In an emergency situation when the Courthouse is closed or after 2:30 p.m. Monday - Friday, you must file your PFA Petition with the Magisterial District Judge (MDJ) on duty. You can do this by calling Adams County Control (717-334-8101), tell them you want to file an emergency PFA Petition, and ask them to contact the on-duty MDJ.
Courthouse Locations
Below is a list of courthouses where you can file for a protection order. (If you want to file for custody, divorce, or anything else, you may want to call the courthouse to make sure that the court we have listed is the proper courthouse.) At the courthouse, the clerk will provide you with the forms that you need to file. If you need assistance filling out the forms, the clerk may be able to give basic instructions, but the clerk usually cannot help you decide what information to write or give you any sort of advice. You will also find links to online forms at our PA Download Court Forms page. For further help, you may want to reach out to a local domestic violence program or a legal services organization. You can find links to both types of organizations on our PA Places that Help page.
Adams County
Adams County Courthouse
Allegheny County
Allegheny County Courthouse
Protection from abuse intake hours: 8:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.
Armstrong County
Armstrong County Courthouse
Beaver County
Beaver County Courthouse
You must arrive between 8:30am and 9:00am, Monday through Friday, to file a petition for Protection From Abuse. Regular operating hours are 8:30am-4:30pm. If an order is needed outside of business hours, call 911.
Bedford County
Bedford County Courthouse
Berks County
Berks County Services Center
Petitions for Protection From Abuse filing between 8:00am and 2:00pm. PFA office hours between 8:00am and 5:00 pm.
Blair County
Blair County Courthouse
Bradford County
Bradford County Courthouse
Bucks County
Bucks County Courthouse
Butler County
Butler County Government Center
Cambria County
Cambria County Courthouse
Carbon County
Carbon County Courthouse
You must arrive between 8:30am and 3:00pm Monday-Friday to file your petition.
Centre County
Centre County Courthouse
An emergency order can be issued by a district justice after 3 p.m. on a business day or when the Court of Common Pleas is closed. An emergency order is in effect until the end of the next business day of the Court of Common Pleas. You must report to the Court of Common Pleas to have a temporary order issued.
Chester County
Chester County Courthouse
The office is open from Monday-Friday, 8:30am-3:30pm. However, the PFA statute authorizes Magisterial District Judges to grant emergency temporary PFAs when the Court of Common Pleas is unavailable. Contact your local police department to find out where the on call district judge is located.
Clarion County
Clarion County Courthouse
Clearfield County
Clearfield County Courthouse
Clinton County
Clinton County Courthouse
Columbia County
Columbia County Courthouse
Crawford County
Crawford County Courthouse
Cumberland County
Cumberland County Courthouse
Dauphin County
Dauphin County Courthouse
Delaware County
Delaware County Courthouse
Elk/Cameron Counties
Elk County Courthouse
Erie County
Erie County Courthouse
Fayette County
Fayette County Courthouse
You can file your petition between 8:30am and 3:00pm Monday-Friday in the Prothonotary’s Office or between 8:00am and 4:30 pm in the Law Library of the Courthouse. After hours and on weekends, you can contact the Magisterial District Court at (724) 438-1760. The link includes these and other options to file a PFA petition.
Forest/Warren Counties
Franklin County Courthouse
Greene County
Greene County Courthouse
Huntingdon County
Huntingdon County Courthouse
You can find the pro se PFA Order packet in this link: http://huntingdoncountycourt.net/forms/
Indiana County
Indiana County Courthouse
Jefferson County
Jefferson County Courthouse
Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County Courthouse
Lancaster County
Lancaster County Courthouse
Lawrence County
Lawrence County Government Center
Lebanon County
Lebanon County Courthouse
Lehigh County
Lehigh County Courthouse
Luzerne County
Luzerne County Courthouse
Lycoming County
Lycoming County Courthouse
McKean County
McKean County Courthouse
Mercer County
Mercer County Courthouse
Mifflin County
Mifflin County Courthouse
Monroe County
Monroe County Courthouse
Montgomery County
Montgomery County Courthouse
Northampton County
Northampton County Government Center
To file for a PFA Order in Northampton County, go to the Protection From Abuse Office, located on the lower level (Rm. L113) of the Northampton County Courthouse. The filing hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Motions Judge hears PFA cases at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. every day.
Northumberland County
Northumberland County Courthouse
Perry/Juniata Counties
Perry County Courthouse
Philadelphia County
Philadelphia Family Court
Pike County
Pike County Courthouse
Potter County
Potter County Courthouse
Schuylkill County
Schuylkill County Courthouse
Snyder/Union Counties
Snyder County Courthouse
Somerset County
Somerset County Courthouse
Susquehanna County
Susquehanna County Courthouse
Tioga County
Tioga County Courthouse
Venango County
Venango County Courthouse
Warren/Forest Counties
Warren County Courthouse
Washington County
Washington County Courthouse
Wayne County
Wayne County Courthouse
Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County Courthouse
You can file your petition Monday-Friday, 8:30am-11:30am and 1:00pm-3:00pm
Wyoming/Sullivan Counties
Wyoming County Courthouse
York County
York County Government Center
Hours: 8:30 A.M. To 4:30 P.M. Monday thru Friday
Closed from 12:00 Noon to 12:30 P.M. Mondays & Thursdays