Magisterial District Courts in Pennsylvania

Not every dispute belongs in the Court of Common Pleas. Pennsylvania's Magisterial District Courts (MDJ courts) are the front line of the justice system; handling small civil claims, landlord-tenant disputes, and summary criminal offenses. There were 509 magisterial district courts across the state as of May 2023, according to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. The count changes when districts are realigned. Each is presided over by an elected Magisterial District Judge.

What MDJ Courts Handle

• Civil claims up to $12,000: The jurisdictional limit for civil actions before an MDJ. This covers debt collection, property damage, breach of contract, return of security deposits, and similar claims. There is no jury: the judge decides the case.
• Landlord-tenant disputes: Eviction proceedings (actions to recover possession of real property under Pa.R.Civ.P.M.D.J. 501 et seq.) are filed with the MDJ, regardless of the amount of rent owed. The MDJ can also hear related rent claims within its jurisdictional limit. However, the MDJ's jurisdiction over possession cases requires that the occupant be a "tenant" under the Landlord and Tenant Act. Act 88 of 2024, effective September 2024, added a statutory definition: a tenant is a person who occupies the property of another in subordination to the owner's title and with the owner's express or implied consent, "including, but not limited to, oral or written leases or acceptance of rent by an owner or their agent" (68 P.S. § 250.102). A written lease is not required. A family member or friend allowed to live in the property may qualify as a tenant if they occupy it in subordination to the owner's title and with the owner's express or implied consent. Whether they qualify turns on the facts. Where the occupant is not, and never has been, a tenant, a squatter being the clearest example, the Act does not apply (68 P.S. § 250.603) and the MDJ has no jurisdiction. The remedy there is an action in ejectment, filed in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. Ejectment is longer and more expensive, but it is the route when the occupant never was a tenant.
• Summary criminal offenses: Traffic citations, disorderly conduct, retail theft (first offense, under $150), underage drinking, and other summary offenses punishable by fine or up to 90 days in jail.
• Preliminary hearings: Felony and misdemeanor criminal cases start with a preliminary hearing before the MDJ to determine whether the Commonwealth has sufficient evidence to hold the case for trial at the Court of Common Pleas.
• Emergency PFA orders: When a judge of the Court of Common Pleas is unavailable (evenings and weekends), an MDJ (sitting as a hearing officer) can issue an emergency Protection From Abuse order under 23 Pa.C.S. § 6110, which expires at the end of the next business day the court deems itself available.
• Search warrants: MDJs issue search warrants and arrest warrants for law enforcement.

Filing a Civil Complaint at the MDJ

To start a small claims case, file a Civil Complaint (Form AOPC 308A) at the magisterial district court with jurisdiction over your case. The form requires:

• Your name and address (plaintiff)
• The defendant's name and address
• The amount claimed (up to $12,000 plus costs)
• A summary of facts supporting your claim
• Your verification under penalty of law (18 Pa.C.S. § 4904)
• Certification of compliance with the Case Records Public Access Policy

Filing costs, service costs, and constable education fees are added to your claim. Under Pa.R.Civ.P.M.D.J. 206, the prevailing party can recover these costs.

Private Criminal Complaints

In addition to civil cases, Pennsylvania allows private citizens to file Private Criminal Complaints (Form AOPC 411A) with the MDJ. Under Pa.R.Crim.P. 506, a private criminal complaint must be submitted to the attorney for the Commonwealth (District Attorney) for approval or disapproval before the issuing authority may act on it. If the DA disapproves, you may petition the Court of Common Pleas for review. The complaint must set forth a summary of facts sufficient to advise the defendant of the nature of the offense, a bare citation to a statute is not enough.

Appeals from the MDJ

If you lose at the MDJ level, you have the right to appeal to the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. This is a trial de novo, meaning the case starts over completely, as if the MDJ hearing never happened. For a judgment for money, or for possession under a nonresidential lease, the appeal is due within 30 days of the entry of judgment. For a judgment for possession under a residential lease, the deadline is 10 days. A tenant who is a victim of domestic violence has 30 days, but only if a domestic violence affidavit is filed with the notice of appeal (Pa.R.Civ.P.M.D.J. 1002B(2); Landlord and Tenant Act § 513(b)). If a tenant appeals a possession judgment, to obtain a supersedeas they must generally deposit with the prothonotary, at the time the appeal is filed, a sum (or bond) equal to the lesser of three months' rent or the rent actually in arrears on the filing date, and then deposit each month's rent as it becomes due (within 30 days of the appeal and each successive 30-day period thereafter) during the appeal (Landlord and Tenant Act § 513; Pa.R.Civ.P.M.D.J. 1008(B), (C)). If the tenant misses a required deposit, the landlord may ask the prothonotary to terminate the supersedeas. A low-income residential tenant who cannot pay that amount has a separate route under Pa.R.Civ.P.M.D.J. 1008(C). The tenant files a Tenant's Supersedeas Affidavit together with an in forma pauperis affidavit showing household income within the limits in the AOPC's Supplemental Instructions for Obtaining a Stay of Eviction, and pays the rent into escrow with the prothonotary as it comes due. If the current month's rent is unpaid, that means one third at the time the appeal is filed, the remaining two thirds within 20 days, and a full month's rent every 30 days after that. No lump sum and no bond is required on that track, and the prothonotary must issue the supersedeas once those requirements are met. The court or the prothonotary can still terminate it if the escrow payments stop or the affidavit does not hold up. Once appealed, the case proceeds under the regular Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. If you are considering an appeal, keep in mind that the costs (filing fee, attorney fees, and the time involved) may exceed what is at stake.

Find Your Magisterial District Court

The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts maintains an interactive Magisterial District Court map that lets you search by address to find your MDJ, including the judge's name, contact information, and office location. The map covers the magisterial district courts statewide.

MDJ Courts vs. Court of Common Pleas

Legal and factual content on this page was last verified: Sep. 2026. If you are reading this significantly after that date, confirm key provisions with current statute text or contact our office.