Lehigh County Inmate Population Records
Lehigh County inmate population records are available through the Lehigh County Jail inmate lookup system, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections statewide locator, and county court dockets. The county seat is Allentown, home to the Lehigh County Jail at 38 N. 4th Street. This guide covers how to search the jail inmate lookup, use the state DOC inmate database, review court records through the Pennsylvania UJS portal, and submit Right-to-Know requests for inmate information in Lehigh County.
Lehigh County Quick Facts
Lehigh County Jail Inmate Lookup
Lehigh County Jail is located at 38 N. 4th Street, Allentown, PA 18102. The main phone number is 610-782-3270. The facility is reachable by email at jail@lehighcounty.org. A warden oversees daily operations at the jail. The jail population includes pretrial detainees awaiting resolution of their cases in Lehigh County courts as well as sentenced individuals serving county-level terms. Medical care, commissary services, educational programming, and work release options are all available through the facility.
The Lehigh County Jail provides an online inmate lookup tool at lehighcounty.org/JailInmateSearch. You can search by first name, last name, booking number, or date of birth. The system returns results for currently held individuals only. Information shown includes booking data, current charges, bond status, and release dates when applicable. Court dates may also appear for active cases. The lookup is updated daily, requires no login, and is free to use. Mobile devices can access the system without any additional software. The main jail information page at lehighcounty.org/Jail provides details on visiting schedules, mail procedures, telephone access, and inmate programs.
If a search returns no results, the person may have been released since the last update or may be held at a different facility. Calling the jail directly at 610-782-3270 confirms current custody status.
The photograph below shows the Lehigh County Jail facility at 38 N. 4th Street in Allentown, which houses the county's pretrial detainees and sentenced county inmates.
For Lehigh County residents sentenced to state prison rather than county jail, the PADOC state inmate locator is the correct search tool.
Pennsylvania DOC Search for Lehigh County Inmates
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections inmate locator at pa.gov inmate and parolee locator covers all individuals serving state prison sentences across Pennsylvania's 24 state correctional institutions. Lehigh County residents who received felony convictions and state sentences will appear here rather than on the county jail roster. The system is updated every day and does not require a login or payment to access.
Search by last name, first name, or inmate number. For common surnames, pairing a first name or using the committing county filter makes results more manageable. Setting the committing county filter to Lehigh returns all incarcerated individuals whose criminal cases originated in Lehigh County, no matter which state facility currently holds them. Results include the full name, date of birth, inmate number, current facility, and committing county. The inmate number links to a detail page with a photo, physical description, and any aliases. Pennsylvania holds more than 36,000 people across its state correctional institutions daily. DOC information and facility details are available at cor.pa.gov.
Pop-up blockers can interfere with the locator. Disable them for the site or switch browsers if results do not load. Email ra-contactdoc@pa.gov for technical support.
Lehigh County Sheriff and Warrant Records
The Lehigh County Sheriff's Office is located at 455 W. Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101. Sheriff Joseph P. Hanna leads the office. The phone number is 610-782-3170 and the fax is 610-820-3672. The email address is sheriff@lehighcounty.org. The Sheriff's Office is responsible for warrant service, civil process, concealed carry permits, jail transport, fingerprinting, sheriff's sales, and emergency response. Deputies transport inmates from the Lehigh County Jail to the Allentown courthouse for scheduled hearings and trials.
The Lehigh County Sheriff's Office does not publish a live online warrant list. Warrant status tied to open criminal cases is visible through the court docket system. The Sheriff also oversees deputy recruitment, community programs, and Right-to-Know requests directed to the office. Active warrant information can be verified by calling the Sheriff's Office or reviewing related court docket sheets through the UJS portal. Civil process documents, including writs and orders for sheriff's sales of real property, are also tracked through the office.
The image below shows the PADOC inmate locator portal, a complement to local Lehigh County Jail records for state-sentenced incarcerated individuals.
Combining the Lehigh County Sheriff's resources with the PADOC database gives the most complete view of the county inmate population across jurisdictions.
