booking record and are maintained by the arresting or booking agency.

Where Mugshots Are Maintained

In Bradford County, mugshots are primarily maintained by the Bradford County Sheriff's Office and the Bradford County Correctional Facility. The Bradford County Sheriff's Office is the principal custodian of booking photographs for individuals processed through county facilities.

Finding Mugshots

Members of the public may request mugshots by submitting a Right-to-Know request to the Bradford County Sheriff's Office or the relevant law enforcement agency. Requests must identify the subject by name and, where possible, by date of arrest or booking number.

Can They Be Found Online

At present, Bradford County does not operate a publicly accessible online mugshot database. However, the Pennsylvania State Police publishes public information release reports that may include arrest information for Bradford County incidents. Third-party websites may aggregate mugshot data, but such sources are not official and may not reflect current custody or case status.

Obtaining Mugshots Officially

Official mugshot requests are processed through the Bradford County Sheriff's Office public counter, located at 301 Main Street, Towanda, PA 18848, during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Restrictions on Mugshot Access

Mugshots associated with records that have been expunged by court order are no longer subject to public disclosure. Additionally, mugshots of juvenile arrestees are exempt from public access under Pennsylvania's Juvenile Act. Agencies may withhold mugshots where disclosure would jeopardize an ongoing investigation or compromise the safety of an individual, consistent with exemptions recognized under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law.