Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search box is sent directly to the outside company that operates that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its response. Pennsylvania Criminal History does not keep a separate log of those search terms.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email or other direct message may be retained long enough to review and answer it. We keep correspondence within the operating team unless disclosure is required by a valid legal duty.
Data We Gather Automatically
Normal server logs record basic technical information when a visitor loads a page, including:
- Page-view dates and times
- The referring site, when one is reported
- Pages viewed and approximate visit duration
- Browser name and version
- Operating system and device category
- The device's assigned IP address
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files that help measure how the site is used, such as which Pennsylvania record topics receive traffic and where visits end. Analytics providers combine that activity into broader performance reports. A browser can reject or remove cookies, although a blocked cookie may change how some features work.
What We Do With This Data
- Routing a submitted search to the provider that operates it
- Maintaining site availability and page speed
- Finding errors, outages, and other technical problems
- Understanding which resources visitors use most
- Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Pennsylvania Criminal History does not own, compile, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It publishes directions to official sources, including the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Pennsylvania State Police Megan's Law Public Website, state courts, and local offices across 67 counties. Visitor information is not assembled into a consumer report or a file about another person. This private site is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies operate the search tools. Information submitted to one of those companies is governed by its privacy policy, retention rules, and disclosure practices. We do not control those terms. Review the provider's policy before sending a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to Pennsylvania agencies, court portals, county offices, legal resources, or outside search services. Once a visitor leaves this domain, the destination's privacy terms apply. Read those terms before providing personal data.
Advertising companies may use their own systems to observe activity across multiple sites and tailor advertisements. Their tracking is not operated by Pennsylvania Criminal History.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Limited data may still be available to:
- Advertising networks that serve content on the pages
- Analytics vendors that measure traffic and performance
- Search providers that receive a query submitted to their tool
- A government or law-enforcement body acting under a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, commonly used safeguards protect the information under our control. No internet service can guarantee absolute security, so these measures cannot eliminate every risk of unauthorized access or loss.
Users Under 18
This service is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from a person under 18. A report that a minor supplied such data will be reviewed so the information can be deleted.
Your Data Rights
Applicable privacy and consumer-protection law may provide additional rights based on a visitor's location. The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, Act 3 of 2008, governs access to public-agency records. The Pennsylvania Criminal History Record Information Act, 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91, governs state criminal-history dissemination. Neither law turns visitor analytics into a government criminal-history file. Subject to applicable law, a visitor may:
- Request access to personal data held about that visitor
- Ask for inaccurate personal data to be corrected
- Seek deletion when the law permits it
- Object to or opt out of qualifying processing
Updates to This Policy
Revisions to this policy will be posted here. The effective date will change when an updated version takes effect, so visitors can review the current handling practices.
Effective date: August 11, 2026