Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, Pennsylvania Electronic Filing Rules

CRITICALCriminal cases

Applies to

Legal papers

The Clerk of Courts must accept hard-copy legal papers, retain them as required, and convert them to PDF and add them to the system unless excluded from electronic filing.

Any legal paper submitted for filing to the Clerk of Courts in a physical paper (“hard-copy”) format shall be accepted by the Clerk of Courts in that format and shall be retained by the Clerk of Courts as may be required by applicable rules of court and record retention policies. The Clerk of Courts shall convert such hard-copy legal paper to .pdf and add it to the system, except those legal papers excluded from electronic filing pursuant to Pa.R.Crim.P. 576.1(C) and this rule.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Applies to

Legal papers

PACFile is the exclusive electronic filing system for the Criminal Division.

The exclusive system for electronic filing in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, Criminal Division, shall be the PACFile System, developed and administered by the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts and located on Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System Web Portal at https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/PACFile.aspx.

CRITICALCivil cases

All electronically filed legal papers must be filed through the Clerk’s Electronic Filing System.

All legal papers filed electronically shall be filed through the Clerk’s Electronic Filing System (“Electronic Filing System”).

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion to stay sheriff's sale

Plaintiffs’ and agreed or uncontested motions to stay a Sheriff’s sale may be filed electronically until 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday of the sale week.

Plaintiffs’, or any agreed or uncontested, motions to stay Sheriff’s sales may be electronically filed until 4:30 p.m. on the Tuesday of the week of the scheduled sale.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Motion to stay sheriff's sale

Defendants’ and contested motions to stay a Sheriff’s sale must be filed and presented in person at the Office of the Court Administrator on the sale morning before the hearing time set in subsection (a).

Defendants’, or any contested, motions to stay Sheriff’s sales shall be filed and presented in person in the Office of the Court Administrator on the morning of the subject sale prior to the time set forth in subsection (a) above for hearing.

CRITICALCivil cases

Parties must register to e-file and provide the listed contact and identifying information, along with any other information the Clerk requires.

Parties shall register with the Electronic Filing System to file legal papers electronically. Registrants shall provide their name, mailing address, email address, telephone number and other identifying information as required by the Clerk.

WARNINGCriminal cases

Applies to

Legal papers

Applicable procedural rules, general court rules, and implementing court policies continue to govern legal-paper filings regardless of filing method.

The applicable rules of procedure, general rules of court, and court policies that implement such rules shall continue to apply to the filing of all legal papers regardless of the method of filing.

WARNINGCriminal cases

Applies to

Legal papers

PACFile participation is voluntary, and a party who declines or cannot use the system may file legal papers in hard copy.

Use of the PACFile System is permissive and voluntary. Any party who declines to participate in the PACFile electronic filing system, who is unable to electronically file or accept service of legal papers which were filed electronically, or who is otherwise unable to access the PACFile system, shall be permitted to file legal papers in hard copy format and shall be served legal papers as required by Pa.R.Crim.P. 576 in a hard copy format by the Clerk of Courts and other parties, regardless of whether such legal papers are electronically filed or in a hard copy format.

WARNINGCriminal cases

Applies to

Legal papers

The rule’s definition of legal papers excludes specified warrant applications, grand jury materials, ex parte and sealed submissions, evidence exhibits, and surveillance petitions.

“Legal papers” are pleadings or other submissions to the court, including motions, answers, notices, or other documents, of which filing is required or permitted, including orders, exhibits and attachments, but excluding: (a) applications for search warrants; (b) applications for arrest warrants; (c) any grand jury materials, except the indicting grand jury indictment or the investigating grand jury presentment; (d) submissions filed ex parte as authorized by law; (e) submissions filed or authorized to be filed under seal; (f) exhibits offered into evidence, whether or not admitted, in a court proceeding; and (g) Wiretap Act, tracker, cell phone and internet surveillance petitions.

WARNINGCivil cases

Applies to

Motion to stay sheriff's sale

A motion not electronically filed by the Tuesday 4:30 p.m. deadline may instead be filed and presented in person at the Office of the Court Administrator before the hearing time set in subsection (a).

Any motion not electronically filed by 4:30 p.m. on the Tuesday of the week of the scheduled sale may be filed and presented in person in the Office of the Court Administrator at any time prior to the time set forth in subsection (a) above for hearing.

INFOCriminal cases

Applies to

Legal papers

Electronic filing of legal papers through PACFile is authorized in the Criminal Division, subject to Clerk of Courts requirements and the rule’s limitations.

Pursuant to Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 576.1(A), electronic filing of legal papers through the PACFile electronic filing system is hereby authorized in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, Criminal Division. The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts and the Seventh Judicial District, through the Office of the Clerk of Courts (“Clerk of Courts”), have agreed upon an implementation plan for PACFile in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. Note: For the purposes of this rule, authorization for use of PACFile in the “Criminal Division” of the Court shall, subject to any requirements of the Clerk of Courts and the limitations set forth in section (B) hereof, include all legal papers that may be appropriately filed with the Clerk of Courts, including but not limited to those related to criminal, juvenile and dependency matters.

INFOCivil cases

Legal papers may be submitted in hard copy for the Clerk to scan and maintain as PDFs, and scanned papers may be returned to the filing party for maintenance.

Legal papers may be submitted to the Clerk in hard copy format. In that event, the Clerk shall electronically scan such legal paper into .pdf format and maintain it in that format. Any legal paper scanned into .pdf format may be returned to the filing party for maintenance pursuant to Pa.O.C. Rule No. 4.7(c)(3).

INFOCivil cases

Legal filings permitted under the Pennsylvania Orphans’ Court Rules may be filed electronically with the Clerk in accordance with the specified procedures.

Any legal filing permitted under the Pennsylvania Orphans’ Court Rules may be filed electronically with the Office of the Clerk of the Orphans’ Court (“Clerk”) under the procedures set forth in this rule and consistent with the procedures set forth in Pa.O.C. Rule No. 4.7.