Personal jurisdiction is the authority a court has to make legally enforceable orders related to a person or entity and the property of the person or entity, and usually arises when a person has been sued in a lawsuit. For a court to have personal jurisdiction, the person or entity generally (1) must be a resident of the state in which the court is located; (2) as a nonresident, must have initiated sufficient minimum contacts with the state in which the lawsuit is filed; or (3) must have agreed to be governed by the laws of the state (in a contract or website terms) in which the lawsuit is filed.

In Pennsylvania, personal jurisdiction refers to the power of a Pennsylvania court to make decisions affecting a person or entity and their property. For a Pennsylvania court to have personal jurisdiction, typically one of the following conditions must be met: (1) the individual or entity must be a resident of Pennsylvania; (2) if they are a nonresident, they must have established sufficient minimum contacts with Pennsylvania, such as conducting business, committing a tortious act within the state, or owning property there; or (3) they must have consented to Pennsylvania's jurisdiction, which can occur through a contractual agreement or by accepting the terms of service on a website that stipulates Pennsylvania law will govern disputes. These principles are consistent with the due process clause of the U.S. Constitution, which requires that exercising jurisdiction must not violate traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice.