Beaver County, PA DUI and Criminal Courts

Last updated October 5, 2026.

Beaver County is the 36th Judicial District of Pennsylvania. The county says its Court of Common Pleas has seven elected judges, who hear adult prosecutions and appeals from the decisions of the county's eight magisterial district judges. This page sets out the local steps from the county's own pages, its court rules and the forms the court uses. How I approach drunk driving charges is on the DUI defense page.

How does a DUI or criminal case move through Beaver County, step by step?

The county's local rules and court pages describe this order:

Booking. Local Rule 552 requires anyone charged with a third-degree misdemeanor or more serious offense to go through the Regional Booking Center at the Beaver County Jail, 6000 Woodlawn Boulevard, Aliquippa, the fingerprinting site for every police agency in the county. Arrests at night, on weekends or on holidays go straight there for a video arraignment, unless the case proceeds by summons. In a summons case, the judge at the preliminary hearing orders the person to report to the booking center within five days.
Preliminary arraignment and bail. A district judge reads the charges and sets bail. The county says its district judges also take turns on night and weekend duty so that one is always available.
Preliminary hearing at Central Court. Local Rule 131 sends the preliminary hearing in every criminal case, from every district, to the Courthouse. The county says the hearings are held in Courtroom No. 3 before the district judge assigned to Central Court that week.
The CRN evaluation, in a DUI case. It is done right after the preliminary hearing, in the same building, the same day.
The Court of Common Pleas. Formal arraignment, pretrial conferences, ARD, pleas, trials and sentencing all take place at 810 Third Street.

The statewide timing rule still applies: after a preliminary arraignment, the hearing must be set within 14 days for a person held only on that case and within 21 days otherwise (Pa.R.Crim.P. 540(G)(1)). What the judge decides at that hearing, and when charges can be dropped there, is explained in what happens at a preliminary hearing, written for Lawrence County but built on the same statewide rules.

Which district court handles my case?

The one that covers the place where the incident happened. The county describes its district judges as having jurisdiction over summary offenses, traffic violations, landlord and tenant matters and civil claims up to $12,000; in misdemeanor and felony cases they issue warrants, hold preliminary arraignments and set bail. Their offices are open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon and from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.

Beaver County magisterial district courts and their 2026 Central Court slot
Court	Address	Areas covered, per the county	Central Court
36-1-01	650 11th Street, Ambridge	Ambridge and Baden Boroughs; Harmony Township	Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.
36-1-02	Human Services Building, 1010 Eighth Avenue, Beaver Falls	City of Beaver Falls, Fallston, Patterson Heights, Patterson Township, Eastvale, West Mayfield, White Township	Tuesday, 8:45 a.m.
36-2-01	559 Third Avenue, Freedom	Economy, Freedom, Conway and Rochester Boroughs, East Rochester, New Sewickley Township	Thursday, 8:45 a.m.
36-2-02	175 Friendship Circle (Brighton Township)	Beaver, Bridgewater, Vanport Township, Brighton Township, Midland, Industry, Ohioville, Glasgow	Monday, 10:00 a.m.
36-3-01	513 11th Street, New Brighton	New Brighton; Pulaski, Daugherty, Franklin, Marion, North Sewickley and Rochester Townships; part of Ellwood City's 2nd Ward	Friday, 8:45 a.m.
36-3-02	19 Cessna Drive, Beaver Falls	South Beaver, Darlington and Chippewa Townships; Darlington and Big Beaver Boroughs; New Galilee, Homewood, Koppel	Friday, 10:00 a.m.
36-3-03	226-F Center Grange Road, Aliquippa	Center, Potter, Greene and Raccoon Townships; Monaca, Georgetown, Hookstown, Shippingport	Thursday, 10:00 a.m.
36-3-04	1515 Gringo Road (State Route 151), Aliquippa	City of Aliquippa; Independence, Hanover and Hopewell Townships; Frankfort Springs, South Heights	Monday, 8:45 a.m.

Summary charges, such as most traffic citations and many disorderly conduct or public drunkenness cases, are tried at the district court itself. The steps for those are in what happens if you ignore a citation.

When is my preliminary hearing at Central Court?

On your district's set day. The court's 2026 criminal calendar lists Central Court on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with two districts each morning, at 8:45 and 10:00 a.m., as shown in the table. There is no Central Court on the first day of a trial term or on the Friday of its second week; during trial terms cases are moved to Wednesday. An older county schedule shows 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. slots, so the time on your own notice is the one to follow.

