About the Cumberland County Prothonotary
The Prothonotary is the Clerk of the Civil Division of the Court of Common Pleas and has administrative control over the official documents and records of that division. Montana Hartman is listed as Prothonotary. The office's mission is to maintain and provide appropriate public access to the civil records the court needs to operate. It is an elected county row office, in keeping with Pennsylvania's structure.
The office does more than file lawsuits. It also serves as a passport acceptance agent for the U.S. Department of State and takes part in naturalization ceremonies with federal immigration authorities. Because it shares the courthouse with several other record offices, knowing it is the civil counter, not the criminal one, saves a wrong-line visit. The contact details are below.
Cumberland County Prothonotary
Prothonotary: Montana Hartman
1 Courthouse Square, Suite 100
Carlisle, PA 17013
717.240.6195
prothonotary@cumberlandcountypa.gov
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
What the Prothonotary Does in Cumberland County
The office handles the civil paperwork of the Court of Common Pleas from start to finish. It records filings, keeps the civil docket, and provides public access to those records. Passport and naturalization work rounds out its role. The main duties include the following.
- Process and record civil filings, judgments, liens, and name changes.
- Maintain divorce and custody case files on the civil side of Common Pleas.
- Accept passport applications as a federal acceptance agent.
- Take online payments for copy bills, Protection From Abuse costs, and emailed divorce decree requests.
The office notes that filing fees must be submitted at the time of filing through OnBase and cannot be paid through the general online payment link.
Civil Records the Prothonotary Keeps
The Prothonotary holds the paper trail of civil litigation in the Court of Common Pleas. That covers a broad range of case types, from money disputes to property matters to family cases on the civil side. Knowing what lives here, versus the criminal Clerk of Courts or the Register of Wills, points you to the right counter.
- Civil complaints, answers, and judgments.
- Liens, mortgage foreclosures, and writs of execution.
- Name changes and miscellaneous civil petitions.
- Divorce, custody, and support files on the civil side of Common Pleas.
- Appeals from civil judgments entered by Magisterial District Courts.
Family law files filed after June 21, 2010 are kept here but are not posted online, so those are viewed at the office.
Passport and Naturalization Services
The Prothonotary does more than court paperwork. The office is a passport acceptance agent for the U.S. Department of State, so residents can submit passport applications there. Passport processing is handled by appointment, and the office sets specific appointment hours separate from its general counter hours. The office also takes part in naturalization ceremonies held with federal immigration authorities, a fitting role for the civil clerk of the court.
Because passport work is by appointment, call ahead before you go. The general office line is 717.240.6195, and the office sits in Suite 100 on the first floor, to the left after courthouse security.
Searching Cumberland County Civil Records
Civil records are searched through the county's OnBase Web Viewer. Civil court records filed after 1994 are available there. Docket entries can be viewed free of charge, while document images cost eight cents per page. The county supports Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome for the viewer. Two limits apply: Protection From Abuse records are not online under the Violence Against Women Act, and family law cases filed after June 21, 2010 are not online by local court order.
The county explains the civil search and purchase process step by step. See the Searchable Civil Records page.
Those instructions matter, because buying a document image follows a specific cart-based flow.
A civil docket here shows the case caption with the parties, the civil action number, the filing date, and each docket entry in date order, from praecipes and motions to orders, judgments, and satisfactions. A document icon beside an entry signals an image you can open or buy. Because the docket is the index and the document is the file behind it, you often read the free docket first, then buy only the pages you actually need.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is the version courts and agencies accept. The Prothonotary issues certified civil documents, including divorce decrees. Its FAQ says a certified divorce decree can be requested by visiting the office or by mail or email, and online payment is available for emailed decree requests.
- Identify the case by docket number or party names.
- Contact the Prothonotary in person, by mail, or by email at prothonotary@cumberlandcountypa.gov.
- Pay the applicable copy and certification fee, including online for emailed decree requests.
- Pick up the certified copy or receive it by mail or email as arranged.
The office also profiles its civil clerk role and records online. See the Prothonotary office page.
Records Request Details
Whether you request in person, by mail, or by email, give the office enough to find the file. A docket number is best, but party names and a document type work too. The pieces below help the Prothonotary process a copy request without back-and-forth.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Docket / Case Number | Helpful | Speeds the search; use it if you have it. |
| Party Names | Yes | Needed when no docket number is available. |
| Document Type | Yes | For example, a divorce decree or a judgment. |
| Number of Copies | Yes | Note whether you need certified copies. |
| Contact and Payment | Yes | Email for an emailed decree, or mailing address. |
Cumberland County Prothonotary Fees
Viewing a civil docket online is free. Costs begin with document images, certified copies, and filings. The OnBase figures below are set by the county; filing fees vary by case type and are paid through OnBase at the time of filing, so confirm the current amount with the office.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Civil docket entries (view online) | Free |
| OnBase document image, per page | $0.08 |
| Online card payments | Convenience fee applies, not waived |
| Civil filing fees | Vary by case; paid via OnBase at filing |
Note: a certified divorce decree carries a copy and certification charge, confirmed with the office before payment.
OnBase and Online Access
The OnBase Web Viewer is the county's civil record and document portal. After you find a docket entry, a black document icon marks an image you can buy. You add it to a cart, check out with email and a card, and then return to the viewer to open it under Recently Paid Views. Accepted cards are Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Purchased documents are not emailed, so do not close the window before returning to the cart. The county recommends an account so paid documents are not lost.
The viewer is the live entry point for county civil records. Open the Cumberland County OnBase Web Viewer to search and buy documents.
Printing a purchased document carries no extra fee; you right-click and print.
Right-to-Know and the Prothonotary
Most civil case access goes through the docket and the office directly, not a Right-to-Know request, because court case records follow the judiciary's own access rules. Where a Right-to-Know request does apply to a Prothonotary administrative record, the county routes it to prothonotary@cumberlandcountypa.gov. The broader process and the standard request form are covered on the public records page.
One practical tip: ask for a court case file as a case record, using the docket number, rather than filing a Right-to-Know request. A Right-to-Know request must seek records and not ask questions, and it is the wrong tool for an active court case. The clerk can point you to the right path, which saves time on both sides.