Rule 576. Filing and Service by Parties.
(a) Filing.
(1) All written motions and any written answers, and any notices or documents for which filing is required, shall be filed with the clerk of courts.
(2) Filing shall be:
(i) by personal delivery to the clerk of courts;
(ii) by mail addressed to the clerk of courts. Except as provided by law, filing by mail shall be timely only when actually received by the clerk of courts within the time fixed for filing; or,
(iii) in a judicial district that permits electronic filing pursuant to Rule 576.1, as provided in Rule 576.1(E).
(3) The clerk of courts shall accept all written motions, answers, notices, or documents presented for filing. When a document, which is filed pursuant to subdivision (a)(1), is received by the clerk of courts, the clerk shall time stamp it with the date of receipt and make a docket entry reflecting the date of receipt, and promptly shall place the document in the criminal case file.
(4) In any case in which a defendant is represented by an attorney, if the defendant submits for filing a written motion, notice, or document that has not been signed by the defendant’s attorney, the clerk of courts shall accept it for filing, time stamp it with the date of receipt and make a docket entry reflecting the date of receipt, and place the document in the criminal case file. A copy of the time stamped document shall be forwarded to the defendant’s attorney and the attorney for the Commonwealth within 10 days of receipt.
(5) If a defendant submits a document pro se to a judge without filing it with the clerk of courts, and the document requests some form of cognizable legal relief, the judge promptly shall forward the document to the clerk of courts for filing and processing in accordance with this rule.
(6) Unified Practice. Any local rule that is inconsistent with the provisions of this rule is prohibited, including any local rule requiring that a document has to be presented in person before filing or requiring review by a court or court administrator before a document may be filed.
(b) Service.
(1) All written motions and any written answers, and notices or documents for which filing is required, shall be served upon each party and the court administrator concurrently with filing.
(2) Service on the parties shall be by:
(i) personal delivery of a copy to a party’s attorney, or the party if unrepresented; or
(ii) personal delivery of a copy to the party’s attorney’s employee at the attorney’s office; or
(iii) mailing a copy to a party’s attorney or leaving a copy for the attorney at the attorney’s office; or
(iv) in those judicial districts that maintain in the courthouse assigned boxes for counsel to receive service, when counsel has agreed to receive service by this method, leaving a copy for the attorney in the attorney’s box; or
(v) sending a copy to an unrepresented party by certified, registered, or first class mail addressed to the party’s place of residence, business, or confinement; or
(vi) sending a copy by facsimile transmission or other electronic means if the party’s attorney, or the party if unrepresented, has made a written request for this method of service for the document; or
(vii) delivery to the party’s attorney, or the party if unrepresented, by carrier service.
(3) Service on the court administrator shall be by:
(i) mailing a copy to the court administrator; or
(ii) in those judicial districts that maintain in the courthouse assigned boxes for the court administrator to receive service, leaving a copy for the court administrator in the court administrator’s box; or
(iii) leaving a copy for the court administrator at the court administrator’s office; or
(iv) sending a copy to the court administrator by facsimile transmission or other electronic means if authorized by local rule; or
(v) delivery to the court administrator by carrier service.
(4) Certificate of Service.
(i) All documents that are filed and served pursuant to this rule shall include a certificate of service.
(ii) The certificate of service shall be in substantially the form set forth in the Comment, signed by the party’s attorney, or the party if unrepresented, and shall include the date and manner of service, and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the persons served.
(5) In a judicial district that permits electronic filing pursuant to Rule 576.1, service shall be made as provided in Rule 576.1(D)(2) and (H)(1).
(c) Any non-party requesting relief from the court in a case shall file the motion with the clerk of courts as provided in subdivision (a), and serve the defendant’s attorney, or the defendant if unrepresented, the attorney for the Commonwealth, and the court administrator as provided in subdivision (b).
Comment For the procedures for electronic filing and service as a local option, see Rule 576.1.
Subdivision (a)(1) requires the filing of all written motions, and answers. The provision also applies to notices and other documents only if filing is required by some other rule or provision of law. See, e.g., the notice of withdrawal of charges provisions in Rule 561 (Withdrawal of Charges by Attorney for the Commonwealth), the notice of alibi defense and notice of insanity defense or mental infirmity defense provisions in Rule 573 (Pretrial Discovery and Inspection), the notice that offenses or defendants will be tried together provisions in Rule 582 (Joinder—Trial of Separate Indictments or Informations), the notice of aggravating circumstances provisions in Rule 802 (Notice of Aggravating Circumstances), and the notice of challenge to a guilty plea provisions in Municipal Court cases in Rule 1007 (Challenge to Guilty Plea).
