Court Reporters

The ordering procedure below is for proceedings held in the Court of Common Pleas only. Please contact the Court Reports directly to request transcripts of proceedings before hearing officers and district court judges. 
 
To request an ordinary transcript (see transcript definitions below), the party requesting a full or partial transcript of a trial or other court proceeding shall submit the original Request for Transcript form via email to [email protected] or to the Office of the Official Court Reporters, Chester County Justice Center, 201 W. Market St, Suite 5425, West Chester, PA 19380. PLEASE provide a phone number & a valid E-Mail address on the form where you can be reached to be notified of costs, and when the requested transcript is complete.

To request an expedited, daily, or same day transcript, please contact the Court Reporters directly at 610-344-6985 before submitting a transcript request.

The requesting party shall also serve copies of the formal request to:

  • The judge presiding over the matter 
  • Opposing counsel or opposing party if self-represented

The requester will be notified of the estimated cost to produce the transcript. A deposit in the amount of 75% of the estimated cost must be submitted to the Office of the Official Court Reporters prior to the transcript being produced. This amount shall be paid by cash, money order, certified check or check from an attorney made payable to the COUNTY OF CHESTER and delivered to the Office of the Official Court Reporters. 

Upon payment of the final balance owed, the Court Reporter shall deliver the original transcript to the appropriate filing office and copies to the parties.  

Fees

  • Ordinary transcript 
    • PDF - $3.25 
    • Hard Copy - $3.50
    • PDF & Hard Copy - $4.00
  • Word Index - $30
  • Expedited transcript - Contact Court Reporters Office for Availability 
  • Daily transcript - Contact Court Reporters Office for Availability 
  • Same day delivery - Contact Court Reporters Office for Availability

Transcript Copies 

A request for a copy of any transcript previously ordered, transcribed, and filed of record shall be made to the Office of the Official Court Reporters using the request form.   These requests cost $.75 per page and will be delivered upon payment.  Contact the court reporter to get the exact page count.

Additional Costs 

The trial judge may impose a reasonable surcharge in cases such as medical malpractice or other unusually complex litigation where there is a need for the court reporter to significantly expand their dictionary. Such surcharges are at the discretion of the trial judge. The Office of the Official Court Reporters shall notify the requesting party of applicable surcharges.

In Forma Pauperis 

Requests to waive fees or receive a reduction in fees MUST be accompanied by an In Forma Pauperis order. In Forma Pauperis Petitions to waive a portion of the transcript costs shall be filed in the appropriate filing office. Download the form and instructions on how to complete the form.

In Forma Pauperis Form with Instructions and Checklist 

Definitions 

  • Ordinary transcript

    transcript necessary for an appeal or to otherwise advance litigation and required under a time frame set by a Pennsylvania Rule of Court regarding the delivery of court transcripts or by court order. An example of a non-ordinary transcript is one requested by a litigant when no matters are open before the court or where the transcript is ordered by a third party.

  • Expedited transcript

     transcript delivered within 72 hours of an official request, not including weekends or official court holidays. For the purposes of additional payment, a transcript is an expedited transcript only if it is in fact delivered within the above time limit.

  • Daily transcript

    transcript delivered within 18 hours of an official request, not including weekends or official court holidays. For the purposes of additional payment, a transcript is a daily transcript only if it is in fact delivered within the above time limit.

  • Same day

    transcript delivered within six hours of the close of the court session, divided by morning and afternoon with the line of demarcation being lunch or mid-day recess.

  • Original transcript

    the document that is initially produced by the court reporter and filed with the appropriate filing office. The requester receives a copy of the transcript that is file