Pennsylvania Charge Code Lookup

Type a Pennsylvania charge code from a booking sheet, jail roster or ticket and see which law book and section it points to, with a link to the official text. It runs in your browser and nothing is stored.

Enter a code to see which law book it comes from and open the official text.

Pennsylvania criminal code books and abbreviations

Pennsylvania defines offenses in more than one law book, so the abbreviation on the record tells you which one:

  • Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 18 (Crimes Code) (Pa.C.S.). Sections are written as title + 3- or 4-digit section (18 Pa.C.S. § 2701, 18 Pa.C.S. § 907), for example 2701, 3921. See section 2701
  • Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 75 (Vehicles) (Pa.C.S.). Sections are written as title + 4-digit section (75 Pa.C.S. § 3802), for example 3802, 1543. See section 3802
  • The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act (35 P.S. § 780-101 and following) (P.S.). Sections are written as title 35 + 780-section (35 P.S. § 780-113); one official page holds the whole act, for example 780-113. Official code site

After an arrest in Pennsylvania: the first court appearance

After a warrantless arrest in a court case, a complaint is filed and the defendant gets a preliminary arraignment without unnecessary delay. (Pa.R.Crim.P. 519(A)(1))

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (B), when a defendant has been arrested without a warrant in a court case, a complaint shall be filed against the defendant and the defendant shall be afforded a preliminary arraignment by the proper issuing authority without unnecessary delay.

Pennsylvania courts call this hearing the preliminary arraignment.

What this page does not do

  • It does not look up a person, a booking or a case.
  • It does not say what a charge will lead to; the prosecutor decides what is filed.
  • Pennsylvania does not publish a free page for every section, so some results link the official code index.
  • It collects nothing; what you type stays in your browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I read a Pennsylvania charge code?

Find the number and the abbreviation. Pa.C.S. is used for the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 18 (Crimes Code) and the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 75 (Vehicles), so the title or chapter number in the cite tells them apart; P.S. is The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act (35 P.S. § 780-101 and following). A section is written as title + 3- or 4-digit section (18 Pa.C.S. § 2701, 18 Pa.C.S. § 907). The lookup above links the official text.

How long can you be held in Pennsylvania before seeing a judge?

After a warrantless arrest in a court case, a complaint is filed and the defendant gets a preliminary arraignment without unnecessary delay. (Pa.R.Crim.P. 519(A)(1)).

Sources

Checked against the sources above on October 20, 2026.

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