Rule 3103.Commencement; issuance.

Adopted March 30, 1960 · Last amended April 20, 1998 · Last verified June 30, 2026

In one sentenceExecution begins when the creditor files a praecipe for a writ with the prothonotary of a county where the judgment is entered, and the writ may be directed to the sheriff of any county, with several writs allowed at once.

Full Text of Rule 3103

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

(a) Execution shall be commenced by filing a praecipe for a writ of execu- tion with the prothonotary of any county in which judgment has been entered. Except as otherwise prescribed by Rule 2963 governing a judgment entered by confession, the praecipe shall be in the form prescribed by Rule 3251.

(b) A writ issued by the prothonotary of the county in which judgment was entered originally or by transfer or certification from another court in the same county may be directed to the sheriff of any county within the Commonwealth.

(c) When a judgment is transferred to another county, a writ issued by the prothonotary of the transferee county may be directed only to the sheriff of his county.

(d) Writs may be issued at the same or different times or to the sheriffs of different counties without a prior return of any outstanding writ.

(e) Upon issuance of the writ the prothonotary shall transmit it directly to the sheriff to whom it is directed or upon plaintiff’s request deliver it to the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s representative for transmittal.

Plain-English Summary

This rule starts the execution and routes the writ. The creditor files a praecipe for a writ of execution with the prothonotary of any county in which the judgment has been entered.

A writ issued where the judgment was entered, originally or by transfer, may be directed to the sheriff of any county in the Commonwealth, while a writ from a transferee county may go only to that county’s sheriff. Writs may issue at the same or different times, to different counties, without waiting for an outstanding writ to be returned. On issuance the prothonotary sends the writ to the sheriff, or hands it to the creditor for delivery on request.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where may a writ of execution issue and be directed?

It may issue in a county where judgment is entered and be directed to the sheriff of a county as the rule provides.

Can more than one writ issue?

Yes. Successive writs may issue without a prior return of an outstanding writ.

Official Note

Official Note: The following Acts of Assembly contain special procedures in connection with the issuance of the writ: Section 428 of the Act approved June 2, 1915, P. L. 736, as amended, 77 P. S. § 951, provid- ing for filing with the prothonotary an affidavit of default in payments before execution may issue on workmen’s compensation judgments. Section 712 of the Act approved May 15, 1933, P. L. 565, as amended, 71 P. S. § 733-712 requiring leave of court for execution against a financial institution of which the Secretary of Banking is in possession as receiver. Section 3377 of the Probate, Estates and Fiduciaries Code, 20 Pa.C.S. § 3377, providing that execution may not issue on judgments against decedents other than on mortgages, ground rents or conditional sales of real or personal property without agreement in writing of the personal representative or approval of the Orphans’ Court. The Soldier’s and Sailor’s Civil Relief Act, 50 U.S.C.A. Appendix 520.

Official Note: Rule 2959(a)(1) authorizes the defendant in a confessed judgment to move to open judgment either in the county of entry or of execution.

Amendment History

The provisions of this Rule 3103 adopted March 30, 1960, effective November 1, 1960; amended April 1, 1996, effective July 1, 1996, 26 Pa.B. 1806; amended April 20, 1998, effective July 1, 1998, 28 Pa.B. 2026. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (213399) to (213400).

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: commencement issuance execution