Northampton County Booking Records
Northampton County processes 72 hour booking records at two Central Booking Centers and the county prison. All felony and misdemeanor arrests, except DUI, pass through one of these centers in Easton or Bethlehem. Easton is the county seat. More than 312,000 people live in Northampton County, which covers 377 square miles in the Lehigh Valley. The county uses Livescan, CPIN, and video arraignment to move people through the booking process quickly. All records feed into state databases open to the public.
Northampton County Central Booking
Northampton County stands out from most counties in the state because it runs two Central Booking Centers. The first sits in the Northampton County Criminal Administration Building at 105 South Union Street in Easton. The second is at the Bethlehem Police Department at 10 East Church Street in Bethlehem. All felony and misdemeanor arrests in Northampton County go through one of these two sites. DUI cases follow a separate path.
At each Northampton County Central Booking Center, staff carry out a set series of intake steps. Photography comes first. Then fingerprinting through Livescan, which captures prints in a digital format and sends them straight to state and federal databases. A prior record check runs through CPIN. Charges are entered into the system. Once intake is done, the person moves to arraignment.
The split between two locations cuts transport time. Arrests in the Easton area go to the Criminal Administration Building. Arrests near Bethlehem go to the police department on East Church Street. This setup keeps the 72 hour booking process moving fast across all of Northampton County, even during busy nights or weekends.
Note: Northampton County charges a $200 fee for Central Booking upon conviction. This fee does not apply if the person is found not guilty or the charges are dropped.
Northampton County 72 Hour Booking Steps
The 72 hour booking process in Northampton County starts the moment an arrest takes place. An officer brings the person to one of the two Central Booking Centers. Staff begin the intake right away.
Processing includes several steps. Photography, fingerprinting with Livescan, and a prior record check through CPIN all happen at the booking center. Charges are logged in the system. Then comes the arraignment. A magisterial district judge reads the charges, sets bail, and gives the person a date for the next hearing. During non-business hours, Northampton County uses videoconferencing for this step. The person stays at the booking center while the judge appears on a screen.
Video arraignment saves time and avoids the risk of moving a person at night. It also means the 72 hour clock in Northampton County rarely gets close to running out. Most people see a judge within hours of their arrest. The booking record captures each step, from the arrest time through the outcome of the arraignment.
Northampton County Sheriff's Office
The Northampton County Sheriff's Office serves warrants, guards the courthouse, and transports prisoners. Call 610-829-6527 to reach the office. Deputies carry out arrest warrants issued by Northampton County judges. Each warrant arrest creates a new 72 hour booking record at one of the two Central Booking Centers.
The Sheriff's Office also moves inmates between the Northampton County Prison and the courthouse in Easton. Deputies provide security during hearings and trials. Their work connects the booking process to the court process in Northampton County. The office coordinates with local police forces and state troopers across the county.
Northampton County Courts
The Northampton County courts process criminal cases that start with a 72 hour booking. After the preliminary arraignment, the case moves to a preliminary hearing. A magisterial district judge weighs the evidence and decides if the case should go to the Court of Common Pleas. Most felony and misdemeanor cases in Northampton County follow this path from booking to trial or plea.
The Northampton County courts page is shown below.
All criminal cases in Northampton County tie back to the original booking record.
The court docket links to the 72 hour booking record. You can trace a case from the first arrest in Northampton County through every motion and hearing to the final outcome. Docket information is public in most cases and can be found through the state court portal.
Northampton County Prison and Custody
The Northampton County Prison holds people who do not post bail after their arraignment. Call 610-923-4300 for questions about an inmate or the facility. Once a person is booked at a Central Booking Center and arraigned, they either post bail and leave or get moved to the prison to wait for the next court date.
The prison receives inmates from both Northampton County Central Booking Centers. By the time a person reaches the prison, the 72 hour booking record is already in the system. Staff at the prison handle housing, classification, and daily operations. The prison also holds people serving short county sentences after conviction.
Family members and others can track an inmate at the Northampton County Prison through VINELink. This free tool sends alerts when custody status changes, which saves you from calling 610-923-4300 to check on someone.
Mugshot Ruling in Northampton County
The case Mezzacappa v. Northampton County (2025 PA 40) set a statewide standard for mugshot access. This ruling addressed whether booking photos taken during the 72 hour booking process are public records under the Right-to-Know Law. The case started in Northampton County and reached a decision that now guides all 67 counties in the state.
