Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5715 (2026)

 Sealing of applications, orders and supporting papers.

✓ current as of May 2026
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§ 5715.  Sealing of applications, orders and supporting papers.

Applications made, final reports, and orders granted pursuant to this subchapter and supporting papers and monitor's records shall be sealed by the court and shall be held in custody as the court shall direct and shall not be destroyed except on order of the court and in any event shall be kept for ten years. They may be disclosed only upon a showing of good cause before a court of competent jurisdiction except that any investigative or law enforcement officer may disclose such applications, orders and supporting papers and monitor's records to investigative or law enforcement officers of this or another state, any of its political subdivisions, or of the United States to the extent that such disclosure is appropriate to the proper performance of the official duties of the officer making or receiving the disclosure. In addition to any remedies and penalties provided by this subchapter, any violation of the provisions of this section may be punished as contempt of the court.

(Oct. 21, 1988, P.L.1000, No.115, eff. imd.; Feb. 18, 1998, P.L.102, No.19, eff. imd.)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1986–2025 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Shreffler, 201 A.3d 757 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018).
Commonwealth v. Shreffler, 201 A.3d 757 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018). · cites it 3× “As for Appellant's contention that he was entitled to the sealed documents, the Commonwealth responds that no application was made to unseal under *763 18 Pa.C.S. § 5715. 15 Id. at 13-14. The trial court reasons that it was sufficient for the Commonwealth to have provided…”
Boettger v. Loverro, 555 A.2d 1234 (Pa. 1989). · cites it 2× “See 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 5715 and 5725(c). Unfortunately, the attachment of the transcript to the District Attorney's answer to the discovery motion corrupts the straightforward disposition of this case.”
Boettger v. Loverro, 502 A.2d 1310 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1986). “The disclosure by the clerk of court of the transcript of appellee’s wiretapped conversations was in violation of the Act, for the transcript was required by the Act to be sealed, 18 Pa.C.S. § 5715, and had it been sealed, appellant would have had no right to see it,…”
Com. v. Shreffler, S. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018). · cites it 3× “As for Appellant’s contention that he was entitled to the sealed documents, the Commonwealth responds that no application was made to unseal under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5715. Id. at 13-14.15 The trial court reasons that it was sufficient for the Commonwealth to have provided Appellant…”
In Re: Pub. Access Policy of the Unified Jud. Sys. of Pennsylvania Case Records of the Appellate & Trial Courts (Pa. 2017). “Page 2 of 6 LIMITS ON PUBLIC ACCESS TO UNIFIED JUDICIAL SYSTEM CASE RECORD OF THE APPELLATE AND TRIAL COURTS Criminal Wiretap applications, final reports and No Public Access except upon 18 Pa.C.S. § 5715. orders. showing of good cause before a court of competent jurisdiction.”
J. Baney v. M. Fisher (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2020). “18 Pa. C.S. §5715 (emphasis added). Additionally, Section 5714(b) states, in relevant part: Immediately upon the expiration of the order or extensions or renewals thereof, all monitor’s records, tapes and other recordings shall be transferred to the judge issuing the order and…”
A. Buxton v. OAG (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2020). “9 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 5715, 5717. Section 5715 of the Wiretap Act mandates that wiretap applications, final reports, orders, supporting papers, and monitor’s records must be sealed by the court.”
Winig, J., Aplt. v. Off. of DA of Phila. (Pa. 2025). “]” See 18 Pa.C.S. § 5715. As can be seen, the Wiretap Act and its provisions are limited exclusively to the law enforcement community — courts, district attorneys and assistant district attorneys, and investigating police officers.”
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