Access Reading 24 Hour Booking
Reading is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania and the county seat of Berks County. The Reading Police Department handles arrests in the city, and the Berks County Jail holds those taken into custody. Reading 24 hour booking records are created every time someone is arrested and processed in the city. From the police report to the jail intake to the court docket, each step creates records that become part of the public record system. This page walks through the main ways to find and search 24 hour booking records in Reading and Berks County.
Reading Quick Facts
Reading Police and 24 Hour Booking
The Reading Police Department handles patrol, criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, and community policing. When an officer makes an arrest in Reading, the booking process begins. A 24 hour booking record is created that logs the person's full name, charges, and the date and time of the arrest. The record also captures physical characteristics, a booking number, and bond information if bail is set.
Reading is part of a county with over 37 police departments, including the Sheriff's Office. According to the Annual SRS Summary Report compiled by the state of Pennsylvania, 7,391 adult arrests were made by law enforcement officers in Berks County. Of that number, 1,497 were for cases of assault. That is about 20.1 percent of all arrests. Many of those bookings start in Reading itself, given its size and role as the county seat.
The Reading Municipal Court handles initial proceedings for arrests made in the city. Preliminary hearings, bail settings, and summary offenses go through this court before cases move to the Berks County Court of Common Pleas for trial. Each step adds to the chain of records that starts with the 24 hour booking in Reading.
Berks County Jail and Reading Bookings
People arrested in Reading who are held in custody go to the Berks County Jail at 1287 County Welfare Road, Leesport, PA 19533. The jail phone is 610-208-4800. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The Berks County Inmate Search lets you look up people held in the jail. You can search by name or inmate ID number. Results include the full name, inmate ID number, current housing facility, booking date, and expected release date if the person has been sentenced.
The Berks County inmate search tool provides direct access to booking and custody data for people arrested in Reading and the surrounding area.
The Berks County Sheriff's Office also offers a mobile app for inmate searches. You can download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and navigate to the Inmate Search feature. For written requests, include your full name and contact information, the inmate's full name and date of birth if known, the specific information you need, the purpose of the request, and your signature and date. Pursuant to Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law Section 703, the Berks County Jail System must respond to formal records requests within five business days.
Every year, Berks County law enforcement agencies arrest and detain about 21,240 offenders. They maintain an average of 1,062 inmates county-wide in their custody on any given day. The weekly turnover rate is about 55 percent. That means more than half of the inmates are released and replaced with new bookings each week. Booking records from the Berks County Jail include the full name, physical characteristics, mugshot, booking number, booking date and time, charges, bond or bail amount, and court date if set.
Note: Anyone can use the Sheriff's Inmate Locator to obtain Berks County arrest records at no cost.
Reading Arrest Records Access
The Berks County Arrest Records page provides details on how arrest data is tracked in the county. Per the Right-to-Know Law, requests to inspect arrest records attract no cost. You may be charged for copies of those records. The Berks County Open Records Officer is the Chief Clerk, located at the 13th Floor Services Center, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601.
This resource outlines how arrest records are maintained and accessed in Berks County, covering Reading and all other municipalities in the area.
The Berks County Public Records Directory lists additional ways to find records. You can search jail and inmate records through VINELink by offender ID or name. The Berks County Sheriff is at the Berks County Courthouse, 633 Court Street, 3rd Floor, Reading, PA 19601, phone 610-478-6240 ext. 3227. The directory also covers the county's most wanted list and sex offender records.
The Berks County public records directory provides links to multiple record types, including inmate data, property records, and court information tied to Reading bookings.
Court Records from Reading Bookings
After a 24 hour booking in Reading, the case proceeds through the Berks County Court of Common Pleas. The Pennsylvania UJS Case Search lets you look up any case by name or case number. Docket sheets show charges, hearing dates, and case status. This free tool covers all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
The PATCH system provides statewide criminal history checks for $22. Results cover all Pennsylvania law enforcement agency records, including Reading arrests. You can check the status of your request online with the control number. If you mailed your request, call 1-888-783-7972 and choose option 1 to get your control number. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records handles RTK appeals if a request for Reading booking data is denied.
The Pennsylvania DOC Inmate Locator covers state-sentenced inmates and parolees but not those held in the Berks County Jail. For county-level inmates, use the Berks County inmate search or call the jail at 610-208-4800. The VINELink system provides victim notification alerts when an inmate's custody status changes.
Note: Legal mail to inmates at the Berks County Jail goes to the physical address at 1287 County Welfare Road, Leesport, PA 19533.
Berks County Booking Records
Reading is the county seat of Berks County. All city arrests go through the Berks County jail and court systems. For a full look at county-level booking records, inmate resources, and court tools, visit the Berks County page.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Other cities across the state manage their own 24 hour booking records through local police and county systems. Pick a city to learn more about booking record access.