Allentown, PA Local Ordinances Guide

Allentown is a mid-sized city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, with about 126000 residents. Like most cities its size, it has a set of local rules that may differ significantly from neighboring municipalities. Here is an overview of 134 ordinances across 40 categories that affect daily life in Allentown.

Fire Regulations

Fire Pits & Backyard Fires: The City of Allentown treats a backyard fire pit as a campfire, which requires a permit and a pre-lighting inspection by the Fire Prevention Office. The fire may be in an approved open container or on the ground, must sit at least 25 feet from any structure, and the pile may not exceed 3 feet in diameter or 2 feet in height.

Also covered: Fireworks (moderate), Outdoor Burning (strict), Smoke Detectors (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Allentown for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Rental Restrictions: Under Allentown's zoning code, any lot with an accessory dwelling unit loses the right to rent either unit short-term. Section 660-42.C(11) blocks Airbnb-style stays on ADU lots outright, and the owner must sign a recorded deed restriction promising compliance before the ADU permit issues..

Also covered: ADU Rules (moderate), Garage Conversions (moderate), Shed & Carport Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Allentown for details.

Animal Ordinances

Pet Store Rules: Allentown pet shops cannot sell dogs, cats, rabbits, or guinea pigs at all; only adoption partnerships with shelters or rescues are allowed. Shelters and rescues also cannot buy animals from breeders or auctions..

Also covered: Pet Limits (moderate), Chickens & Livestock (strict), Breed Restrictions (permissive). See the full animal ordinances guide for Allentown for details.

Fence Regulations

Retaining Walls: Allentown requires any retaining wall with an exposed face of four feet or more, or any wall that will bear vehicular traffic loading, to be designed by a professional engineer experienced in retaining wall design. The rule sits in the City's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, Chapter 350..

Also covered: Material Restrictions (moderate), Fence Permit Requirements (moderate), Height Limits (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Allentown for details.

Noise Ordinances

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound: Article 710.03(C)(1) makes it a noise disturbance to operate any radio, stereo, instrument, or sound amplifier at any time so as to be audible across a real property boundary, and 710.03(C)(4) bars loudspeakers and public-address systems on public rights-of-way between 10 P.M. and 7 A.M.

Also covered: Construction Hours (strict), Barking Dogs (moderate), Vehicle Noise (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Allentown for details.

Home Business

Customer Traffic Restrictions: Type 1 home occupations may have no clients or non-resident workers at all. Type 2 home occupations may have up to 2 nonresident employees and may admit customers only by appointment between 8 a.m.

Also covered: Home Daycare (moderate), Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate), Signage Rules (strict). See the full home business guide for Allentown for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Trimming: In Allentown, the owner of property abutting a public right-of-way is responsible for the care and maintenance of any shade (street) tree growing in that right-of-way. A City permit from the Department of Public Works is required before pruning, removing, planting, stump-grinding, or applying pesticide/fertilizer to a street tree, and all work must follow the City's Arboricultural Specifications and Standards of Practice under Article 911 of the 1962 Codified Ordinances..

Also covered: Water Restrictions (moderate), Weed Ordinances (strict), Artificial Turf (limited). See the full landscaping rules guide for Allentown for details.

Parking Rules

RV & Boat Parking: Allentown restricts on-street parking of recreational and oversized vehicles - including buses, dual-wheel motor homes, oversized vehicles, school buses, tractor trailers, trailers, and truck campers - within residential and most non-industrial zoning districts (Chapter 660, Zoning) under Chapter 615, Part 3, Article XIV. The Allentown Parking Authority issues only short-term (24-hour, renewable) permits to load or unload a truck camper..

Also covered: Street Parking Limits (moderate), Overnight Parking (moderate), Commercial & Oversized Vehicles (strict). See the full parking rules guide for Allentown for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Allentown has no dedicated short-term-rental ordinance; any dwelling or rooming unit rented out, including STRs, must hold an active annual Residential Rental License under Article 1759, with a $75 per-unit fee and an inspection required for the initial license..

Also covered: Occupancy Limits (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Allentown for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Allentown's Chapter 556 is silent on fencing, so pool barriers are set by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, which adopts the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (34 Pa. Code Sec.

Also covered: Pool Permits (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Allentown for details.

Public Conduct

Public Alcohol Use: Allentown prohibits drinking or carrying an open container of alcohol in any public place, including streets and sidewalks, unless a special activity or sidewalk cafe permit specifically authorizes it. Simply holding an open container creates a rebuttable presumption of intent to drink it..

Also covered: Aggressive Panhandling (moderate), Public Marijuana Use (limited), Loitering Rules (moderate). See the full public conduct guide for Allentown for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Obstruction Rules: Anyone placing a temporary obstruction like a dumpster, merchandise display or vending machine on an Allentown sidewalk needs a use permit from the Director of Community and Economic Development, and the item cannot extend more than a third of the sidewalk width or three feet..

