The Department of Records doesn’t collect all the City records. Each department keeps its own records. Subpoenas for City records must be served to the correct department.
You can find instructions on how to serve a subpoena on this page.
Before you get a subpoena, make sure the records aren’t public and can’t be acquired with a right-to-know request.
How to serve a subpoena for City records
Does your subpoena ask for records from a City department, office, board, commission, official, or employee? If so, you must get approval from the Law Department to serve your subpoena.
Important: Courts aren’t part of the city government, so you don’t need Law Department approval to subpoena for court records.
There are two ways to get approval from the Law Department.
Send your subpoena by email at City_Closure_Complaints@phila.gov or take it to the Law Department:
1515 Arch St.
14th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Make sure the subpoena is delivered to the right department, office, board, commission, official, or employee. You must provide proof of Law Department approval.
Subpoena fees, such as a witness fee, depend on the department or other agency responding to the subpoena.
Where to send subpoenas
Find common addresses for subpoenas listed in the table below. If you need help figuring out the address of your subpoena, you can ask the Law Department.
| Department | Address |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia Police Department | City Hall 1400 JFK Blvd., Room 119 Philadelphia, PA 19107 |
| Department of Licenses and Inspections | Attn: Chondell Wilborn Municipal Services Building 1401 JFK Blvd., 11th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102 |
| Department of Public Health | 1101 Market St., 13th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 |
| Department of Human Services | 1515 Arch St., 16th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102 |
| Office of Human Resources | Municipal Services Building 1401 JFK Blvd., 15th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102 |
| First Judicial District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Courts) | City Hall 1400 JFK Blvd., Room 369 Philadelphia, PA 19107 |
Subpoenas sent to the Department of Records
People often send the Records Department subpoenas that should go to other departments. Only send the Department of Records a subpoena if:
- you want records that only Records keeps;
- those records aren’t already public; and
- you got Law Department approval.
If you send the Records Department a subpoena for another department’s records, they’ll respond with “no records found.” The Department of Records won’t forward your subpoena, but they will try to help you figure out the right department for a new subpoena.
Before you get a subpoena
Make sure the records you want can’t be accessed without a subpoena.
Submit a right-to-know request
If you think you have the right to get a record under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Act, you can submit a right-to-know request to the City. Check out the City’s Open Records Policy for instructions on how to file a right-to-know request.
Get a copy of a recorded document
Many records that the Department of Records has don’t need a subpoena.
Public safety reports:
- Car crash reports (used to be called traffic accident reports)
- Police incident or offense reports
- Fire incident reports
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) reports
Other public records:
- City regulations
- City Archives
- Property records (deeds, mortgages, and other land records)
- Financial disclosure form (statement of financial interests) from certain City officers and employees
Visit the Department of Records to find out how to get these public records.