Rule Text
Except as provided in these rules or by local rule authorized by these rules, or elsewhere in Chapter 10, all criminal proceedings in which a person is accused of one or more summary traffic offenses only or violations of municipal traffic ordinances shall proceed as provided in Chapter 4 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Amendment history: The provisions of this Rule 1030 adopted September 9, 2005, effective February 1, 2006, 35 Pa.B. 5239; amended May 7, 2014, effective immediately, 44 Pa.B. 3056; amended January 8, 2025, effective April 1, 2025, 55 Pa.B. 702. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (382201).
Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)
This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
If you are charged with a minor traffic violation in Philadelphia's Municipal Court Traffic Division, your case will follow the same basic rules as other minor criminal cases in Pennsylvania. These are called Chapter 4 rules, and they set out how traffic cases are handled from start to finish.
There are some exceptions. If a specific rule in this section (Chapter 10) or a local court rule says something different, then that local or specific rule takes over. Otherwise, the standard Chapter 4 rules apply.
This rule mainly matters for people who are dealing with traffic tickets or violations of city traffic laws, not more serious crimes. It tells everyone involved which set of rules governs how the case moves forward.
Committee Notes
These rules were developed in 2005 to accommodate the procedures Philadelphia Traffic Court implemented to address the issues in summary traffic cases unique to Philadelphia, to more efficiently handle the vast number of summary traffic cases, and to protect the defendants’ rights to a fair and prompt disposition of their cases.
For the procedures governing suppression motions in summary cases, see Rule 454(g).
The jurisdiction and functions of the Philadelphia Traffic Court were transferred to the Philadelphia Municipal Court Traffic Division in 2013, see Act 17 of 2013, P. L. 55, No. 17 (June 19, 2013) and 42 Pa.C.S. § § 102, 325, 1121, 1127, 1302, 1321.
See Rule 105 for the procedures for promulgating local rules.