Also covered: Sidewalk Repair (moderate), Encroachment Permits (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Allentown for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Allentown taxes gross business receipts by transaction type: 1.5 mills on retail, 1 mill on wholesale, and 3 mills on service and rental business. The classification follows the nature of each transaction, not a business's overall category..

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Allentown's Blighted Property Review Committee can declare a dangerous, dilapidated or vacant structure "blighted" and order the owner to fix it. Ignore the order and the property can be certified to the Redevelopment Authority for acquisition, including by eminent domain..

Also covered: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (moderate), Vacant Lot Maintenance (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Allentown for details.

Environmental Rules

Flood Zones: Allentown requires a Floodplain Manager permit before any construction or development in an identified floodplain area. The city maps floodway, AE, A, AO and AH zones off FEMA's July 16, 2004 Flood Insurance Rate Maps, and floodway encroachments generally need a no-rise engineering study..

Also covered: Stormwater Management (moderate), Flood Elevation Requirements (restrictive), Erosion Control (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Allentown for details.

Tree Protection

Heritage & Protected Trees: Any city-owned or right-of-way tree classified as historic, a champion of its species, or a planted remembrance tree must be preserved. Removal needs a permit and is granted only after every remedial arboriculture option under ISA ANSI A300 standards has been exhausted..

Also covered: Parkway Planting (moderate). See the full tree protection guide for Allentown for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: Allentown's zoning code requires every outdoor light source, including signs, to be diffused and shielded so it isn't directly visible from streets, sidewalks, dwellings or adjacent lots. The rule applies citywide to all uses and is enforced by the Zoning Officer under Chapter 660..

Also covered: Billboard Lighting (moderate), Dark Sky Rules (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Allentown for details.

Special Events & Permits

Parade Permits: Parades, marches and other events assembling on Allentown streets need a Mayor-issued permit under Chapter 532, applied for at least 90 days ahead. The Mayor can deny a permit that would snarl traffic, overload police staffing, or clash with another permitted event..

Also covered: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (moderate), Park Event Permits (restrictive). See the full special events & permits guide for Allentown for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Dumping trash, debris, appliances, tires, vehicles, construction material or hazardous waste on public or private property in Allentown is banned outright under § 393-7. A violation carries a fine of $1,000 to $5,000 per offense plus the City's full cleanup costs, and violators cannot use the ticket-and-waive option available for other neighborhood improvement offenses..

Also covered: Yard Waste Collection (moderate), Bin Placement Rules (moderate), Collection Schedule (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Allentown for details.

Building Safety

Lead Paint: Allentown's Bureau of Health can enter and test any dwelling for lead paint on probable cause, and must post a warning notice on any unit found to have a lead source health hazard. Owners face a written violation notice, mandatory lead hazard reduction work, and a stop-work order for noncompliance under Chapter 364..

Also covered: Plumbing Permits (moderate), Building Permits (moderate), Electrical Permits (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Allentown for details.

Rental Property Rules

Repairs & Habitability: Allentown's Property Maintenance Code requires every landlord who furnishes heat to keep rental units at least 68°F from October 1 through May 1, install child window guards on written tenant request under Ahnelly's Law, screen doors and windows against insects, and keep contracted services like heat and water connected. The Bureau of Building Standards and Safety enforces these standards under Chapter 455 of the City Code..

Immigration Policy

Sanctuary Policy Preemption: Allentown's Welcoming City ordinance bars city officials and police from asking about immigration status, sharing that information with ICE, or holding someone on an immigration detainer alone. Officers cannot support ICE operations without a judicial warrant..

Sign Regulations

Freeway-Facing Signs: Off-premise billboards facing Interstate 78 or U.S. Route 22 in Allentown get special treatment under § 660-104.A: a taller allowance when the sign sits below the highway grade, and a far larger sign-area cap, 672 square feet instead of the citywide 300, if the billboard is within 200 feet of the right-of-way and oriented toward those roads..

Also covered: Garage Sale Signs (moderate), Political Signs (moderate), Holiday Displays (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Allentown for details.

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Allentown bars minors of compulsory school age from public places or businesses between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Also covered: Park Curfew (moderate). See the full curfew laws guide for Allentown for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: Allentown's home-occupation rules flatly prohibit any assembly, cleaning, maintenance, painting, or repair of vehicles or internal-combustion equipment as a home-based business, so residents cannot run an auto-repair operation out of a house or garage under any home-occupation permit..

Also covered: Adult Entertainment (restrictive), Pawnbrokers (restrictive), Secondhand Dealers (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Allentown for details.

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Every Allentown rental unit must pass a Bureau of Building Standards and Safety inspection before its residential rental license issues, then face a routine reinspection at least once every five years. Inspectors check compliance with City housing, zoning and property maintenance standards, and owners get 30 days to fix any deficiency the inspector documents in writing..

