Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 61 - Rules of Evidence
Section 6103 - Proof of official records


(a) General rule.--An official record kept within this Commonwealth by any court, magisterial district judge or other government unit, or an entry therein, when admissible for any purpose, may be evidenced by an official publication thereof or by a copy attested by the officer having the legal custody of the record, or by that officer's deputy, and accompanied by a certificate that the officer has the custody. The certificate may be made by any public officer having a seal of office and having official duties with respect to the government unit in which the record is kept, authenticated by the seal of that office, or if there is no such officer, by:
(1) The Department of State, in the case of any Commonwealth agency.
(2) The clerk of the court of common pleas of the judicial district embracing any county in which the government unit has jurisdiction, in the case of any government unit other than a Commonwealth agency.
(b) Lack of record.--A written statement that after an examination of the records of the government unit no record or entry of a specified tenor is found to exist in the records designated by the statement, authenticated as provided in subsection (a), is admissible as evidence that the records contain no such records or entry.
(Nov. 30, 2004, P.L.1618, No.207, eff. 60 days)

2004 Amendment. Act 207 amended subsec. (a). See section 29 of Act 207 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to construction of law.
Cross References. Section 6103 is referred to in section 6104 of this title; sections 1378, 1380, 1516, 1550, 3753 of Title 75 (Vehicles).

Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes

Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes

Title 42 - JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE

Chapter 61 - Rules of Evidence

Extra - Chapter Notes

Section 6101 - Scope of subchapter

Section 6102 - Judicial notice of official seals

Section 6103 - Proof of official records

Section 6104 - Effect of official records generally

Section 6105 - Acts of notaries public

Section 6106 - Certified exemplifications of records

Section 6107 - Judicial notice of certain local government ordinances

Section 6108 - Business records

Section 6109 - Photographic copies of business and public records

Section 6110 - Registers kept by religious societies and municipalities

Section 6111 - Handwriting

Section 6112 - Introduction of parol evidence after refusal to produce documents

Section 6121 - Eminent domain matters

Section 6141 - Effect of certain settlements

Section 6142 - Pleas in vehicle matters

Section 6143 - Registration number as evidence of operation of vehicle

Section 6144 - Dying declarations in case of abortion

Section 6151 - Use of certified copies

Section 6152 - Subpoena of records

Section 6152.1 - Limit on charges

Section 6153 - Receipts

Section 6154 - Affidavit of none or partial possession

Section 6155 - Rights of patients

Section 6156 - Opening of sealed envelopes

Section 6157 - Retention of records

Section 6158 - Obtaining personal attendance of custodian

Section 6159 - Obtaining production of original record

Section 6160 - Definitions