When a motion, notice, document, or answer is presented for filing pursuant to subdivision (a)(1), the clerk of courts must accept it for filing even if the motion, notice, document, or answer does not comply with a rule or statute or appears to be untimely filed. It is suggested that the judicial district implement procedures to inform the filing party when a document is not in compliance with these rules or a local rule so the party may correct the problem.
See Commonwealth v. Jones, 700 A.2d 423 (Pa. 1997); and Commonwealth v. Little, 716 A.2d 1287 (Pa. Super. 1998) concerning the timeliness of filings by prisoners proceeding pro se (the ‘‘prisoner mailbox rule’’).
Subdivision (a)(4) requires, in all cases in which a represented defendant files a document, that the clerk of courts make a docket entry of the defendant’s filing and place the document in the criminal case file, and then forward a copy of the document to both the attorney of record and the attorney for the Commonwealth. See Commonwealth v. Castro, 766 A.2d 1283 (Pa. Super. 2001). Compare Pa.R.A.P. 121(g) (Hybrid representation). The requirement that the clerk time stamp and make docket entries of the filings in these cases only serves to provide a record of the filing, and does not trigger any deadline nor require any response. See Rules 120 (Attorneys—Appearance and Withdrawals) and 122 (Assignment of Counsel) concerning the duration of counsel’s obligation under the rules.
Subdivision (a)(4) only applies to cases in which the defendant is represented by counsel, not cases in which the defendant is proceeding pro se.
The purpose of subdivision (a)(5) is to ensure documents raising cognizable legal issues submitted to the judge are transmitted to the clerk of courts, and does not relieve the defendant from complying with the other requirements of the rules. When a document is forwarded to the clerk from a judge, if the defendant is unrepresented, the clerk is to proceed as provided in subdivision (a)(3) and the defendant is to be treated like any other party. If the defendant is represented, the clerk is to proceed pursuant to subdivision (a)(4).
Subdivision (a)(6), titled ‘‘Unified Practice,’’ was added in 2004 to emphasize that local rules must not conflict with the statewide rules. Although this prohibition on local rules that are inconsistent with the statewide rules applies to all Criminal Rules through Rule 105 (Local Rules) and Rule of Judicial Administration 103 (Procedures for Adoption, Filing, and Publishing Rules), the reference to the specific prohibitions is included because these types of local rules have been identified by practitioners as creating significant impediments to the statewide practice of law within the unified judicial system. See the first paragraph of the Note to Pa.R.J.A. No. 103. The term ‘‘local rule’’ includes every rule, regulation, directive, policy, custom, usage, form or order of general application. See Pa.R.J.A. No. 103(d)(1).
Any local rule that requires personal appearance in addition to filing with the clerk of courts is inconsistent with this rule.
See Rule 113 (Criminal Case File and Docket Entries) for the requirements concerning the contents of the criminal case file and the minimum information to be included in the docket entries.
Subdivision (b)(1) requires that, concurrently with filing, the party must serve a copy on the court administrator. This requirement provides flexibility to accommodate the various practices for scheduling. However, it is not intended to replace the requirement that the party must file with the clerk of courts.
When a judge is assigned to a case, in addition to the requirements of subdivision (b)(1), it is suggested counsel send the judge a courtesy copy of any filings.
Under any system of scheduling, once a hearing or argument is scheduled, the court or court administrator must give notice of the hearing or argument to the parties, and a copy of the notice must be filed in the criminal case file and a docket entry made. See Rule 114(C)(2).
Although subdivision (b)(2)(iv) permits the use of assigned mailboxes for service under this rule, the Attorney General’s office never may be served by this method.
A facsimile number or an electronic address set forth on letterhead is not sufficient to authorize service by facsimile transmission or other electronic means under subdivision (b)(2)(vi). The authorization for service by facsimile transmission or other electronic means under this rule is document specific and only valid for an individual document. Counsel will have to renew the authorization for each document.
Nothing in this rule is intended to preclude a judicial district from utilizing the United States Postal Service’s return receipt electronic option, or any similar service that electronically provides a return receipt, when using certified mail, return receipt requested.
For the definition of ‘‘carrier service,’’ see Rule 103.
Subdivision (b)(4) requires the filing party to include with the document filed a certificate of service. The certificate of service should be in substantially the following form:
Source The provisions of this Rule 576 amended March 3, 2004, effective July 1, 2004, 34 Pa.B. 1547; amended June 4, 2004, effective November 1, 2004, 34 Pa.B. 3105; amended September 18, 2008, effective February 1, 2009, 38 Pa.B. 5425; amended September 21, 2012, effective November 1, 2012, 42 Pa.B. 6247; amended January 25, 2018, effective May 1, 2018, 48 Pa.B. 856; amended January 4, 2022, effective July 1, 2022, 52 Pa.B. 346. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (392765) to (392768) and (402523) to (402524).
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