Transcript Authorization

All transcripts of official court proceedings shall be prepared only upon written authorization or order of Court. No transcript of any official court proceeding may be prepared without the written consent of the Common Pleas Court judge assigned to the respective case. In the event that the assigned judge cannot be contacted by all exhaustive means, the authorization must be made by the respective Administrative Judge or the President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas.

Transcript Fees

In accordance with Berks County Rule of Judicial Administration, Rule 4008.1, et seq, the following transcript fees shall apply:

$2.75 per page for original in bound paper format
$0.75 per page for a copy

Transcript Ordering Procedure

1. All transcripts of official court proceedings shall be prepared only upon written authorization or order of Court. No transcript of any official court proceeding may be prepared without the written consent of the Common Pleas Court judge assigned to the respective case. In the event that the assigned judge cannot be contacted by all exhaustive means, the authorization must be made by the respective Administrative Judge or the President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas.
2. The following are step-by-step guidelines for ordering transcripts from the Official Court Reporters of the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County, Pennsylvania:
   1. Obtain a Request for Transcript or Request Copy Form from any courtroom, from Court Administration, from the Official Court Reporters’ Office, or online at County of Berks - Court-Court Reporters. 
   2. Contact the official court reporter that was present at the proceeding that you desire to have transcribed and request the amount of the estimated cost of one-half payment of the transcript. If you don’t know the name or contact number of the official court reporter, contact the chief court reporter at 610-478-6467;
   3. Fill out the Request for Transcript or Copy Form Sections I, II, III, and IV. Sign and date the Transcript Request Form. YOU MUST MAKE ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THE REQUEST FOR TRANSCRIPT OR COPY FORM FOR DISTRIBUTION;
   4. Take the unauthorized Request for Transcript or Copy Form and all copies along with a check payable to the appropriate office (not the official court reporter) in the amount of the estimated cost of one-half payment of transcript to one of the following offices: Criminal to the Clerk of Courts, Civil / Family / Equity to the Prothonotary, Orphans’ Court to the Register of Wills. NEITHER THE CLERK OF COURTS’ OFFICE, THE PROTHONOTARY’S OFFICE, NOR THE REGISTER OF WILLS’ OFFICE WILL ACCEPT THE REQUEST FOR TRANSCRIPT OR COPY FORM IF THE APPROPRIATE PAYMENT IS NOT INCLUDED AT THE TIME OF FILING;
   5. The Clerk of Courts’ Office, Prothonotary’s Office, and the Register of Wills’ Office will forward the unauthorized Request for Transcript or Copy Form to the appropriate Court of Common Pleas judge for authorization and signature and will make the appropriate distribution of the copies of the Request for Transcript or Copy Form.

The court reporter has 14 days from the date of receipt of the signed order to complete the transcript in cases under appeal and 30 days for all other requests.