Pennsylvania Laws
128 articles · page 2 of 3
P
Pennsylvania Identity Theft Laws: 18 Pa.C.S. Section 4120 Grading
Pennsylvania identity theft is graded by dollar value under 18 Pa.C.S. Section 4120. Victims can also sue for treble damages under 42 Pa.C.S. Section 8315.
Pennsylvania Jury Duty Laws: Pay, Exemptions and Employer Rules
Pennsylvania jury duty rules: $9 a day for the first three days and $25 after, the age 75 excuse, the exemptions, job protection and the $500 no-show fine.
Pennsylvania Knife Laws (2026): Schools, Courts, No General Ban
Pennsylvania's general weapons law no longer names knives, but a separate school statute bans them outright and courts still ban daggers.
Pennsylvania Landlord-Tenant Laws (2026): Deposits, Notice, and Tenant Rights
Pennsylvania landlord-tenant laws: 2-month deposit cap year 1, 1 month after, 30-day return, 15-day notice to end month-to-month, and no rent control.
Pennsylvania Landlord-Tenant Recording and Surveillance Laws (2026)
Learn Pennsylvania landlord-tenant recording laws. Tenant privacy rights, landlord surveillance limits, security camera rules, and hidden camera criminal penalties.
Pennsylvania Laws on Recording Doctors and Medical Appointments (2026)
Learn Pennsylvania medical recording laws. All-party consent required for recording doctors. HIPAA, patient rights, telehealth recording, and hospital surveillance rules.
Pennsylvania Laws on Recording in Public: What Is Legal (2026)
Learn Pennsylvania public recording laws. Silent video in public is legal, audio requires context. Sunshine Act rights, filming police, and public event recording explained.
Pennsylvania Laws on Recording Police: Your Rights and Limits (2026)
Learn your rights to record police in Pennsylvania. First Amendment protections under Fields v. City of Philadelphia, body camera laws, and Sunshine Act rules.
Pennsylvania Lemon Law (2026): How to Qualify & Get a Refund
Pennsylvania's Lemon Law covers new cars and motorcycles (May 2025+). Learn the 3-attempt/30-day presumption, refund formula, and how to file a claim.
Pennsylvania License Plate Reader Laws (2026)
We found no Pennsylvania plate reader statute. Four bills sit in committee; toll and enforcement camera data rules; Right-to-Know access to plate data.
Pennsylvania Manslaughter Laws: Voluntary, Involuntary and DUI Deaths
Pennsylvania voluntary manslaughter is a first-degree felony (up to 20 years); involuntary manslaughter is usually a misdemeanor. Vehicle deaths are separate crimes.
Pennsylvania Marriage & Divorce Records: How to Get a Copy (2026)
Pennsylvania issues no state marriage or divorce copies. Get a marriage record from the county Marriage License Clerk and a decree from the Prothonotary.
Pennsylvania Marriage License Requirements 2026: Fees, 3-Day Wait
How to get a Pennsylvania marriage license in 2026: apply at any county Register of Wills, wait 3 days, and marry within 60 days. Fees run $60 to $90.
Pennsylvania Medical Records Retention Laws (2026 Guide)
Pennsylvania requires 7-year medical records retention for physicians and hospitals. Learn PA rules for minors, HIPAA, CMS, patient access, and destruction.
Pennsylvania Minimum Wage 2026: $7.25 an Hour, Tipped $2.83
Pennsylvania minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, matching the federal rate. See the $2.83 tipped wage, why cities cannot set higher rates, and the status of HB 2189.
Pennsylvania Name Change Laws: Fingerprinting, Dual Publication, and the Offense Bar
Pennsylvania name changes require fingerprinting, a state police background check, and publication in two newspapers. Here is the full process and cost.
Pennsylvania Noise Ordinance Laws (2026): Quiet Hours and Fines
Pennsylvania noise laws explained: disorderly conduct for unreasonable noise, local quiet hours and borough fines, muffler and horn rules, and penalties.
Pennsylvania Non-Compete Laws (2026): Are Non-Competes Enforceable?
Pennsylvania enforces reasonable non-competes under Hess v. Gebhard, but Act 74 voids most doctor, PA and nurse practitioner non-competes signed since 2025.
Pennsylvania Nursing Home Camera Laws: Esther's Law (HB 1350) and the Wiretap Risk
Pennsylvania has no nursing home camera statute. Esther's Law (HB 1350) is pending and would carve out an exception to the state's all-party consent Wiretap Act.
Pennsylvania Open Container Law (2026): Statute and Penalty
Pennsylvania bans open-container possession and alcohol consumption for drivers and passengers under 75 Pa.C.S. Section 3809. Read the exact text.