Also covered: Tenant Complaint Process (moderate). See the full rental inspections guide for Allentown for details.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Allentown Code § 437-1 requires anyone soliciting door-to-door for sales within the city to first obtain a license, and bars soliciting or canvassing before 9:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Vending Zones: Allentown bars mobile food vending from city parks, the streets bordering them, and any spot within 100 feet of a school during school hours. Vendors also stay off sidewalks under six feet wide, and out of buffer zones around driveways, bus stops, crosswalks, handicap spaces and residential zoning districts, unless the City grants a written exception..

Also covered: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (moderate), Food Truck Permits (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Allentown for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

E-Bike Classes: Allentown's pedalcycle ordinance defines one lawful electric-assist category: a two- or three-wheeled cycle under 100 pounds, motor capped at 750 watts, equipped with working pedals, and limited to 20 mph on motor power alone on level ground. Operators must be at least 16.

Also covered: Bike Lane Rules (moderate). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for Allentown for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Car Alarm Limits: Allentown's noise ordinance bans any exterior burglar alarm or motor-vehicle burglar alarm that doesn't shut off automatically within six minutes of activation. The Department of Police enforces this rule under Chapter 400, Noise, and treats a continuously sounding car alarm as a noise disturbance subject to a violation ticket, not just an annoyance..

Also covered: Delivery Truck Noise (moderate), Bar & Nightclub Noise (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Allentown for details.

Water Use Rules

Leak Reporting Duty: Allentown property owners are responsible for their own water service pipe from the curb stop to the building, and must repair leaks once notified. Under Section 633-6, the Bureau of Water Resources investigates reports of wasted water, and if the owner refuses or neglects to make needed repairs after notice, the inspector of leaks shuts off the supply..

Invasive Plant Rules

Bamboo Restrictions: Planting, growing or maintaining running bamboo anywhere in Allentown is prohibited unless it predates the 2017 ordinance and the owner keeps every root system at least 20 feet from property lines, easements and rights-of-way behind a buried, high-density polyethylene barrier. Letting bamboo spread onto a neighbor's property is also banned..

Also covered: Prohibited Species (moderate). See the full invasive plant rules guide for Allentown for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Lot Coverage Limits: Allentown's zoning code caps building coverage for the City's standard detached house type at 50% in the N3 and N4 residential zones and 60% in the GX-N, NX, N2 and GX-C zones. Coverage is measured as the ground-floor footprint of all buildings on the lot divided by total lot area under Zoning Ordinance § 660-131I, enforced through the zoning permit process..

Also covered: Structure Height Limits (moderate), Setback Rules (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Allentown for details.

Code Violation Reporting

How to Report: Allentown residents, city employees, and officials can all file a public nuisance report with the Department of Community and Economic Development under § 406-3. The Department must post its reporting procedure on the City's website, investigate every report it receives, and determine whether the condition is an emergent or nonemergent public nuisance..

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Zoning & Siting: New data centers in Allentown must clear a stack of zoning setbacks before locating: 75 feet from any public street, 200 feet from residential, civic, or child care uses and from MX-N, GX-N, or N-zoned lots, and 50 feet from every other lot line, plus a 25-foot landscaped perimeter buffer and a five- to eight-acre minimum lot for larger facilities under § 660-38.H(2)..

Also covered: Data Center Noise Limits (restrictive), Crypto Mining Rules (restrictive). See the full data centers & crypto mining guide for Allentown for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: Allentown's Downtown Zone applies a three-part base, middle, and cap design test to any high-rise using bonus floor-area-ratio height, requiring a minimum three-story base, a stepped-back or oriented middle to preserve sky views, and a visually distinct rooftop cap..

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Allentown allows solar panels as an accessory use on any lot in any zone under § 660-56, lets building-mounted panels exceed the zone's height limit by up to 10 feet, and charges a plan-review fee of at least $50 residential or $75 commercial under § 270-31..

Holiday Decorations

Lawn Ornament Rules: Allentown's sign code exempts holiday decorations from needing a zoning permit or counting toward a property's sign allowance, but only if they come down promptly. Under § 660-94.D(3), holiday decorations are excused from Chapter 660's sign regulations provided they are removed within 30 days of the holiday to which they pertain..

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Allentown's zoning code limits residential yard sales, garage sales, and estate sales to four per calendar year, caps each event at three consecutive daylight days, and restricts how long sale signs can stay up before and after the event..

Drone Rules

Commercial Drones: Allentown commercial drone operators must hold a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA. Additional local permits may be required for filming or surveying..

Also covered: Recreational Drones (moderate). See the full drone rules guide for Allentown for details.

What to Do With This Information

This overview covers the big picture, but the details matter. Each ordinance page for Allentown includes the full text, violation penalties, and frequently asked questions. Use those pages when you need specifics.