Rule 206.1.Petition. Definition. Content. Form.

Adopted September 8, 1995 · Last amended June 28, 2016 · Last verified June 30, 2026

In one sentenceRule 206.1 defines a “petition” for petition practice — an application to strike or open a default judgment or judgment of non pros, plus any application a local rule routes through these rules — and requires it to state the relief sought and the supporting facts, with all grounds raised in a single petition.

Full Text of Rule 206.1

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

(a) As used in this chapter, ‘‘petition’’ means

(1) an application to strike and/or open a default judgment or a judgment of non pros, and

(2) any other application which is designated by local rule, numbered Local Rule 206.1(a), to be governed by Rule 206.1 et seq.

(b) A petition shall specify the relief sought and state the material facts which constitute the grounds therefor. All grounds for relief, whether to strike or open a default judgment, shall be asserted in a single petition.

(c) A petition shall be divided into paragraphs numbered consecutively. Each paragraph shall contain as far as practicable only one material allegation.

End

Plain-English Summary

Pennsylvania treats some applications as “petitions,” which run on their own track. This rule fixes what a petition is: an application to strike and/or open a default judgment or a judgment of non pros, together with any other application that a local rule, numbered Local Rule 206.1(a), assigns to petition practice.

A petition must specify the relief it seeks and state the material facts that support it. The rule forces consolidation: all grounds for relief, whether to strike or to open a default judgment, must appear in one petition rather than be parceled out across several. The petition is written in consecutively numbered paragraphs, one allegation each.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a “petition” under these rules?

It is an application to strike and/or open a default judgment or a judgment of non pros, plus any other application that a local rule designates to be governed by petition practice.

Can I file separate petitions to strike and to open a default judgment?

No. All grounds for relief, whether to strike or to open, must be asserted in a single petition.

Official Note

Official Note: A petition for relief from a judgment by confession is governed by Rule 2959. Motions are governed by Rule 208.1 et seq. Rule 206.1(a)(2) authorizes each court of common pleas to designate applications which are to proceed in the manner of a petition under Rule 206.1 et seq. Rule 239.2(a) requires each court which has made that designation to promulgate a local rule, numbered Local Rule 206.1(a), listing the applications to be determined pursuant to Rule 206.1 et seq.

Official Note: Petitions are subject to Rule 440 governing service of legal papers other than original process, Rule 1023.1 governing the signing of documents, and Rule 1025 governing the endorsement of legal papers. Any requirements of a court relating to the format of a petition and cover sheet must be set forth in local rules numbered Local Rule 205.2(a) and Local Rule 205.2(b).

Amendment History

The provisions of this Rule 206.1 adopted September 8, 1995, effective January 1, 1996, 25 Pa.B. 4092; amended October 24, 2003, effective 9 months after the date of the Order, 33 Pa.B. 5506; amended November 2, 2005, effective immediately, 35 Pa.B. 6318; amended October 21, 2013, effective November 21, 2013, 43 Pa.B. 6648; amended June 28, 2016, effective August 1, 2016, 46 Pa.B. 3797. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (369602) to (369603).

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: petitionpetition to open default judgmentpetition to strikenon prospetition practice