Adopted June 25, 1946 · Last amended June 16, 1994 · Last verified June 30, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1029 requires a responsive pleading to admit or deny each averment of fact, treats averments not denied as admitted, treats a general denial or a demand for proof as an admission, and carves out a limited exception allowing general denials in actions for bodily injury, death, or property damage.
(a)A responsive pleading shall admit or deny each averment of fact in the preceding pleading or any part thereof to which it is responsive. A party denying only a part of an averment shall specify so much of it as is admitted and shall deny the remainder. Admissions and denials in a responsive pleading shall refer specifically to the paragraph in which the averment admitted or denied is set forth.
(b)Averments in a pleading to which a responsive pleading is required are admitted when not denied specifically or by necessary implication. A general denial or a demand for proof, except as provided by subdivision (c) and (e) of this rule, shall have the effect of an admission.
(c)A statement by a party that after reasonable investigation the party is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as the truth of an averment shall have the effect of a denial.
(d)Averments in a pleading to which no responsive pleading is required shall be deemed to be denied.
(e)In an action seeking monetary relief for bodily injury, death or property damage, averments in a pleading to which a responsive pleading is required may be denied generally except the following averments of fact which must be denied specifically:
(1)averments relating to the identity of the person by whom a material act was committed, the agency or employment of such person and the ownership, possession or control of the property or instrumentality involved;
(2)if a pleading seeks additional relief, averments in support of such other relief; and
(3)averments in preliminary objections.
End
Plain-English Summary
This rule governs how a party answers. A responsive pleading must admit or deny each averment of fact in the preceding pleading to which it is responsive, and averments that require a response are admitted when not specifically denied.
Two devices have consequences. A general denial or a demand for proof operates as an admission, and a party may deny on the basis of being without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief only after a reasonable investigation. Averments to which no responsive pleading is required are deemed denied.
Personal-injury and property cases get an exception. In an action for bodily injury, death, or property damage, averments may be denied generally, except for specified categories — such as the identity and agency of the actor and ownership or control — which must still be answered specifically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I don’t deny an allegation?
It is admitted. Averments requiring a response are admitted when not specifically denied, and a general denial or a demand for proof also operates as an admission.
Can I deny because I lack knowledge?
Yes, but only after a reasonable investigation; a statement that the party is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief, made in good faith, has the effect of a denial.
Official Note
Official Note: Reliance on subdivision (c) does not excuse a failure to admit or deny a factual allegation when it is clear that the pleader must know whether a particular allegation is true or false. See Cercone v. Cercone, 254 Pa. Super. 381, 386 A.2d 1 (1978).
Official Note: Subdivision (e) applies only to those actions for which damages for delay may be awarded pursuant to Rule of Civil Procedure 238.
Amendment History
The provisions of this Rule 1029 adopted June 25, 1946, effective January 1, 1947; amended December 16, 1983, effective July 1, 1984, 13 Pa.B. 3999; amended June 16, 1994, effective September 1, 1994, 24 Pa.B. 3213. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (159448) to (159449).
Source & verification. Rule text, the Official Note, and the amendment
history are reproduced verbatim from the Pennsylvania Code, Title 231, the official compilation
of rules adopted by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Last verified June 30, 2026. ·
Official text
Also known as:denialseffect of failure to denygeneral denialadmissionanswer