Pennsylvania § 5553 Summary offenses involving vehicles

Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 5553 — Summary offenses involving vehicles

Pennsylvania § 5553

JurisdictionPennsylvania

Title 42JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE

PartPART VI

Ch. 55LIMITATION OF TIME

Subch.CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

This text of Pennsylvania § 5553 (Summary offenses involving vehicles) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5553 (2026).

Text

(a)General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b) or (c), proceedings for summary offenses under Title 75 (relating to vehicles) must be commenced within 30 days after the commission of the alleged offense or within 30 days after the discovery of the commission of the offense or the identity of the offender, whichever is later, and not thereafter.

(b)Minor offenses.--(Deleted by amendment).

(c)Exceptions.--

(1)Where proceedings are timely commenced against a person reasonably believed to have committed the summary offense or offenses charged and it subsequently appears that a person other than the person charged is the offender, proceedings may be commenced against the other person within 30 days after the identity of the person is discovered and not thereafter.

(2)Proceeding

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(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b) or (c), proceedings for summary offenses under Title 75 (relating to vehicles) must be commenced within 30 days after the commission of the alleged offense or within 30 days after the discovery of the commission of the offense or the identity of the offender, whichever is later, and not thereafter.

(b) Minor offenses.--(Deleted by amendment).

(c) Exceptions.--

(1) Where proceedings are timely commenced against a person reasonably believed to have committed the summary offense or offenses charged and it subsequently appears that a person other than the person charged is the offender, proceedings may be commenced against the other person within 30 days after the identity of the person is discovered and not thereafter.

(2) Proceedings for summary offenses under Title 75 may be commenced within 365 days after the commission of the offense, the discovery of the commission of the offense or the discovery of the identity of the offender, whichever is later, and not thereafter if the offense involved an accident resulting in the bodily injury or death of any person.

(3) Where a police officer reasonably believes that there are multiple summary offenses arising out of the same conduct or the same criminal episode and that an offense under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1543 (relating to driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked) has occurred, proceedings on all summary offenses arising from the conduct or episode may be commenced at the same time and must be commenced within 30 days after the commission of the alleged offenses or within 30 days after the discovery of the commission of the offenses or the identity of the offender or within 30 days after the police officer receives verification of the basis for the suspension from the Department of Transportation as required under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1543(d), whichever is later, and not thereafter.

(d) Local ordinances on overtime parking.--Local ordinances pertaining to overtime parking shall be subject to the provisions of this section.

(e) Disposition of proceedings within three years.--No proceedings shall be held or action taken pursuant to a summary offense under Title 75 subsequent to three years after the commission of the offense.

Legislative History

(Apr. 28, 1978, P.L.202, No.53, eff. 60 days; Oct. 5, 1980, P.L.693, No.142, eff. 60 days; June 15, 1982, P.L.512, No.141, eff. 60 days; Nov. 29, 2004, P.L.1325, No.166, eff. 60 days; Nov. 29, 2004, P.L.1364, No.176, eff. imd.) 2004 Amendments.Act 166 amended subsecs. (c) and (e) and Act 176 amended subsecs. (a) and (c) and deleted subsec. (b). Act 176 overlooked the amendment by Act 166, but the amendments do not conflict in substance and have both been given effect in setting forth the text of section 5553. Cross References.Section 5553 is referred to in section 5554 of this title.