Question:

My access was denied. Why?

A:

Your access may be denied for several reasons. First, check your phone number. Make sure the number you entered contains NO dashes, parentheses, or spaces. For example: 7175551212.

Next, check your ORI number. Make sure that you have type the 'PA' and all seven digits that comprise your ORI number, again with NO spaces. For example: PA0000000.

If you are still denied access, the phone number you entered may not be the one the PSP has associated with your ORI. Each ORI has only one valid phone number . If you belong to an office that has a countywide dispatch or emergency number, try that number. Also, several regions in PA have undergone recent area code changes. Try using your old area code for access until the PSP database has been updated.

If you are still unable to gain access, please e-mail the AOPC webmaster (aopcweb@courts.state.pa.us) for assistance. When e-mailing the webmaster, be sure to include a Subject. This allows us to quickly filter your e-mail to the necessary person(s).

Question:

I don't have an e-mail account. What do I use for this field?

A:

You may type "N/A" in the e-mail field if your department does not currently utilize e-mail.

Question:

We don't have Internet access at our office. Can I download the forms from home?

A:

Access to the forms will be granted from any location as long as you have entered a valid ORI# and the telephone number associated with that ORI.

Question:

Can the forms be converted to WordPerfect?

A:

Yes, but the AOPC will only post Word97 and .PDF forms on the AOPC Web site.

Question:

My office wants to contract with a private business to have the forms converted into WordPerfect or a pop-up box format. Are there any prohibitions on doing this?

A:

Since the official forms are relatively simple to use and are provided in two widely-used formats (Word97 and .PDF), we anticipate little need to expend scarce resources putting them into alternative formats. However, the AOPC has no policy prohibiting users from converting the forms into other formats or adding programming such as pop-up boxes to make data insertion simpler. Users should be aware that the physical appearance of the forms should not be altered in order to ensure that they will be accepted statewide. Due to limited staff, the AOPC will not review nor approve any such user-modified form. The risk is that the end product will be unusable because your approving authority (district justice, Common Pleas judge, etc.), may not be willing to sign a form that varies from the official form.

Question:

Who provides the warrant control number and the other numbers required?

A:

The only tracking number provided by the courts is the docket number. The docket number will only be completed after issuance by the issuing authority. The docket number will be a miscellaneous docket number (MD).

The police incident number is created by the police agency for tracking purposes. Whether to use a warrant control number and how it should be structured is a local issue. The warrant control number is a holdover from the previous forms and was kept because some areas use it and would have to change their systems if the line was unavailable. The warrant control number is assigned by the police agency and may be the same as the police incident number. Some counties use a countywide log starting fresh each year (ex., 99-1, 99-2). Some track by PD, DA office, etc. In case of multiple warrants for one incident, the warrant control number may be followed by a letter (i.e. 99-1a, 99-1b, etc.).

Question

Can our stock of old forms be used until exhausted?

A:

Yes, but the new forms are easier to use and somewhere down the line, someone may challenge the use of the outdated forms.

Question:

Why do I need to enter a phone number and ORI to access these forms?

A:

The phone number is used as a crosscheck for user authorization.

Question:

I still have questions on the forms. Is any other information or assistance available?

A:

Questions may be e-mailed to the AOPC webmaster. When e-mailing, please be sure to include a subject. This allows us to quickly filter your e-mail to the necessary person(s).