Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas Sealing & Redaction Procedures

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Attorneys and self-represented parties must file the listed confidential documents with the appropriate filing office using the prescribed cover sheet.

A. In accordance with the Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania: Case Records of the Appellate and Trial Courts, attorneys and self- represented parties shall file the following confidential documents with the appropriate filing office (Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Clerk of the Orphans’ Court) under a cover sheet titled “Confidential Document Form” designed and published by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

The confidential-document procedure applies to financial source documents, minors’ educational records, medical or psychological records, Children and Youth Services records, marital property inventories and pre-trial statements, income and expense statements, and agreements between parties used under 23 Pa.C.S. §3105.

1. Financial Source Documents; 2. Minors’ educational records; 3. Medical/Psychological records; 4. Children and Youth Services’ records; 5. Marital Property Inventory and Pre-Trial Statement as provided in Pa.R.C.P. 1920.33; 6. Income and Expense Statements as provided in Pa.R.C.P. 1910.27(c); and 7. Agreements between parties as used in 23 Pa.C.S. §3105.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Financial account numbers generally may not appear in a filing, but the last four digits may be used when the active account is the subject of the case and cannot otherwise be identified.

2. Financial Account Numbers, except an active financial account number may be identified by the last four digits when the financial account is the subject of the case and cannot otherwise be identified;

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Attorneys and self-represented parties must exclude confidential information from filed documents, except on the Confidential Information Form published by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

A. In accordance with the Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania: Case Records of the Appellate and Trial Courts, attorneys and self- represented parties shall not include the following confidential information in any document filed with the appropriate filing office (Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Clerk of the Orphans’ Court), except on the Confidential Information Form designed and published by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Minors’ names and dates of birth may not appear in a filing except when the minor is charged as a defendant in a criminal matter.

5. Minors’ names and dates of birth except when a minor is charged as a defendant in a criminal matter (see 42 Pa.C.S. §6355); and

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

After a judge signs the Divorce Decree, the Prothonotary must remove the Divorce Information Sheet from the public file and keep it confidential.

After the Divorce Decree is signed by a judge, the Divorce Information Sheet shall be removed from the public file by the Prothonotary and shall be kept confidential in accordance with 23 Pa.C.S. Section 4304.1 (a)(3).

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Documents intended to be sealed must be designated as sealed in the CountySuite Portal and accompanied by a simultaneous Motion to Seal stating the reasons for sealing and following Local Rule 208.3(a) and (b).

Documents intended to be filed under seal shall be designated by the filing party as “sealed” in the CountySuite Portal. However, designation of documents as “sealed” does not seal the documents. In addition to making the designation in the CountySuite Portal, the filing party must also submit a Motion to Seal at the same time as the legal paper intended to be sealed. The motion shall outline the reasons why the legal paper should be sealed and shall follow motion procedure set forth in Local Rule of Civil Procedure 208.3(a) and (b).

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 1, 2026CRITICAL

Civil cases

Confidential Information Forms and documents properly filed with a Confidential Document Form are sealed automatically without a motion to seal.

Confidential Information Forms and documents properly filed with a Confidential Document Form pursuant to Case Records Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania will be sealed without motion.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

The court and appropriate filing offices are not required to review or redact filed documents for compliance with the Public Access Policy.

E. The court or appropriate filing office (Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Clerk of the Orphans’ Court), is not required and will not review or redact any filed document for compliance with the Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania: Case Records of the Appellate and Trial Courts.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026WARNING

The court and filing offices are not required to review filed documents for Public Access Policy compliance and will not redact them.

E. The court or appropriate filing office (Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Clerk of the Orphans’ Court), is not required and will not review or redact any filed document for compliance with the Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania: Case Records of the Appellate and Trial Courts.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 1, 2026INFO

The confidential-document rule does not apply to cases already sealed or exempt from public access under applicable authority, including juvenile cases, child support cases, and adoptions.

C. This section is not applicable to cases that are sealed or exempted from public access pursuant to applicable authority. Examples of such cases are juvenile cases, child support cases, and adoptions.

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B. Confidential documents submitted with the Confidential Document Form shall not be accessible to the public, except as ordered by the court. The Confidential Document Form shall be accessible to the public.

Summary: Confidential documents submitted with the required form are not publicly accessible unless the court orders otherwise, while the form itself is publicly accessible.

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3. Driver’s License Numbers;

Summary: Driver’s license numbers may not be included in a filing except on the designated Confidential Information Form.

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1. Social Security Numbers;

Summary: Social security numbers may not be included in a filing except on the designated Confidential Information Form.

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4. State Identification (SID) Numbers;

Summary: State identification numbers may not be included in a filing except on the designated Confidential Information Form.

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6. Abuse victim’s address and other contact information, including employer’s name, address and work schedule, in family court actions as defined by Pa.R.C.P. 1931(a), except for victim’s name.

Summary: In covered family-court actions, an abuse victim’s address and other contact information, including employer information, may not appear in a filing, but the victim’s name is excepted.

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C. This section is not applicable to cases that are sealed or exempted from public access pursuant to applicable authority. Examples of such cases are juvenile cases, child support cases, and adoptions.

Summary: The confidential-information section does not apply to sealed cases, cases exempt from public access, juvenile cases, child-support cases, or adoptions.