Row Officers

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Office of the Bucks County District Attorney

 

Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition

Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (“A.R.D.”) is a pre-trial intervention program for first time non-violent offenders.  A.R.D. is not a conviction and does not require a defendant to serve mandatory jail sentences associated with certain convictions. 

In order to be eligible for A.R.D., you be a first time offender.  You are not a first time offender if you have ever been convicted of any misdemeanor or felony crimes in this or any other state or jurisdiction (including military tribunals) or if you have ever been placed on A.R.D or its equivalent in this or any other state or jurisdiction.  Charges such as Possession of a Controlled Substance, Theft, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Controlled Substance (“D.U.I.”) are typically appropriate for the A.R.D. program.  The A.R.D. Application outlines basic eligibility requirements for the Bucks County A.R.D. program; however, a recommendation for placement into the A.R.D. program is at the sole discretion of the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office. 

If you are accepted into the A.R.D. program and fail to comply with any of your A.R.D. agreement’s conditions or are arrested for or convicted of a new offense, you will be removed from the A.R.D. program and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office will file a praecipe to have your case listed for trial on the original charges. 

If you are accepted into the A.R.D. program for an offense of D.U.I., under Section 3802 of Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code the A.R.D. disposition will be considered a prior conviction for sentencing purposes, and will increase the mandatory sentence for each subsequent D.U.I. offenses within the next ten (10) years from the date of the A.R.D. agreement. 

If you would like to apply for the first-time offender A.R.D. program, you must:

1. Waive your preliminary hearing; and,
2. Submit a completed A.R.D. Application to the assigned Magisterial District Court. 

Both the A.R.D. Application and the Waiver form for the Preliminary Hearing can be found on this website and printed out and taken to the assigned Magisterial District Court on or before your scheduled Preliminary Hearing. 

Upon successful completion of the A.R.D. agreement, a motion may be filed requesting that the charges be dismissed and that the criminal record be expunged under Rules 319 and 320 of Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure.  For your convenience, you or your attorney may complete the Motion for Dismissal and Expungement (A.R.D.) form found on the website and file it with the Bucks County Clerk of Court along with the required filing fee.  For filing instructions, please contact the Bucks County Clerk of Court at 215-348-6389.  For your assistance, an example of a completed Motion for Dismissal and Expungment (A.R.D.) is also provided. 

Any questions regarding the Bucks County A.R.D. program should be directed to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office A.R.D. unit at ARD@co.bucks.pa.us or 215.348.6660. 

 

ARD Application	Preliminary Hearing Waiver
ARD Agreement (DUI)	ARD Agreement (non DUI)
ARD Extension
Motion For Dismissal and Expungement (A.R.D.)	Example: Motion For Dismissal and Expungement (A.R.D.)