44 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Chapter 71 - Constables
Subchapter A. Preliminary Provisions
Subchapter B. Election
- Section 7111 - Term Of Office
The term of a constable in a city of the second class, city of the second class A, city of the third class, borough,...
- Section 7112 - Cities Of The Second And Third Classes
The qualified voters of each ward in a city of the second or third class shall elect a properly qualified person for constable in...
- Section 7113 - Boroughs
(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the qualified voters of every borough shall vote for and elect a properly qualified person for...
- Section 7114 - Townships
(a) Election.--The following shall apply: (1) The qualified voters of every township shall vote for and elect a properly qualified person for constable. (2)...
Subchapter C. Appointment
- Section 7121 - Constables
When a vacancy occurs in the office of constable, regardless of the reason for the vacancy, the court of common pleas of the county...
- Section 7122 - Deputy Constables
(a) General rule.--Sole power to appoint deputy constables in a ward, borough or township is vested in the constable of the ward, borough or...
Subchapter D. Conflicts
- Section 7131 - Public Office
(a) General rule.--Except as set forth in subsection (b), it shall be unlawful for a constable to hold or exercise the office of magisterial...
- Section 7132 - Police Officers
(a) Constable employed as policeman not to accept other fees in addition to salary.--Except for public rewards and legal mileage allowed to a constable...
Subchapter E. Training
- Section 7141 - Definitions
The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly...
- Section 7142 - Conduct And Insurance
(a) Certification.--After the establishment, implementation and administration of the Constables' Education and Training Program created under sections 7144 (relating to program established) and 7145...
- Section 7143 - Board Established
(a) Board created.--There is established within the commission an advisory board to be known as the Constables' Education and Training Board. (b) Composition.--The board...
- Section 7144 - Program Established
The board, with the review and approval of the commission, shall: (1) Establish, implement and administer the Constables' Education and Training Program according to...
- Section 7145 - Program Contents
The Constables' Education and Training Program shall include training for a total of 80 hours, the content of which shall be determined by regulation....
- Section 7146 - Continuing Education
The board, with the review and approval of the commission, shall establish a mandatory continuing education program for constables and deputy constables, which shall...
- Section 7147 - (Reserved)
Cross References. Section 7147 is referred to in section 7161 of this title.
- Section 7148 - Use Of Firearms
The Constables' Education and Training Board, with the review and approval of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, shall establish standards for the...
- Section 7149 - Restricted Account
(a) Account established.--There is established a special restricted account within the General Fund, which shall be known as the Constables' Education and Training Account,...
Subchapter F. Powers and Duties
- Section 7151 - General Imposition Of Duties And Grant Of Powers
Constables shall perform all duties authorized or imposed on them by statute.
- Section 7152 - Elections
The constable of a borough, township or ward, or his deputy, shall do all of the following: (1) Be present at the polling place...
- Section 7153 - Service Of Process
If no coroner is in commission to serve process in a suit instituted in a court of this Commonwealth in which the sheriff of...
- Section 7154 - Collection Of Taxes
(a) Bond.--It shall be unlawful for a tax collector to do any of the following: (1) Give a warrant against delinquent tax payers to...
- Section 7155 - Arrest Of Offenders Against Forest Laws
If a person is detected by a constable in the act of trespassing upon any forest or timber land within this Commonwealth, under circumstances...
- Section 7156 - Executions
(a) Debt, interests and costs.--The debt, interest and costs of a writ of execution delivered to a constable shall be entered into the docket...
- Section 7157 - Returns And Appearance
(a) Returns.--In a county of the sixth, seventh or eighth class, a constable is not required to make a return, if required by law,...
- Section 7158 - Arrest In Boroughs
In addition to any other powers granted under law, a constable of a borough shall, without warrant and upon view, arrest and commit for...
- Section 7159 - Trespassing Livestock
(a) In general.--An owner or tenant of an enclosed or unenclosed, improved land in this Commonwealth who discovers trespassing livestock shall notify the constable...
- Section 7159.1 - Sale Of Trespassing Livestock
(a) Process.--If the owner of the livestock fails to pay for the costs, damages and fees within one day of the filing of the...
Subchapter G. Compensation
- Section 7161 - Fees
(a) Travel or mileage.--Actual mileage for travel by motor vehicle shall be reimbursed at a rate equal to the highest rate allowed by the...
- Section 7161.1 - Specific Fees
--For attendance on court and making returns, the fees to be received by constables shall be $2.50 per day. (b) Notices of election.--For serving...
- Section 7162 - Returns
The returns required by law to be made by constables to the court of common pleas may, at the discretion of the court, be...
- Section 7163 - Election Services
For services performed under section 7152 (relating to elections), the constables and deputies performing the services shall receive the same compensation payable to inspectors...
- Section 7164 - Impounding, Selling And Viewing Fees
(a) Impounding and selling.--The fees collected by the constable for impounding an animal shall be $1 and $2 for each animal sold, provided that...
- Section 7165 - Seizure Fees
(a) Registration plates and cards.--If constables and deputy constables are delegated authority to seize registration plates and registration cards under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1376(b)(5)...
- Section 7166 - Returns To Court
(a) Scope of section.--This section shall apply to counties of the sixth, seventh and eighth class. (b) Requirements.--No compensation for making a return to...
Subchapter H. Penalties and Remedies
- Section 7171 - Election Notice In Certain Areas
(a) Scope of section.--This section applies to wards, townships and districts. (b) Acting constables.--The acting constable shall, within six days after the election for...
- Section 7172 - Incompetence
(a) Inquiry.--A court of common pleas with competent jurisdiction may inquire into the official conduct of the constable if any of the following apply:...
- Section 7173 - Taxes
If a constable defaults on remittance of collected tax pursuant to law, all of the following apply: (1) The constable is no longer authorized...
- Section 7174 - Action Against Security
(a) Scope of section.--This section applies to a constable subject to all of the following: (1) The constable has furnished security for the faithful...
- Section 7175 - Criminal Penalty
A constable who neglects or refuses to perform the duties under the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election...
- Section 7176 - Compensation Violation
A constable who violates the act of July 14, 1897 (P.L.206, No.209), entitled "An act to regulate the remuneration of policemen and constables employed...
- Section 7177 - Failure To Execute Process
(a) Scope of section.--This section applies to a constable subject to all of the following: (1) The constable is entrusted with the execution of...
- Section 7178 - Failure To Serve In A Township
(a) Scope of section.--This section applies to an individual in a township if all of the following circumstances exist: (1) The individual is elected...
Last modified: October 8, 2016