Pennsylvania Pepper Spray and Stun Gun Laws (2026)
Pennsylvania pepper spray is legal for self-defense, but using it on an officer is a felony. Stun guns are legal under 18 Pa.C.S. 908.1 if labeled with instructions.
Pennsylvania Phone Call Recording Laws: Consent Rules and Penalties (2026)
Learn Pennsylvania phone call recording laws under 18 Pa.C.S. 5703, all-party consent rules, telemarketer exceptions, interstate call rules, and felony penalties.
Pennsylvania Police Reports: Crash Reports, Incident Reports, and Body Cam Footage
Pennsylvania runs crash reports, incident reports, and body camera footage through three separate laws. Here is how to request each and Act 22's 60-day trap.
Pennsylvania Pornography Laws (2026): Obscenity, AV Bills & CSAM
Pennsylvania pornography law explained: Section 5903 obscenity, pending age-verification bills, CSAM penalties, and the 2024 AI revenge-porn update.
Pennsylvania Power of Attorney Laws: Durable, Medical, and Financial POA (2026)
Pennsylvania power of attorney laws explained: execution requirements (notary + 2 witnesses + statutory notice since 2015), durable by default, agent duties, hot powers, and the separate health care POA under 20 Pa. C.S. ch. 54.
Pennsylvania Prenuptial Agreement Laws: When a Prenup Holds Up (2026)
Pennsylvania prenups under 23 Pa.C.S. 3106: the clear and convincing burden, the voluntariness and three-part disclosure tests, child-support terms and postnups.
Pennsylvania Probate and Intestate Succession: What Happens Without a Will (2026)
Pennsylvania probate starts at the Register of Wills. Learn intestate succession and Pennsylvania's inheritance tax, including 4.5% on children.
Pennsylvania Property Records: How to Find Out Who Owns a Property (2026)
Pennsylvania property records run through 67 county Recorders of Deeds, some free and some paid. Here is how to find a property owner and the real costs.
Pennsylvania Punitive Damages Laws: Cap, Proof and Rules (2026)
Pennsylvania allows punitive damages at common law with no general cap; MCARE limits them to 200% for individual physicians except intentional misconduct.
Pennsylvania Quitclaim Deed: Requirements, Recording and Transfer Tax
How to record a Pennsylvania quitclaim deed, why the 1% realty transfer tax still applies, which family transfers are excluded, and when you need form REV-183.
Pennsylvania Reckless Driving Laws: Fines, Suspension and Points
Pennsylvania reckless driving (75 Pa.C.S. 3736) is a summary offense with a $200 fine and a mandatory six-month license suspension. Racing and careless rules.
Pennsylvania Recording Laws (2026): All-Party Consent Rules
Pennsylvania requires all-party consent to record under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5703. Illegal recording is a third-degree felony (up to 7 years). Learn the rules, exceptions, and penalties.
Pennsylvania Restraining Order Laws (2026): How to Get a PFA Order
Learn how to get a Protection From Abuse (PFA) order in Pennsylvania: who qualifies, how to file free, how long it lasts (up to 3 years), firearm surrender rules, and violation penalties.
Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law: How to Request Public Records
Pennsylvania Right-to-Know requests explained: the 5 business day agency deadline, deemed denials, the Office of Open Records appeal, and fee limits.
Pennsylvania Ring Doorbell Laws: What You Need to Know in 2026
Pennsylvania Ring doorbell laws: all-party consent required for audio under 18 Pa.C.S. 5703. Felony penalties up to 7 years. Learn how to stay legal.
Pennsylvania Scam and Fraud Laws: Where to Report, Your Right to Sue (2026)
Pennsylvania lets a person who bought goods or services for personal use and lost money to a deceptive practice sue for actual damages or $100, up to 3x.
Pennsylvania School Recording Laws: Students, Teachers, and Campus Rules (2026)
Learn Pennsylvania school recording laws. Student and teacher recording rights, FERPA privacy rules, classroom recording policies, and school surveillance requirements.
Pennsylvania Security Camera and Surveillance Laws: Home and Business Rules (2026)
Learn Pennsylvania security camera laws for homes and businesses. Silent video permitted, audio recording requires all-party consent. Placement restrictions explained.
Pennsylvania Self-Defense Laws: Stand Your Ground & Castle Doctrine (2026)
Is Pennsylvania a stand-your-ground state? Yes, conditionally. Learn the weapon-display rule, castle doctrine (18 Pa.C.S. § 505), and duty to retreat in 2026.
Pennsylvania Self-Driving Car Laws: Act 130 and PennDOT (2026)
Pennsylvania allows driverless cars only for PennDOT certificate holders under Act 130. Who is certified, who gets the ticket, $1M insurance, crash steps.
