Courts

Court Information

District Courts

All jury trials, whether criminal or civil in nature and without regard to the number of jurors required, are suspended through March 31, 2021. Courts and Court departments may elect to conduct proceedings via advanced communications technology.  The monthly Sheriff Sales scheduled for January, February and March have been postponed and rescheduled until April 9, 2021.  All visitors to the Bucks County Justice Center or any Magisterial District Court office are required to wear a protective face mask or covering, maintain social distancing, and comply with any other Court safety directives.  All of the Court's Orders entered in response to the COVID-19 emergency may be viewed on the Emergency Orders page.

Bucks County has 18 magisterial district courts located throughout Bucks County inclusive of the 18 judges and approximately 113 judicial clerks. Magisterial district courts are responsible for adjudicating all traffic and non-traffic citations as well as processing criminal and private criminal complaints inclusive of arraignments and preliminary hearings, the handling of civil and landlord tenant complaints up to a jurisdictional limit of $12,000 as well as parking violations.

The Bucks County district courts handle approximately 130,000 cases annually, receipt approximately $16,000,000 and process approximately 10,000 criminal cases annually.

Magisterial district judge’s jurisdiction in criminal cases includes parking violations through other summary and misdemeanor and felony offenses including the initial phases of murder offenses. All misdemeanor and felony violations are more commonly called court cases. These categories of cases are filed in the district courts where they are preliminarily arraigned and afforded a preliminary hearing. At the conclusion of the preliminary hearing the charges are dismissed, waived to court or held for court and referred onto the Court of Common Pleas.

Magisterial district judges, as officers of the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System, may administer oaths and affirmations and take acknowledgements. They also have authority to perform marriages. It is up to the individual judge’s decision whether he or she wishes to perform marriage ceremonies as there is no legally prescribed form for a wedding ceremony so religious services and vows conform to the secular content in which they are used. Recently magisterial district courts transitioned to the Epay system for the payment of fines and costs at all of the magisterial district courts.  This allows an individual to pay fines, costs, restitution, collateral etc. online from any internet connected computer or from the lobby of the magisterial district court. For more information see the Epay Online Case Payment brochure. For payments online please go to: http://ujsportal.pacourts.us and click on E-pay under the E-commerce menu.

Office hours 8 AM through 5 PM, Monday through Friday.

How to Post Bail Set by the Magisterial District Justice (English and Spanish)

Magisterial District Judges Forms
Civil Complaint
Landlord - Tenant Complaint
Request for Abandonment
Private Criminal Complaint
Request for Access (Case Record Public Access)
Confidential Information Form (This form is for use in Magisterial District Courts only. While most information in court files is open and available to the public, certain information is nonpublic. If you are required to include Social Security information or personal financial information on court filings, use this form. The information will not be placed in public files.)

Magisterial District Judges (printable . pdf) 

Magisterial District Judges Map

Magisterial District Judge Information: Effective 07/09/19

For General information on District Courts, contact Bucks County Court Administration:

Robert D. Pollock
Deputy Court Adm/Minor Judiciary
Office of the Court Administrator – Minor Judiciary
Bucks County Justice Center
100 North Main Street, 2^nd Floor
Doylestown, PA 18901