What shows up on a Pennsylvania background check
Last updated: May 2026
Pennsylvania criminal-history records are maintained by Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Criminal Record Check (PATCH system). Whether you are about to apply for a job, an apartment, or a professional license, the most useful thing you can do is understand exactly what an employer or landlord will see — and what changes if you successfully clear your record.
FCRA notice
The background-check services we link to are not consumer reporting agencies as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Reports generated by these services may not be used in whole or in part to make decisions about employment, tenant screening, insurance, credit, or any other purpose that requires FCRA compliance.
ExpungeReady earns a commission on some links on this page. We only recommend services we believe are useful for personal-records research. Always verify your own records directly with the state repository or the FBI before relying on any third-party report.
What Pennsylvania employers actually see
On a standard private background check ordered through a consumer-reporting agency, a Pennsylvania employer typically sees:
- Felony and misdemeanor convictions not yet automatically sealed under Clean Slate
- Pending charges
- Summary offenses outside the auto-seal window
- Records flagged as ineligible (violent offenses, certain sex offenses, firearm or child-victim crimes)
Pennsylvania follows the federal FCRA 7-year limit. Under Clean Slate 3.0 (Act 36 of 2023, effective Feb 12, 2024), qualifying summaries, misdemeanors, and certain non-violent felonies are automatically sealed after a conviction-free waiting period.
How to see your own Pennsylvania record
Official source: Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Criminal Record Check (PATCH system)
Cost: $22 online via PATCH (no charge for sealed-record verification)
Turnaround: Usually instant online; 2–4 weeks if a manual review is triggered
Where to start: https://epatch.pa.gov/
The official Pennsylvania record only covers in-state arrests and convictions. If you have lived in multiple states, or want to see what private aggregators have collected about you, run a personal records check first — it shows the same data an out-of-state employer's consumer-reporting agency would pull.
What changes after expungement in Pennsylvania
Automatic sealing under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.2 / § 9122.3 hides the record from most public access, including private employers and landlords. Sealed records remain visible to law enforcement, the courts, and a narrow set of state agencies. Pennsylvanians whose records are sealed may lawfully respond that the conviction did not occur on most employment and housing applications, except where federal law or specific licensing rules require disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Clean Slate sealing and expungement in Pennsylvania?
Sealing under Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law hides eligible misdemeanors, summaries, and some non-violent felonies from public view but does not destroy the record — law enforcement and certain agencies can still see it. Full expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 destroys the record entirely and is typically available only for non-conviction cases (acquittal, dismissal, ARD completion), pardoned offenses, and most cases involving people 70 or older with 10 conviction-free years.
How do I check my own Pennsylvania criminal record?
Pennsylvania maintains its criminal-history records through Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Criminal Record Check (PATCH system). You can request your own record for $22 online via PATCH (no charge for sealed-record verification); results typically arrive in Usually instant online; 2–4 weeks if a manual review is triggered. Pulling your own record before applying for a job is the single most useful step you can take.
Do private background checks show Pennsylvania sealed or expunged records?
Private consumer-reporting agencies are required to remove sealed or expunged records once notified, but they often retain old copies and may continue to report them by mistake. After your order is granted, request a free annual personal-records report from each major reporting agency and dispute any entries that still show the old data.