How record clearing works in Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County’s court filings are handled by the Clerk of Judicial Records, which combines the offices other counties call the Clerk of Courts and the Prothonotary. Criminal expungement and limited access petitions go to its Criminal Division at the courthouse on North Washington Avenue in Scranton.
Every Lackawanna criminal case has a Common Pleas docket that starts with CP-35-CR. Most also have an earlier magisterial district court docket starting with MJ-45, from the district judge where the case was first filed. A proper petition clears both. If only the Common Pleas docket is addressed, the magisterial district record can still show up.
ARD in Lackawanna County: the completion letter is not the end
If you completed ARD in Lackawanna County, the Adult Probation and Parole Department will send a letter confirming you finished the program and asking that an application be made to the court for an order dismissing the charges. That letter does not clear your record. Until a judge signs a dismissal and expungement order, the case stays on the public docket as an ARD case.
Under Pa.R.Crim.P. 319 and 320, the judge dismisses the charges and orders the arrest record expunged once you file. The District Attorney has 30 days to object. We ask the DA’s office and Adult Probation to sign concurrences in advance so the judge sees there is no objection, and we serve the order on the FBI as well as the Pennsylvania State Police.
What it costs in Lackawanna County
Our fee is flat: $895 for an expungement or $1,250 for a limited access petition, plus court costs. Under the Clerk of Judicial Records’ 2026 fee schedule, the county charges $171 to file an expungement petition and $158 for limited access. Those amounts are set by the county and change from year to year, so we confirm them when we quote your case.
Our process
- We pull every docket. We search the statewide court system by name and date of birth, from age 18 forward, so nothing gets missed, including old magisterial district cases and anything filed in another county.
- We sort each case. Every docket is matched to expungement, limited access by petition, automatic Clean Slate, or a pardon, and you get a flat quote before we file.
- We prepare and file. We draft the petition, the proposed order with the information Pa.R.Crim.P. 790 or 791 requires, and the confidential information form, then file with the county clerk and serve the District Attorney.
- We follow it through. After the judge signs, the clerk sends the order to the State Police, the arresting agency and the other agencies listed. We confirm the updates and send you a completion packet.
Common questions
Do I have to go to the courthouse in Scranton?
Usually not. Most uncontested expungement and limited access petitions are decided on the papers. If the District Attorney objects, the court can schedule a hearing, and we appear with you.
How long does a Lackawanna County expungement take?
Once filed, the District Attorney has 30 days to respond. Timing after that depends on the court’s schedule. When the DA concurs in advance, the judge can act sooner. After the order is signed, the State Police and other agencies update their records over the following weeks.
My case was in a magisterial district court, not Common Pleas. Can you still clear it?
Yes. Summary cases and cases dismissed at the preliminary hearing stage are handled at the magisterial district level or by petition in Common Pleas, depending on the case. We check the docket and file in the right place.