Lehigh County Traffic Ticket Records
Lehigh County is situated in eastern Pennsylvania and forms the core of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area along with neighboring Northampton County. Allentown, Pennsylvania's third-largest city, serves as the county seat. The Lehigh Valley's dense road network, active freight corridors, and large commuter population make Lehigh County one of the busier counties in the state for traffic enforcement. Traffic ticket records for Lehigh County are public documents held in the Pennsylvania court system. The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal provides free access to all docket sheets, including violation type, hearing dates, fines, and case outcomes for citations issued throughout the county.
Lehigh County Quick Facts
Finding Lehigh County Traffic Records Online
The UJS portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us is the main tool for searching Lehigh County traffic ticket records. The portal is free, requires no registration, and is available at all hours. Search terms can include a driver name, citation number, case number, or docket number. Lehigh County's high citation volume, driven by Allentown's population and the Lehigh Valley's busy roads, means that searching by citation number is often more efficient than searching by name.
Choose the Magisterial District Court search option on the portal. Lehigh County has many Magisterial District Courts covering Allentown, Bethlehem, Emmaus, Macungie, and the county's various townships. The citation number from your ticket or the mailed court notice will return the most precise match. MJ-prefix dockets represent cases at the Magisterial District Court level. CP-prefix dockets represent cases appealed to the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. Both appear in the same portal search.
The Lehigh County official website provides an extensive directory of county services including the Clerk of Judicial Records, Sheriff's Office, and court administration contacts. Departments include Assessment, Corrections, Emergency Management, GIS, Human Services, Parks and Recreation, and Voter Registration, among others. Online services on the site support tax payments, dog licenses, passports, and vote-by-mail applications. Credit and debit card as well as eCheck payments are accepted through the county's online portal for various county fees.
The Lehigh County website offers residents a broad range of online services alongside court records access links for the Allentown and Lehigh Valley area.
Note: The PAeDocket mobile app gives Lehigh County drivers free access to the same traffic record search available on the UJS web portal from any iOS or Android device.
Lehigh County Traffic Court Record Contents
Traffic ticket records in Lehigh County are formatted as structured docket sheets within the UJS portal. Each docket covers one citation from filing through final disposition. The layout is the same across all Pennsylvania counties.
A Lehigh County traffic docket lists the defendant's name and date of birth, the date and precise location of the alleged offense, the Vehicle Code section the officer charged, the name and agency of the citing officer, all scheduled and completed hearing dates, fines and court costs imposed, and the current payment or case status. Convictions note whether points were transmitted to PennDOT. Dismissals and not-guilty outcomes are recorded with equal completeness. Amended charges show both the original and the reduced citation section on the same docket entry.
Lehigh County traffic records through the UJS portal provide a complete and organized view of every citation filed in the county court system.
Cases appealed to the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas in Allentown add entries for attorney appearances, hearing schedules, and the final decision of the Common Pleas judge. These CP-level records are searchable in the same portal.
Magisterial District Courts in Lehigh County
Lehigh County supports one of the larger networks of Magisterial District Courts in Pennsylvania given the density of its population. Every summary traffic offense issued in the county goes to the Magisterial District Court that covers the location where the stop occurred. Allentown alone has multiple Magisterial District Courts to handle the city's citation volume. Suburban and rural areas of Lehigh County each have their own assigned court districts.
After a Lehigh County officer issues a traffic citation, it is filed with the appropriate Magisterial District Court. The court sends the driver a notice stating the hearing date, the fine amount for the violation, and the court's address. Drivers have 10 days from the citation date to respond. Paying the fine, requesting a hearing, or submitting a written response are the available choices. Missing the 10-day window without responding results in a default judgment, additional costs, and a potential referral to PennDOT for license suspension. Given the volume of cases in Lehigh County, courts process defaults quickly, so acting without delay is essential.
Traffic enforcement in Lehigh County involves Allentown Police, Bethlehem Police, Lehigh County Sheriff, Pennsylvania State Police, and numerous municipal police departments across the county's townships and boroughs. All citations from these agencies flow through the same Magisterial District Court system. Appeals from Lehigh County Magisterial District Courts go to the Court of Common Pleas in Allentown. Court contacts are available through the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.
Note: Lehigh County's Court of Common Pleas also handles cases referred by the Clerk of Judicial Records, which maintains civil and criminal division records including traffic appeals under the county's comprehensive court administration structure.
Pennsylvania Traffic Point System and Lehigh County Violations
Traffic violations in Lehigh County are prosecuted under Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. Each moving violation carries a point value applied to the driver's PennDOT record upon conviction. Lehigh County's highways, urban roads, and residential streets all see active enforcement throughout the year.
Common point assignments under Pennsylvania law include 2 points for speeding 6 to 10 mph over the limit, 3 points for following too closely or failing to stop at a traffic light, 4 points for driving at an unsafe speed under conditions, and 5 points for aggressive driving or reckless driving. When a Lehigh County driver's total reaches 6 or more points, PennDOT sends notice and schedules a mandatory examination. Eleven or more points triggers a license suspension of at least 5 days per point above 10. Drivers can reduce their total by completing a state-approved defensive driving course, which removes 3 points once every 3 years. Full details are at PennDOT Driver Services.
Interstate 78, US-22, and PA-309 are heavily traveled and heavily enforced corridors in Lehigh County. Allentown city streets see frequent enforcement for red light violations, speeding, and stop sign infractions. The Lehigh Valley's freight traffic also means commercial vehicle violations appear with some regularity in county court records.
Responding to a Lehigh County Traffic Citation
A Lehigh County traffic ticket triggers a 10-day window to choose a response. The mailed court notice states the fine, the hearing date, and the Magisterial District Court's address. Taking action before the deadline prevents default judgments and the added costs that follow from inaction.
Paying the fine through PAePay at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch is available around the clock. Credit cards and electronic checks are accepted. Mail payment by check or money order to the Magisterial District Court on the notice is also available. Paying without a hearing is a guilty plea and results in any applicable points being reported to PennDOT by the court.
Contesting the ticket requires requesting a hearing within the 10-day period. Come to the hearing with evidence. Dashcam footage, GPS records, photographs, and witness statements are all valuable forms of evidence at a Lehigh County traffic hearing. The citing officer is required to be present. If the officer does not appear, the case is typically dismissed. Losing at the Magisterial District Court level still leaves open a 30-day window to appeal to the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas in Allentown. That appeal is a new hearing with no presumption from the lower court decision.
Note: Lehigh County's Magisterial District Courts in Allentown handle a high volume of cases, so requesting a contested hearing as soon as possible gives you more scheduling flexibility.
PennDOT Driving Records for Lehigh County Drivers
PennDOT maintains a driving record for every Pennsylvania-licensed driver, including the large driver population in Lehigh County and the broader Lehigh Valley. The record logs all traffic convictions, points, license suspensions, and reinstatements. Lehigh County courts transmit conviction data to PennDOT electronically after each case is resolved, and the record is updated within a few business days.
Lehigh County drivers can order their driving record by submitting Form DL-503 to PennDOT. A standard non-certified record costs $5.00. A certified copy suitable for legal use costs $10.00. Mail the completed form and the correct payment to PennDOT Bureau of Driver Licensing, P.O. Box 69003, Harrisburg, PA 17106-9003. Online requests are also available through the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services portal. Reviewing your driving record after a Lehigh County conviction confirms that the entry is accurate and shows how your current point total compares to the thresholds that trigger license actions.
Nearby Counties
Traffic records from counties surrounding Lehigh are accessible through the same Pennsylvania UJS portal.