Continuances are strict here. Local Rule 542 says any request to postpone a preliminary hearing must be presented to the district judge sitting at Central Court, even when both sides agree. A written motion can be delivered to Central Court staff by 3:00 p.m. on the business day before the hearing; after that, the person asking must appear in person on the hearing day.

How does ARD work for a DUI in Beaver County?

Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition is a pretrial program, and only the prosecutor can move a case into it (Pa.R.Crim.P. 310). The county's Adult Probation office says ARD is a privilege, not a right, and is given only with the consent of the District Attorney and the sentencing judge. The general rules are in ARD in Pennsylvania. The local details:

The CRN comes first. Local Rule 310 requires a Court Reporting Network evaluation before the ARD hearing; a person who skips it may be taken off the hearing list.
The colloquy. At the hearing you sign the court's ARD colloquy, which waives the speedy trial limits of Rule 600, the statute of limitations and the formal arraignment.
The cost. The colloquy tells DUI participants to expect to pay approximately $2,300 for costs of prosecution, supervision fees and surcharges within the probation term, and warns that missed payment-plan payments lead to a license suspension.
Length and record. ARD probation may last up to two years, and the colloquy says ARD is generally available only to people with no prior criminal record.
The license. The suspension depends on the blood alcohol level: none under 0.10%, 30 days from 0.10% to under 0.16%, and 60 days at 0.16% or higher and in some other cases, including drug DUIs (75 Pa.C.S. 3807(d)), as set out in how long ARD suspends your license.

The court's 2026 calendar schedules ARD hearings, pleas and sentencing together on set Wednesdays. When the program is finished and every cost, fine and restitution amount is paid, Adult Probation says you begin the dismissal and expungement process with a packet from your probation officer or the Clerk of Courts. A completed ARD still counts later: since Act 58 of 2025, a new DUI within ten years can be charged as DUI following diversion, as explained in what DUI following diversion means.

Where do I do the CRN evaluation and DUI school?

Pennsylvania requires a CRN evaluation before sentencing or ARD in every DUI case (75 Pa.C.S. 3816). Beaver County's Alcohol Highway Safety School does it at the Courthouse, immediately after the preliminary hearing, and the county asks people to plan to spend most of that day there.

The CRN evaluation costs $105, for first and repeat offenses alike, and must be paid in full at the Clerk of Courts before it starts. It takes about an hour.
If the CRN recommends treatment, a drug and alcohol assessment follows right away, given by the program's treatment staff.
DUI school costs $300 for a first offense and $325 for a repeat offense, for 12.5 class hours. Classes meet at the Community College of Beaver County in Center Township on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturdays, or at the Adult Probation office on Wednesdays.
The program accepts Visa, Mastercard and money orders, not checks. Its phone is (724) 770-4644.

What the evaluation asks and how its result is used is explained in the CRN evaluation and alcohol highway safety school. Sentences by tier are in the Pennsylvania DUI penalties chart.

How is bail handled?

The Court of Common Pleas set up Beaver County Pre-Trial Services in October 1985, and Local Rule 530 makes it the county's bail agency. Under Local Rule 528 a defendant or a private third party may post 10% of the bail, never less than $25; professional bondsmen may not use this program. When the case ends, Local Rule 546 has the county keep 30% of the deposit as administrative costs. The Clerk of Courts also charges a $36 filing fee, and people released into the program must report to Pre-Trial Services within 24 hours of leaving the jail. The statewide release rules are in how bail is set after an arrest.

How do I reach the District Attorney or a public defender?

The District Attorney's office is on the second floor of the Courthouse, (724) 773-8550. The Public Defender's Office, (724) 770-4500, represents people who cannot afford a lawyer in criminal cases and summary appeals, among other matters, after an application measured against income guidelines. Local Rule 122 makes it the first assigned counsel for everyone entitled to appointed counsel.

Where do I get court records?

The Clerk of Courts, on the second floor of Building B of the Courthouse, keeps every criminal file and collects fines, costs and restitution. It does not run criminal background checks for the public; it sends those requests to the State Police. Docket sheets can be searched free on the UJS Portal, and copies cost $0.50 a page, with an $11 records fee added for anything on microfilm. Sealing or clearing an old case is covered in clearing a criminal record.

