Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1121 (2026)

Philadelphia Municipal Court.

✓ current as of May 2026

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SUBCHAPTER B

PHILADELPHIA MUNICIPAL COURT

Sec.

1121. Philadelphia Municipal Court.

1122. Seat of court.

1123. Jurisdiction and venue.

1124. Lien of judgments.

1125. Substitute arraignment court magistrates.

1126. Masters.

1127. Hearing officers.

Special Provisions in Appendix. See sections 9(b) and 10 of Act 142 of 1976 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to temporary assignment of judges and concurrent jurisdiction of Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County.

Cross References. Subchapter B is referred to in section 102 of this title.

§ 1121. Philadelphia Municipal Court.

(a) Organization.--The Philadelphia Municipal Court shall be organized as follows:

(1) The General Division shall consist of 27 judges.

(2) The Traffic Division shall consist of four judges elected to the Traffic Court of Philadelphia prior to the effective date of this paragraph. If a vacancy in the Traffic Division occurs, the vacancy shall not be filled. This paragraph shall expire on the later of:

(i) the date of the ratification by the electorate of an amendment to the Constitution of Pennsylvania abolishing the Philadelphia Traffic Court; or

(ii) the date of the expiration of the longest term of a judge specified in subsection (c)(4).

(b) General Division.--

(1) A judge in the General Division must be an attorney at law.

(2) The salary of a judge in the General Division shall be as set forth in section 2.1(e) and (i) of the act of September 30, 1983 (P.L.160, No.39), known as the Public Official Compensation Law.

(3) The General Division shall exercise full jurisdiction of the municipal court under section 1123(a) (relating to jurisdiction and venue).

(c) Traffic Division.--

(1) A judge in the Traffic Division must:

(i) be an attorney at law; or

(ii) prior to assuming office, complete a course of training and instruction in the duties of the office and pass an examination.

(2) The salary of a judge in the Traffic Division shall be as set forth in section 2.1(f) and (i) of the Public Official Compensation Law.

(3) The Traffic Division shall, at the direction of the President Judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court, exercise jurisdiction under section 1123(a)(9).

(4) This subsection shall apply during the terms of all judges of the Philadelphia Traffic Court:

(i) who have been elected prior to January 1, 2014; and

(ii) whose term expires after December 31, 2017.

(5) A judge identified in paragraph (4) shall, until the expiration of the term to which the judge has been elected, serve as a judge in the Traffic Division.

(6) This subsection shall expire on the later of:

(i) the date of the ratification by the electorate of an amendment to the Constitution of Pennsylvania abolishing the Philadelphia Traffic Court; or

(ii) the date of the expiration of the longest term of a judge specified in paragraph (4).

(d) Annual report.--The President Judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court shall file an annual report with the General Assembly regarding the Traffic Division. The report shall include how funding was allocated for the Traffic Division, the number of cases that came before the Traffic Division and how the cases were resolved by the Traffic Division.

(Feb. 14, 1997, P.L.3, No.2; June 19, 2013, P.L.55, No.17, eff. imd.)

1997 Amendment. Section 4 of Act 2 provided that the amendment shall take effect on the first Monday of January 1998. Section 3 of Act 2 provided that the first judges elected to those judgeships created under section 1121 shall be elected at the 1999 municipal election.

References in Text. The Traffic Court of Philadelphia, referred to in subsec. (a)(2) and (5), was abolished by Joint Resolution No.2 of 2016.

Cross References. Section 1121 is referred to in section 102 of this title.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 12 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 2015–2021 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Perfetto, M., Aplt., 207 A.3d 812 (Pa. 2019).

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Commonwealth v. Perfetto, M., Aplt., 207 A.3d 812 (Pa. 2019). · cites it 8× “The court noted that, in 2013, the Legislature amended 42 Pa.C.S. § 1121, which resulted in the Philadelphia Traffic Court merging into and becoming a division of the Philadelphia Municipal Court.”

Commonwealth v. Perfetto, 169 A.3d 1114 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2017). · cites it 2× “42 Pa.C.S. § 1121. These divisions have unique jurisdiction as defined in 42 Pa.”

Com. v. Jefferson, N., 2019 Pa. Super. 302 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2019). “The Supreme Court rejected the Commonwealth’s argument, holding that the General Division had full jurisdiction of the Municipal Court, including its traffic division, citing 42 Pa.C.S. § 1121(b)(3). 5The Commonwealth conceded in the prior appeal that, on remand, it will not…”

Com. v. Jefferson, N., 220 A.3d 1096 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2019). “§ 112(1) (providing that a prior prosecution is not a bar when “(1) The former prosecution was before a court which lacked jurisdiction over the defendant or the offense”).”

In Re: Amendment of the Note to Rule 601 & Rescission of Rule 604 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Jud. Admin. (Pa. 2021). · cites it 3× “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 1121. Under Act 17, the Traffic Court of Philadelphia is composed of two judges serving on the court on the effective date of the Act and whose terms expire on December 31, 2017.”

In Re: Adoption of New Rules of Jud. Admin. 601-607 & Rescission of Rules 16-22 & 81 of the Rules Governing Standards of Conduct of Magisterial Dist. Judges (Pa. 2015). · cites it 2× “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 1121. Under Act 17, the Traffic Court of Philadelphia is composed of two judges serving on the court on the effective date of the Act and whose terms expire on December 31, 2017.”

In Re: Amendment of Rule 601 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Jud. Admin. (Pa. 2016). “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 1121. Under Act 17, the Traffic Court of Philadelphia is composed of two judges serving on the court on the effective date of the Act and whose terms expire on December 31, 2017.”

Com. v. Perfetto, M. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2017). “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 1121(c)(3) (“The Traffic Division shall, at the direction of the President Judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court, exercise jurisdiction under section 1123(a)(9)”); 42 Pa.”

Com. v. Streater, J. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018). “42 Pa.C.S. § 1121. These divisions have unique jurisdiction as defined in 42 Pa.”

Com. v. Hubbard, T. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2019). “3d at 1122 (explaining the establishment of a new Philadelphia Municipal Court divided into two administrative sections, designated as the General Division and the Traffic Division, pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. § 1121); Pa.R.Crim.P. 1002, cmt.”

Com. v. Law, S. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2021). “” 42 Pa.C.S. § 1121. Subsection 1121(b)(3) clearly and unambiguously states that the General Division shall exercise full jurisdiction of the Municipal Court under 42 Pa.”

Commonwealth v. Johnson, D., Aplt. (Pa. 2021). “See 42 Pa.C.S. §1121(c)(3) (delineating the Traffic Division’s jurisdiction for the relevant time period).”

— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1121(a) — 1 case

Commonwealth v. Perfetto, M., Aplt., 207 A.3d 812 (Pa. 2019). “The court noted that, in 2013, the Legislature amended 42 Pa.C.S. § 1121, which resulted in the Philadelphia Traffic Court merging into and becoming a division of the Philadelphia Municipal Court.”

— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1121(b)(3) — 3 cases

— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1121(c)(3) — 3 cases

Commonwealth v. Perfetto, 169 A.3d 1114 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2017). “42 Pa.C.S. § 1121. These divisions have unique jurisdiction as defined in 42 Pa.”

Commonwealth v. Johnson, D., Aplt. (Pa. 2021). “See 42 Pa.C.S. §1121(c)(3) (delineating the Traffic Division’s jurisdiction for the relevant time period).”

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