A Constable is an elected officer of a municipality whose duties are similar to those of the sheriff, though his powers are less and his jurisdiction smaller.
There are two types of Constables:
- Constable to preserve peace (mostly at the election polls). (13 Pa C S A § 14)
- Constable performing judicial duties to serve writs, warrants, bail pieces, capias, etc. (13 Pa C S A § 14, 42 § 2942, et seq.)
In most counties in Pennsylvania, the Bond and Oath of a Constable are filed in the office of the Clerk of Courts. In some counties that filing does not occur until the Bond has been presented to, and approved by the Court, and the Oath has been administered by the Clerk of Courts.
Constable Service Surcharge (Act 1992-102 (Act 44-1999)
- This Act increases the various fees that Constables may charge for services rendered, and imposes a surcharge of $5.00 on each case.
- A Constable may submit a bill to the county for payment, and a copy of which should be submitted to the Clerk of Courts so that the costs of service may be added to the defendant's court costs, and a $5.00 surcharge added for each case in which a Constable's service was involved.
For the most up to date information on constables / deputy constables and certifications please visit the PCCD (Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency) website.