Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 911 (2026)

Courts of common pleas.

✓ current as of May 2026

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SUBCHAPTER B

ORGANIZATION OF COURTS OF COMMON PLEAS

Sec.

911. Courts of common pleas.

912. Powers of courts of common pleas.

913. Seats of courts.

914. Reimbursement for common pleas court costs.

915. Proportional reduction.

916. Treatment courts.

916.1. Commerce courts.

917. Housing courts.

§ 911. Courts of common pleas.

(a) General rule.--There shall be one court of common pleas for each judicial district of this Commonwealth consisting of the following number of judges:

Judicial District	Number of Judges
First	93
Second	15
Third	9
Fourth	1
Fifth	43
Sixth	9
Seventh	15
Eighth	4
Ninth	7
Tenth	11
Eleventh	11
Twelfth	11
Thirteenth	2
Fourteenth	5
Fifteenth	15
Sixteenth	3
Seventeenth	2
Eighteenth	1
Nineteenth	15
Twentieth	2
Twenty-first	6
Twenty-second	2
Twenty-third	13
Twenty-fourth	5
Twenty-fifth	2
Twenty-sixth	3
Twenty-seventh	7
Twenty-eighth	2
Twenty-ninth	5
Thirtieth	3
Thirty-first	11
Thirty-second	21
Thirty-third	2
Thirty-fourth	1
Thirty-fifth	4
Thirty-sixth	7
Thirty-seventh	2
Thirty-eighth	26
Thirty-ninth	5
Fortieth	3
Forty-first	2
Forty-second	2
Forty-third	7
Forty-fourth	2
Forty-fifth	9
Forty-sixth	2
Forty-seventh	5
Forty-eighth	2
Forty-ninth	4
Fiftieth	7
Fifty-first	4
Fifty-second	4
Fifty-third	4
Fifty-fourth	1
Fifty-fifth	1
Fifty-sixth	3
Fifty-seventh	2
Fifty-eighth	2
Fifty-ninth	1
Sixtieth	2

(a.1) Interim judgeship.--(Expired).

(a.2) Fifteenth Judicial District.--(Expired).

(b) Single county districts.--In single county judicial districts the court of common pleas of the district shall be known as the "Court of Common Pleas of (the respective) County."

(c) Multicounty districts.--In multicounty judicial districts the court of common pleas of the district shall be known as the "Court of Common Pleas of the (respective) Judicial District." There shall be a separate branch of the court in each county comprising the judicial district.

(Nov. 26, 1978, P.L.1264, No.301, eff. imd.; July 10, 1980, P.L.513, No.106; Apr. 8, 1982, P.L.292, No.82; July 10, 1984, P.L.708, No.150, eff. imd.; Dec. 22, 1986, P.L.1744, No.213, eff. 60 days; May 13, 1987, P.L.15, No.6, eff. imd.; Dec. 7, 1990, P.L.619, No.159, eff. imd.; Feb. 14, 1997, P.L.3, No.2, eff. imd.; Dec. 15, 1998, P.L.949, No.126; Dec. 20, 2000, P.L.742, No.105, eff. imd.; June 22, 2001, P.L.388, No.28, eff. imd.; Dec. 9, 2002, P.L.1705, No.215, eff. imd.; Nov. 30, 2004, P.L.1703, No.217, eff. imd.; Oct. 9, 2008, P.L.1352, No.98, eff. imd.; Nov. 23, 2010, P.L.1137, No.114, eff. 60 days; Oct. 30, 2017, P.L.802, No.49, eff. imd.; Dec. 14, 2023, P.L.435, No.58, eff. imd.)

2023 Amendment. Act 58 amended subsec. (a). See section 2 of Act 58 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to applicability.

2017 Amendment. See section 3 of Act 49 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to applicability.

2014 Expiration. Subsection (a.2) expired January 6, 2014. See Act 114 of 2010.

2010 Amendment. Act 114 added subsec. (a.2).

2008 Amendment. See section 8 of Act 98 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to the selection of additional judges.

2004 Amendment. See section 5 of Act 217 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to election of additional judges.

2002 Amendment. See section 7 of Act 215 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to election of additional judges.

2002 Expiration. Subsec. (a.1) expired January 8, 2002. See Act 28 of 2001.

2001 Amendment. See sections 2 and 3 of Act 28 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to election of additional judges and legislative findings.

2000 Amendment. See section 7 of Act 105 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to election of additional judges.

1998 Amendment. Act 126 amended the entire section, effective immediately as to subsec. (a) and January 1, 1999, as to the remainder of the section. Section 12 of Act 126 provided that the new judgeship for the fifty-second district added by the amendment of subsec. (a) shall be created on January 3, 2000, and shall be initially filled by election at the 1999 municipal election.

1997 Amendment. See section 2 of Act 2 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to the election of additional judges.

1990 Amendment. See sections 2 and 3 of Act 159 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to judgeships in First Judicial District and filling of new judgeships.

1984 Amendment. See section 3 of Act 150 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to election of additional judges.

1978 Amendment. See section 4 of Act 301 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to election of additional judges.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 7 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2000–2026 · leading case: Mishoe v. Erie Ins., 824 A.2d 1153 (Pa. 2003).

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Mishoe v. Erie Ins., 824 A.2d 1153 (Pa. 2003). · cites it 2× “§ 325 (providing for seniority of "judges"); 42 Pa.C.S. § 911 (providing for the number of "judges" to be allotted to each judicial district).”

Haybarger v. Lawrence Cnty. Adult Prob. & Parole, 551 F.3d 193 (3rd Cir. 2008). “42 Pa. Cons.Stat. § 911 (2008). Under Pennsylvania law, each court of common pleas must have a domestic relations section, “which shall consist of such probation officers and other staff of the court as shall be assigned thereto.”

Com. v. Seals, J., 2026 Pa. Super. 29 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2026). “42 Pa.C.S. § 911(a). - 38 - J-E03005-25 Pa.”

Otter v. Cortes, 969 A.2d 1276 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2009). “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 911(a) (listing 20 judicial offices for the Court of Common Pleas of the 32nd Judicial District, or Delaware County).”

Callahan v. City of Philadelphia, 207 F.3d 668 (3rd Cir. 2000). “The state budget also provides $30,-400,000 directly to the counties as reimbursement for the costs incurred by the counties in providing for the courts of common pleas, at the rate of $70,000 for each authorized common pleas judge position, of which there are 90 in the Court of…”

Lewis v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (E.D. Pa. 2020). · cites it 2× “26 42 Pa.C.S. § 911. 27 Magisterial District Judges, Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, https://www.”

Rural Route Neighbors v. East Buffalo Twp. Zoning Hearing Bd., 870 A.2d 388 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2005). “Section 9 of Act 215 of 2002 reads as follows: This act shall take effect as follows: *394 (1) The following provisions shall take effect immediately: (i) The amendment of 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 911(a) and 5571(c)(5). (ii) The amendment of 42 Pa.”

— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 911(a) — 3 cases

Com. v. Seals, J., 2026 Pa. Super. 29 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2026). “42 Pa.C.S. § 911(a). - 38 - J-E03005-25 Pa.”

Otter v. Cortes, 969 A.2d 1276 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2009). “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 911(a) (listing 20 judicial offices for the Court of Common Pleas of the 32nd Judicial District, or Delaware County).”

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