Rule 1901.3.Commencement of action.

Adopted March 9, 1977 · Last amended October 19, 2021 · Last verified June 30, 2026

In one sentenceRule 1901.3 has a Protection From Abuse action commenced by presenting to the court or filing with the prothonotary a petition that sets forth the alleged abuse, in the prescribed form.

Full Text of Rule 1901.3

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d)

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), a plaintiff shall commence an action by presenting to the court or filing with the prothonotary a petition setting forth the alleged abuse by the defendant. The petition shall be substantially in the form set forth in Pa.R.C.P. No. 1905(b) and shall have as its first page the Notice of Hearing and Order set forth in Pa.R.C.P. No. 1905(a).

(b) An action may be commenced by filing with the prothonotary a certified copy of an emergency order entered pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S. § 6110, including orders issued by a hearing officer.

(d) The hearing officer shall follow the procedures set forth in the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure Governing Actions and Proceedings Before Magisterial District Judges for emergency relief under the Protection From Abuse Act.

End

Plain-English Summary

A PFA case begins with the petition. This rule has the plaintiff commence the action by presenting to the court, or filing with the prothonotary, a petition setting forth the abuse alleged against the defendant, in substantially the form the rules provide. The petition is the document on which the court can grant a temporary, and later a final, protection order.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you start a Protection From Abuse case?

By presenting to the court or filing with the prothonotary a petition setting forth the alleged abuse, or by filing with the prothonotary a certified copy of an emergency order.

Official Note

Official Note: See Pa.R.C.P. No. 1930.1(b). This rule may require attorneys or unrepresented parties to file confidential documents and documents containing confidential information that are subject to the Case Records Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania.

Amendment History

The provisions of this Rule 1901.3 adopted March 9, 1977, effective April 10, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 839; amended March 30, 1994, effective July 1, 1994, 24 Pa.B. 1943; amended March 9, 1998, effective July 1, 1998, 28 Pa.B. 1391; amended May 2, 2006, effective May 9, 2006, 36 Pa.B. 2369; amended January 5, 2018, effective January 6, 2018, 48 Pa.B. 477; amended June 1, 2018, effective July 1, 2018, 48 Pa.B. 3520; amended October 19, 2021, effective January 1, 2022, 51 Pa.B. 6764. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (392601).

Source & verification. Rule text, the Official Note, and the amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Pennsylvania Code, Title 231, the official compilation of rules adopted by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Last verified June 30, 2026. · Official text

Also known as: commence PFA actionprotection from abuse petitionfile for protection order