Which jail and police agencies are involved?

Beaver County Jail: 6000 Woodlawn Boulevard, Aliquippa, (724) 378-8177, home of the Regional Booking Center.
State Police, Beaver station: 3800 Dutch Ridge Road, Beaver, the Troop D station listed for the county.

What police may do at the roadside is in your rights during a traffic stop.

DUI questions that apply in Beaver County

Pennsylvania's DUI law is the same in every county. These pages answer the next questions:

Criminal questions that apply in Beaver County

What changes the answer?

Where the incident happened. It decides the district court, and with it the day and time of the Central Court hearing.
The county line in Ellwood City. The county lists part of Ellwood City's 2nd Ward under District 36-3-01 in New Brighton; the rest of the borough is in Lawrence County, as the Ellwood City page explains.
Custody. A person held only on the case gets a hearing within 14 days of the preliminary arraignment, others within 21 days (Pa.R.Crim.P. 540(G)(1)).
Consent to ARD. Both the District Attorney and the judge must agree, and the colloquy expects no prior criminal record.
A mandatory DUI sentence. Adult Probation says people serving mandatory DUI sentences on restrictive probation must be on house arrest with electronic monitoring.

A worked example

For example, take a hypothetical case (not a real one): a driver is stopped on a street in the part of Ellwood City's 2nd Ward that lies in Beaver County and charged with a first DUI. The complaint goes to District Court 36-3-01 in New Brighton, so the preliminary hearing is set for a Friday at 8:45 a.m. at Central Court, in Courtroom No. 3 in Beaver. That morning the driver pays $105 at the Clerk of Courts and completes the CRN evaluation after the hearing. The District Attorney agrees to recommend ARD, and the case is listed for an ARD hearing on one of the court's Wednesdays. The driver signs the colloquy, plans for about $2,300 in costs and fees, takes DUI school in evening classes for $300, and serves whatever suspension matches the test result.

Common mistakes in Beaver County cases

Going to the district court office for the hearing. Preliminary hearings are at Central Court in the Courthouse, not at the office that filed the case.
Arriving without money for the CRN. The $105 is paid at the Clerk of Courts before the evaluation starts, and checks are not accepted.
Asking for a continuance by phone. Local Rule 542 requires a written motion or an appearance before the Central Court judge.
Skipping the booking center. A summons case still requires fingerprinting at the jail within five days of the order.
Assuming the ARD fee is the only cost. The CRN, DUI school and a $50 booking fee under Local Rule 552 come on top.

What to do this week

Find your district court number and match it to the Central Court day in the table.
Look up the case on the UJS Portal and confirm the hearing time on your notice.
If you cannot afford a lawyer, call the Public Defender at (724) 770-4500 now.
For a DUI, set aside the hearing day and $105 for the CRN.
Write down your test result and the date you were tested.
Keep every notice from the court, Pre-Trial Services and PennDOT in one place.

Frequently asked questions

Is Central Court a separate building?

No. It is Courtroom No. 3 inside the Beaver County Courthouse, where district judges take turns hearing preliminary hearings a week at a time. What else is in the building is described in what to expect at the Beaver County Courthouse.

I live in Ellwood City. Which county's court hears my case?

The county where the incident happened, not where you live. An arrest in the Beaver County part of the 2nd Ward goes to District 36-3-01; most of the borough is in Lawrence County.

What does a first DUI with ARD cost in Beaver County?

From the county's published figures: $105 for the CRN, $300 for DUI school and approximately $2,300 in costs, supervision fees and surcharges, plus the $50 booking fee. Bail, treatment and any lawyer's fees are separate.

I was arrested in Beaver County but live in another county. Do I have to come back?

Yes. The case, the preliminary hearing and the CRN stay in Beaver County. A case in a neighboring county follows that county's own steps, described on the Lawrence County courts page. The Mercer County courts page covers another county I serve.

Do you take Beaver County cases?

Yes. I represent people charged with DUI and criminal offenses in Beaver County. I also handle cases in the neighboring county, described on the Butler County courts page.

If you have a DUI or criminal case in Beaver County, I can tell you where it stands and what comes next. You can read more about my practice, and the first consultation is always free and confidential.

DUI and criminal cases in Beaver County: courts and local process