Potter County Custody Records
Potter County custody records are kept by the Potter County Sheriff's Office in Coudersport. Potter County is one of the most rural counties in Pennsylvania, with a small but active detention center operated by the Sheriff. Released inmate records from Potter County are available through public records requests and state-level search tools. This page explains where those records are held, how to request them, and what resources exist at the state level for searches involving Potter County.
Potter County Quick Facts
Potter County Sheriff's Detention Center
The Potter County Detention Center is run by the Potter County Sheriff's Office in Coudersport. The facility holds pre-trial detainees and short-term sentenced inmates from Potter County. As one of Pennsylvania's least populated counties, Potter's jail handles a smaller volume of bookings than most facilities in the state.
Visitation at the Detention Center follows a set weekly schedule based on the inmate's last name. Monday covers A through D, Tuesday covers E through J, Wednesday covers K through N, Thursday covers O through R, and Friday covers S through Z. Visiting hours are 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM and 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM on those days. Each inmate is allowed two 20-minute in-person non-contact visits per week.
| Facility |
Potter County Detention Center 102 East Second Street Coudersport, PA 16915 Phone: 814-274-9730 Fax: 814-274-7476 |
|---|---|
| Website | pottercountysheriff.org |
Inmate Records in Potter County
Released inmate records in Potter County are public under the Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104. This law applies to all county agencies, including the Sheriff's Office. Booking dates, charges, and release dates are part of the public record. Personal information such as Social Security numbers or medical details is exempt under CHRIA, 18 Pa.C.S. § 9121 et seq.
The UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us lets you search Potter County court dockets at no cost. Type in a name and the system shows cases filed in Potter County. For records held only at the jail, call the Potter County Sheriff at 814-274-9730 or submit a written request.
Pennsylvania's Clean Slate Act (Act 56 of 2018) seals some records after a waiting period. Expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 can also remove records from public access. These laws may explain why certain Potter County released inmate records do not appear in searches. The PA Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov handles disputes about denied requests.
Note: Visitors to the Potter County Detention Center must present valid photo ID and may not bring cell phones, cameras, or purses into the facility.
Right-to-Know Requests in Potter County
Submit Right-to-Know requests to the Potter County Sheriff's Office or the Potter County open records officer. Under 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104, the agency has 5 business days to respond. They can extend that period by 30 days with written notice. Copy fees under the RTKL are $0.25 per page for standard black-and-white copies.
Use the standard Pennsylvania RTK form at openrecords.pa.gov/RTKL/StandardRTKForm.cfm for your request. Mail it to the Potter County Sheriff's Office at 102 East Second Street, Coudersport, PA 16915. Include the inmate's full name and approximate dates of custody when possible. You do not have to state why you want the records.
If your request is denied, you can appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov or by calling 717-346-9903. You have 15 business days from the denial to file that appeal.
PA SAVIN — Victim Notification in Potter County
PA SAVIN provides free, automated alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. The system covers Potter County inmates held at the county level as well as those in state facilities. It runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at no cost to users.
Register at pavictimhelp.org or call 1-866-972-7284. Notifications arrive by phone call, email, or text message. Victims and community members both qualify to sign up. Once enrolled, you get an automatic alert any time the person you are tracking is released, transferred, or re-arrested in Pennsylvania, including Potter County.
PA SAVIN connects directly to jail management systems across the state. Changes entered by Potter County Detention Center staff trigger notifications right away. This makes it one of the fastest ways to track release events in Potter County.
Statewide Resources for Potter County
State-level tools supplement what Potter County offers locally. The PA DOC Inmate Locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov covers people serving state prison sentences. It is updated daily and free to use. If someone from Potter County received a state sentence, search there first.
PATCH at epatch.state.pa.us offers full statewide criminal history reports for $22. Call 1-888-783-7972 for support. The PA State Police maintains PATCH at psp.pa.gov. This system covers convictions statewide and is more complete than a single county search.
The PA Board of Probation and Parole at pbpp.pa.gov supervises parolees statewide. If someone from Potter County is on state parole, PBPP handles their supervision. The PA DOC main site at cor.pa.gov has additional resources, facility lists, and contact directories.
Note: Potter County's small size means some resources available in larger counties may be limited locally. State tools are especially valuable for Potter County searches.
Cities in Potter County
Potter County is one of Pennsylvania's most rural counties. The county seat is Coudersport. All released inmate records for Potter County are held at the Detention Center or the county courthouse in Coudersport.
Nearby Counties
Potter County borders several Pennsylvania counties in the north-central part of the state. If you are unsure which county holds the records you need, check where the arrest or conviction occurred.