Philadelphia County Local Rules

Effective August 1, 2016, the promulgation of all local rules is governed by Pennsylvania Rule of Judicial Administration 103. The term "local rule" includes every rule (and any amendment of a local rule), administrative order, regulation, directive, policy, custom, usage, form, or order of general application, however labeled or promulgated, which is adopted or enforced by a court of the unified judicial system to govern judicial administration.

Rule 103 requires that:

1. the proposed local rule be submitted to the applicable Supreme Court Procedural Rules Committee ("Rules Committee") which reviews the proposed local rule to verify that it is not inconsistent with any general rule of the Supreme Court or any Act of Assembly;
2. the Rules Committee notify the adopting court, when the local rule has been determined not to be inconsistent with any state rule, that it may proceed to adopt and publish the local rule;
3. the adopting court send to the Legislative Reference Bureau certified copies of the local rule for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin;
4. the adopting court send a certified copy of the local rule to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts;
5. the adopting court publish a copy of the local rule on its website;
6. the adopting court compile the local rule within the complete set of local rules no later than 30 days following publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin; and
7. all local rules become effective not less than 30 days after publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

Rule 103 also requires that the compiled local rules be continuously available for public inspection and copying in the various filing offices, and on the court's website.

In accordance with the requirements of Rule 103, the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania will continue to post the individually issued General Court Regulations and Administrative Orders which promulgate Philadelphia County's Local Rules on its Order and Regulations page (www.courts.phila.gov/regs/) and will maintain the complete set of compiled local rules on this page, www.courts.phila.gov/localrules/.

For ease of review and revision by subject matter, the compiled Philadelphia County Local Rules will be divided in the following sections:

• CP-Trial Division-Civil
• CP-Trial Division-Criminal
• CP-Orphans' Division
• CP-Family Division-Domestic Relations
• CP-Family Division - Juvenile-Dependency
• Municipal Court-Civil
• Municipal Court-Criminal
• Municipal Court-Traffic
• Judicial Administration

To view the compiled rules for each of the above subject matter, click on its link.
Thank you.

Honorable Nina Wright Padilla, President Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
Honorable Daniel J. Anders, Administrative Judge, Trial Division, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
Honorable Margaret T. Murphy, Administrative Judge, Family Division, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
Honorable Sheila Woods-Skipper, Administrative Judge, Orphans' Court Division, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
Honorable T. Francis Shields, President Judge, Philadelphia Municipal Court
Honorable Joffie C. Pittman, III, Administrative Judge, Philadelphia Municipal Court Traffic Division