How Many Times Can You File Bankruptcy in Pennsylvania?

There is no cap on how many times you can file bankruptcy in Pennsylvania. The law cares about how recently you received a discharge, not the total count. Here are the four waiting periods that actually matter.

Chapter 7 after Chapter 7: 8 years

You must wait 8 years from the filing date of your previous Chapter 7 case to file another one and receive a discharge.

Chapter 13 after Chapter 13: 2 years

The 2 years run from filing date to filing date. In practice this rarely matters, because most Chapter 13 plans last 3–5 years.

Chapter 13 after Chapter 7: 4 years

If you got a Chapter 7 discharge and now need Chapter 13 to wipe out a remaining debt, you wait 4 years from the Chapter 7 filing date for a Chapter 13 discharge. You can still file Chapter 13 sooner — you just won't get a discharge at the end (sometimes called a "Chapter 20").

Chapter 7 after Chapter 13: 6 years

Six years from the Chapter 13 filing date, with an exception: if you paid 100% of unsecured claims (or 70% under a good-faith plan), the waiting period disappears.

What if a previous case was dismissed, not discharged?

Dismissals don't trigger the waiting periods above. But if a case was dismissed in the last 180 days for failing to appear or violating a court order, you have to wait that out before refiling.

The automatic stay shrinks on the second filing

If you file again within a year of a dismissed case, the automatic stay only lasts 30 days unless your attorney files a motion to extend it. Two dismissed cases in a year, and there's no automatic stay at all without a court order. This is where having counsel matters most.

Talk to an attorney before refiling

Timing a second filing is mostly arithmetic, but the consequences of getting it wrong — no stay, no discharge — are severe. A free consultation gets you the exact dates for your situation.