Pennsylvania Severance Pay Laws (2026): Is Severance Required?
Pennsylvania does not require severance, but promised separation pay is a wage supplement under the WPCL. Payment deadlines, unemployment offsets and pending bills.
Pennsylvania Sexting Laws: Legal Consequences and Penalties
Understand Pennsylvania's sexting laws: criminal penalties for adults and minors, revenge porn laws, and defenses available under Pennsylvania law.
Pennsylvania Slip and Fall Laws: Proving Premises Liability
Pennsylvania slip and fall law: open-and-obvious is a no-duty bar, the hills-and-ridges doctrine limits ice claims, and the 51% comparative-fault rule governs recovery.
Pennsylvania Small Claims Court: $12,000 Limit, Fees and How to File
Pennsylvania small claims go to magisterial district judges for up to $12,000. See 2026 filing costs, who can represent you, appeals and how to collect a judgment.
Pennsylvania Small Estate Affidavit: Limits, Rules and How to Use It
Pennsylvania has no true small estate affidavit. See the 20 Pa.C.S. 3101 caps for wages, bank accounts and unclaimed property, and the $50,000 court petition.
Pennsylvania Smart Glasses Recording Laws (2026)
Pennsylvania requires all-party consent to record audio under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5703, a third-degree felony. Learn what smart glasses can legally record in PA.
Pennsylvania Social Security Disability: Rates & Wait Times
Social Security disability in Pennsylvania: the small state SSI supplement, automatic Medicaid on SSI approval, approval odds, and ALJ hearing wait times.
Pennsylvania Squatters Rights and Adverse Possession Laws (2026)
Pennsylvania adverse possession requires 21 years under § 5530, or 10 years for residential parcels of 0.5 acres or less under § 5527.1. Learn the elements, removal process, and 2026 rules.
Pennsylvania Statute of Limitations: Filing Deadlines by Case Type
Pennsylvania statute of limitations for civil and criminal cases: filing deadlines for personal injury, contracts, fraud, felonies, and more under 42 Pa.C.S.
Pennsylvania Surveillance Camera Laws (2026 Guide)
Pennsylvania surveillance camera laws: home security, workplace cameras, neighbor disputes, audio recording rules.
Pennsylvania Theft Laws: Felony Threshold and Retail Theft (2026)
In Pennsylvania, general theft over $2,000 is a third-degree felony, and retail theft over $1,000 or a third offense is too. See every grade and civil rule.
Pennsylvania Trade Secret Laws: UTSA, Remedies & Deadlines
Pennsylvania Uniform Trade Secrets Act (12 Pa. C.S. §§ 5301-5308, enacted 2004): definitions, remedies, 3-year deadline, and federal DTSA overlay.
Pennsylvania Unclaimed Property: How to Search & Claim Your Money (2026)
Pennsylvania holds more than $3.5 billion in unclaimed property and now auto-pays some claims via Money Match. Search free at Treasury's official portal.
Pennsylvania Unemployment Benefits 2026: $605 Max, Eligibility, Filing
Pennsylvania pays $68 to $605 a week in unemployment for 2026 benefit years, for 18 to 26 weeks. See the eligibility tests, waiting week, how to file and appeal.
Pennsylvania Video Recording Laws: Filming, Surveillance, and Consent Rules (2026)
Learn Pennsylvania video recording laws. Silent video is generally legal, but video with audio requires all-party consent. Understand surveillance and filming rules.
Pennsylvania Voyeurism and Hidden Camera Laws: Penalties and Protections (2026)
Learn Pennsylvania voyeurism and hidden camera laws under 18 Pa.C.S. 7507.1. Sex offender registration, invasion of privacy penalties, and victim protections.
Pennsylvania Warrant Search: How to Check If You Have a Warrant (2026)
PA's UJS Portal has a 'Statewide Warrants' tool, but it's restricted to court staff. Learn the real way to check if you have a warrant in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Whistleblower Laws: Protections and How to Report
Learn about Pennsylvania whistleblower laws under 43 P.S. 1421-1428, including who is protected, filing deadlines, retaliation penalties, and available remedies.
Pennsylvania Will and Trust Laws: Witnesses, Probate Proof (2026)
A Pennsylvania will must be in writing and signed at the end. Witnesses sign only for a mark or proxy signature; two prove it at probate unless self-proved.
Pennsylvania Window Tint Laws (2026): Legal VLT Limits
Pennsylvania window tint law requires 70% VLT on all passenger car windows. SUVs and trucks have no restriction behind the driver. Medical exemptions via PennDOT.