Tanya Williams, Prothonotary
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Office Location: |
| Years Elected: 2023 |
The hours to file a Protection from Abuse are: |
| Passport hours effective Jan 1, 2019 will be Monday thru Friday from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm. The office also can take your passport photo for the fee of $15.00. We accept cash, checks or money orders for our fees |
Our office does not give any legal advice. You can call Northwest Legal Services @ 724-346-6112 or the Mercer County Bar Association @ 724-342-3111.
About the Office of the Prothonotary
The word Prothonotary is a Latin word meaning “First Notary”.
It is the goal of the Prothonotary to operate the office efficiently and at the least cost to the taxpayers.
In Pennsylvania the Prothonotary is the keeper of the civil records for the Court of Common Pleas. The office is responsible for the creation, maintenance and certification of matters pending in court. Examples include divorce, custody, personal injury cases, protection from abuse cases, equity actions, mortgage foreclosures, civil complaints, ejectment actions, malpractice actions, MDJ civil judgment appeals, license suspension appeals, administrative agency appeals and appeals to a higher court. Liens against real estate and personal property are also filed with the Prothonotary.
Prothonotary is elected to serve a four-year term as the legal custodian of civil documents filed with the Mercer County Court of Common Pleas. The Prothonotary’s filing duties are set by Pennsylvania statutes, the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, and the Mercer County Local Rules of Court.
All records maintained in the Prothonotary’s office are available for public view unless sealed by the court. Our computers are from 1994-Present. All records from 1994-present are scanned and made available for immediate view through a public terminal search. You can also subscribe to the Infocon web-site account and look at each docket entry, our images are not on-line for viewing. Many older record indexes have also been scanned and available for viewing.
We only accept in-person or mail-in filings. We do not have electronic filings or accept filings by e-mail.
The hours to file a PFA are Monday-Thursday 8:30-1:00. We do not file PFA’s on Friday’s. Friday’s you will have to go to your local Magistrate or the on-call Magistrate.
FORMS WE HAVE IN THE OFFICE TO PURCHASE
- Custody Packets: $10.00
- Petition to Modify Packet: $5.00
- Petition for Grandparents Visitation Packet: $10.00
- Emergency Petition for Custody Packet: $5.00
- No-Fault Divorce Packet: $15.00
- Driver’s License Suspension Packet: $3.50
- Petition to Intervene Packet: $4.00
You can also go pacourts.us to download documents.
PASSPORTS
Passport applications are accepted Monday – Friday 8:30 – 4:00 pm. You do not need an appointment to apply for a passport.
The Prothonotary’s Office has blank passport forms available to the public. Additionally, forms are available online at travel.state.gov.
PLEASE NOTE: Our office only processes new passports. The Exception to this is if you were under the age of 16 when your last passport was issued or if your expired passport is more then 5 years past the expiration date. We have renewal forms in the Prothonotary’s Office – which we will assist you with the assembly of the application then you will have to take the completed application to the post office for mailing.
What you need to bring with you when applying for a passport:
1. A Completed application form DS-11.
2. The Passport book application fee is $130.00 – 16 years of age and older; $100.00 – 15 years of age and younger. This fee is payable only by check or money order. Please make your check payable to the “US Department of State” and include your date of birth in the memo line of the check. This passport is valid for all types of travel.
3. The passport card application fee is $30.00 – 16 years of age and older; $15.00 – 15 years of age and younger. This fee is payable only by check or money order. Make your check payable to the “US Department of State” and include your date of birth in the memo line of the check. The card is only valid for land and sea travel only between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
4. The execution fee paid to the Prothonotary’s Office for a passport for $35. Our office accepts cash, checks, money order or debit or credit card. If you use a debit or credit card there will be a service fee.
5. You will need a passport photo – (2 x 2) in size. We take the passport photos here in the Prothonotary’s office for $15.00.
6. A valid photo I.D. is required (i.e. a driver’s license, state-issued I.D. Card, Military I.D.) Bring your I.D. with you we will make a copy of the document.
7. Unless an applicant has a prior passport, a certified copy of his/her birth certificate obtained from the Vital Statistics Office from the state in which the applicant as born is needed. The certificate MUST have the raised seal. Both parents’ names must appear on the birth certificate. All citizenship documentation must be submitted to the US Department of State with the passport application. The citizenship documentation will be returned to you via U.S. mail.
8. All applicants must appear in person. Children under 16 need both parents to sign the application. Do not sign the application until you are in front of an agent. If one parent/guardian cannot go with the child to apply for the passport, they can give permission by completing Form DS-3053 “Statement of Consent” which is available on travel.state.gov.