Before this ruling, some counties released mugshots freely while others refused. Mezzacappa gave courts clear guidance on when and how Northampton County and other counties must handle requests for booking photos. If you want a mugshot from a Northampton County 72 hour booking, cite the Right-to-Know Law in your request to the county open records officer. The rules from this case apply.
What Northampton County 72 Hour Booking Records Show
A booking record from Northampton County captures the core facts of an arrest. It lists the full name, date of birth, and home address. Every charge filed at the time of arrest appears in the record. The arresting officer, the agency, and the exact time of arrest are logged. Photos and fingerprints taken at the Central Booking Center are part of the file.
The record also notes what happened at arraignment. Bail amount, conditions, and whether the person posted bail are all included. As the case moves through Northampton County courts, the booking record ties to the docket and follows the case from start to finish. Most records are public unless sealed by a judge.
- Full name, date of birth, and address
- All charges filed at time of arrest
- Arresting officer and agency
- Booking photo and Livescan fingerprints
- Bail amount and arraignment outcome
- Court docket number
Northampton County Court Records Online
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal is the top free tool for court records from Northampton County. Search by name or docket number. Results show charges, bail status, hearing dates, and case outcomes. The portal covers all 67 counties in the state. No login is needed.
The state court portal shown below lets you search Northampton County 72 hour booking records at no cost.
Data updates as Northampton County cases move from arraignment to final resolution.
Pick Northampton County from the drop-down and type in a name. The portal works for both recent and older cases. It is the most direct way to find court records tied to a 72 hour booking in Northampton County without going to the courthouse in Easton.
Criminal Background Checks in Northampton County
The PATCH system from the Pennsylvania State Police handles criminal history checks across the state. PATCH stands for Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History. A fee applies for each search. If a 72 hour booking in Northampton County resulted in a conviction, it will show in the output. Pending charges may appear too. Results include the charge, case outcome, and county of origin.
PATCH covers every county in the state. It is useful when you need a full criminal history, not just details on one Northampton County case. Results come back fast and can be run from any computer with internet access.
72 Hour Booking Alerts for Northampton County
VINELink sends free custody alerts for the Northampton County Prison. Sign up to get updates by phone, email, or text when a person is booked, released, or moved. The system was made for crime victims but is open to everyone. It covers every county facility in the state.
The state VINELink portal shown below provides free custody status updates for the Northampton County Prison.
VINELink sends a notice each time the custody status changes in Northampton County.
Once you register, the system handles the rest. You do not need to call the prison at 610-923-4300. VINELink tracks custody status around the clock and sends an alert for each change. This is the fastest way to stay informed about a person booked in Northampton County.
Requesting Northampton County Booking Records
The state Right-to-Know Law gives you the right to request booking records from Northampton County. Submit a written request to the county open records officer. Include the full name and dates you need. Northampton County has five business days to respond. You do not need to give a reason for the request.
A fee may apply for copies. If your request is denied, you can appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. The Mezzacappa ruling from 2025 gives strong ground for requesting booking photos from Northampton County. Most 72 hour booking records are public and will be provided without issue.
Note: For cases that have moved past arraignment, you can also visit the Clerk of Courts office at the Northampton County Courthouse in Easton to view docket files in person.
Northampton County Criminal Justice Overview
Northampton County sits in the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania. Easton is the county seat. Bethlehem is the largest city and straddles the border with Lehigh County. The county also includes Nazareth, Bangor, and Wilson. The Delaware River forms the eastern border with New Jersey. With more than 312,000 residents, Northampton County has a steady flow of arrests and 72 hour bookings each week.
The two Central Booking Centers set Northampton County apart from nearly every other county in the state. Few counties run two separate intake sites. This reflects the split between Easton and Bethlehem as the two main population centers. The Northampton County District Attorney handles prosecution after the booking process. The court system moves cases from arraignment through trial, plea, or dismissal. Because the county borders Lehigh County and Monroe County, arrests near the edge may need a records check in more than one county.
Nearby Counties
Northampton County borders several counties in eastern Pennsylvania. Bethlehem sits on the Lehigh County line, so check carefully which county handled an arrest before searching for records.