Lehigh County Court Records and Docket Search
Court records for Lehigh County cases are available through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System case search portal. The Lehigh County Courthouse is located in Allentown. The Court of Common Pleas handles felony criminal matters, civil cases, and appeals from lower courts. Magisterial District Courts throughout the county handle summary offenses, preliminary hearings, and minor criminal matters. The UJS portal at pacourts.us also provides access to the Pennsylvania Courts system at pacourts.us.
The UJS portal is free and requires no registration. Search by defendant name, docket number, or case number. Results show case status, charges, dispositions, and upcoming court dates. Docket sheets are especially useful when searching the Lehigh County inmate population because they reveal what charges led to custody, whether a plea was entered, and what sentence was imposed. New filings may take up to 72 hours to appear online. Certified copies of court documents are available from the Clerk of Courts at the Lehigh County Courthouse for a standard fee. Juvenile records are confidential under Pennsylvania law and are not accessible through the public portal. Court docket information should not replace a formal criminal history check for official purposes.
These are common uses for the Lehigh County court records search tool:
- Confirming charges and case status for a current jail inmate
- Verifying scheduled hearing dates
- Checking whether a sentence was imposed and its length
- Identifying the case number before submitting a certified copy request
- Researching prior convictions tied to a person in the inmate database
- Locating the docket for a state-sentenced individual before contacting the DOC
Lehigh County Open Records and Right-to-Know
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, codified at 65 P.S. sections 67.101 through 67.3104, gives the public the right to request government records from Lehigh County agencies. Open records requests can be submitted through the county's Open Records Office at lehighcounty.org/OpenRecords. The Open Records Office is located at 17 S. 7th Street, Allentown, PA 18101. The standard fee for paper copies is $0.25 per page. Agencies have five business days to provide a response after receiving a request.
If a request is denied, you may appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov. The RTKL covers most administrative records held by Lehigh County Jail, the Sheriff's Office, and other county departments. Criminal history record information protected under CHRIA (18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91) is exempt from RTKL disclosure. The Clean Slate Act (Act 56 of 2018) may further limit access to sealed low-level conviction records. For state-level DOC open records questions, contact the RTK Law Office at (717) 728-7763 or RA-docrighttoknow@pa.gov. Extensions are available for large or legally sensitive requests, and fee waivers may apply in qualifying circumstances.
Federal Inmates and Parolees From Lehigh County
Federal convictions result in placement at federal Bureau of Prisons facilities, not at Lehigh County Jail or Pennsylvania SCIs. The Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator at bop.gov is the correct resource for finding a federally sentenced individual. Pennsylvania federal prisons include USP Canaan, FCI Allenwood, FCI Schuylkill, and FCI McKean. The BOP locator is free and requires no login.
For Lehigh County residents under state parole supervision, the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole oversees cases through regional district offices. Visit pbpp.pa.gov for regional contacts. The PADOC operates a parolee locator at cor.pa.gov/parolee-locator/ for individuals released onto parole from state prison. The Pennsylvania Justice Network at jnet.pa.gov supports law enforcement and authorized public safety agencies with comprehensive statewide criminal justice data, including inmate records, rap sheets, and warrant information. General public access to JNET is not available.
PATCH Background Checks in Lehigh County
Pennsylvania's official criminal history background check system is called PATCH, which stands for Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History. It is managed by the Pennsylvania State Police and available online at epatch.pa.gov. The cost is $22 per search. Results cover state-level criminal convictions, including those from Lehigh County cases. The system is available at all hours and processes most searches quickly. No-record responses are typically returned immediately. Cases with a conviction on file may require additional processing.
PATCH is governed by the Criminal History Record Information Act under 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91. The Act directs the Pennsylvania State Police to manage and share criminal history information in accordance with state law. Court docket sheets are useful for general research but should not substitute for a formal PATCH check when a certified criminal record is needed. Records sealed under the Clean Slate Act (Act 56 of 2018) may not appear in PATCH results. Additional guidance on criminal history access, law enforcement resources, and Bureau of Records contacts is available at the Pennsylvania State Police website at psp.pa.gov. Notarized copies of criminal record checks must be submitted by mail to the PSP Central Repository at 1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9758.
Nearby Counties With Inmate Records
If the person you are searching for may be held in a neighboring county, these counties near Lehigh all maintain accessible inmate population records and jail rosters.