Since , Pennsylvania courts have computed time under Rule 107 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Judicial Administration, which consolidated the old Civil Procedure Rules 106 to 108 and repeats the statutory method of 1 Pa.C.S. § 1908. Many checklists and form books still cite Rule 106; the counting method did not change, but the citation did.
How Pennsylvania counts
Exclude the first day and include the last. Every day in between counts, including weekends and holidays; Pennsylvania has no rule that turns short periods into business days. If the last day falls on a Saturday, a Sunday, or a day “made a legal holiday by the laws of this Commonwealth or of the United States,” that day is omitted and the deadline moves to the next day. Periods stated in months end on the same day of the final month, or on its last day when the month is shorter.
Date of service: · 10 days
- Count 10 calendar days after (that day is not counted): .
- is not a court day (Columbus Day), so the deadline moves forward to .
Deadline:
Mail service adds nothing
Unlike federal court and most other states, Pennsylvania’s civil rules give no extra days when a paper is mailed. Rule 440(b) makes service by mail complete on mailing, and electronic service is complete when sent (Rule 205.4(g)). Count from the mailing date as you would from hand delivery. The appellate rules are different: Pa.R.A.P. 121(e) adds three days to certain periods after a paper is served by mail or commercial carrier, but never to a notice of appeal.
Which holidays move a deadline
The Legal Holiday Law (44 P.S. § 11) and federal law together supply the list, and the state’s courts close on most of those days. Good Friday is a Pennsylvania legal holiday, and Juneteenth counts through federal law. Two groups are uncertain, and for both the calculator shows the earlier date with the later one as an alternative:
| Day | Statutory holiday? | Courts open? | How the calculator treats it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good Friday, Juneteenth (June 19), Columbus Day | Yes | Closed | Moves the deadline |
| Flag Day (June 14), Election Day | Yes | Open | Earlier date, later date as an alternative |
| Day after Thanksgiving | No | Closed | Earlier date, later date as an alternative |
| Friday before a Saturday holiday (; June 18 and ) | No | Closed | Earlier date, later date as an alternative |
County courts set their own schedules. Allegheny County, for example, also closes on December 24 and 31, 2026; choose it under Which court? to have those days flagged.
Date of service: · 10 days
- Count 10 calendar days after (that day is not counted): .
Deadline:
Other reading: (Flag Day, Election Day and court-closure days (such as the day after Thanksgiving) also move it)
Answering the complaint: 20 days
Rule 1026 requires every pleading after the complaint within 20 days after service of the preceding pleading, if that pleading carries a notice to defend or a notice to plead. A defendant served outside the United States has 60 days. Original process served by mail is complete on delivery (Rule 403), so use the date on the signed receipt rather than the mailing date. In professional liability cases, the deadline is the later of the Rule 1026 date and 20 days after service of the certificate of merit.
Date the complaint was served (the delivery date, if served by mail): · In the United States (20 days)
- Count 20 calendar days after (that day is not counted): .
- In the United States (20 days) adds no extra days.
- is not a court day (Thanksgiving Day), so the deadline moves forward to .
Deadline:
Other reading: (Flag Day, Election Day and court-closure days also move it)
Appeals start at the docket entry
Under Pa.R.A.P. 903(a), a notice of appeal is due within 30 days after entry of the order. Entry, under Pa.R.A.P. 108(b), is the day the prothonotary notes on the docket that the Rule 236 notice of the order was given — often a few days after the judge signs it. Counting from the signing date gives a date that is too early; counting from the day you received the order can give one that is too late. From , Election Code appeals have only three days, with no weekend or holiday extension; this calculator does not handle them.
Date the Rule 236 notice of the order was entered on the docket:
- Count 30 calendar days after (that day is not counted): .
- is not a court day (Good Friday), so the deadline moves forward to , passing (Saturday), (Sunday).
Deadline:
Post-trial motions: ten days
Rule 227.1(c) requires post-trial motions within ten days after the verdict, the discharge of a jury or a nonsuit in a jury trial, or after notice of nonsuit or the filing of the decision in a non-jury case. They are a prerequisite to most appeals after trial. If the court has not decided timely motions 120 days after the first was filed, any party may have judgment entered by praecipe, and the appeal period runs from that judgment.
Questions about Pennsylvania deadlines
How long do you have to answer a complaint in Pennsylvania?
Twenty days after service of a complaint that carries a notice to defend, and 60 days for a defendant served outside the United States. When the complaint came by mail as original process, count from the delivery date on the signed receipt rather than the mailing date (Pa.R.C.P. 1026; Pa.R.C.P. 403).
Does Pennsylvania add three days for mail service?
No, not under the civil rules. Mail service is complete when the paper is mailed and electronic service when it is sent, so the period runs from that day (Pa.R.C.P. 440(b); Pa.R.C.P. 205.4(g)). The appellate rules add three days to some periods after mail service, but never to a notice of appeal (Pa.R.A.P. 121(e)).
How long do you have to appeal in Pennsylvania?
Thirty days after entry of the order, meaning the day the prothonotary notes on the docket that the Rule 236 notice was given. Counting from the day the judge signed the order produces a date that is too early, and the docket entry often comes a few days later (Pa.R.A.P. 903(a); Pa.R.A.P. 108(b)).
Is Rule 106 still the Pennsylvania time computation rule?
No. Since , Rule 107 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Judicial Administration governs, replacing Civil Procedure Rules 106 to 108. The method is unchanged: exclude the first day, include the last, and skip a last day that is a weekend or legal holiday (Pa.R.J.A. 107; 1 Pa.C.S. § 1908).
Is Good Friday a legal holiday for Pennsylvania court deadlines?
Yes. Good Friday is a Pennsylvania legal holiday and the courts close, so a deadline that falls on it moves to the next day. Juneteenth and Columbus Day work the same way, while Flag Day and Election Day, when courts stay open, are shown with an alternative later date (44 P.S. § 11).
How long do you have to file post-trial motions in Pennsylvania?
Ten days. In a jury trial the clock starts with the verdict, the jury’s discharge or a nonsuit; in a non-jury case it starts with notice of nonsuit or the filing of the decision. Cross post-trial motions by other parties are due ten days after the first motion is filed (Pa.R.C.P. 227.1(c)).
Federal courts in Pennsylvania
For deadlines counted forward, the federal calculator applies Pennsylvania’s legal holidays, including Good Friday, when you choose the Eastern or Western District of Pennsylvania under Which court?. The Western District’s announced closures on the day after Thanksgiving and on December 24 and 31, 2026 are flagged when they fall on your deadline.