A Resident's Guide to Reading's Local Ordinances

Reading, Pennsylvania may not be the biggest city in the state, but it has its own set of local rules that residents need to follow. With 123 tracked ordinances across 39 categories, there is more here than you might expect.

Special Events & Permits

Sidewalk Dining & Cafés: Reading flatly bars permanent sidewalk cafe structures: no raised decks, fences or fixed walls in the sidewalk area, and every installation must come down by October 30 each year..

Also covered: Street Fair Rules (restrictive), Park Event Permits (moderate), Block Party Permits (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for Reading for details.

Parking Rules

Towing & Impound Rights: When Reading tows your car, only a storage garage that City Council has designated may hold it, and that garage may charge only the rate schedule Council approved. Getting the vehicle back costs towing plus daily storage plus a $100 reclamation fee under § 576-806, of which $25 goes to PennDOT.

Also covered: Loading Zones (moderate), Street Parking Limits (moderate), Snow Removal Parking Rules (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Reading for details.

Animal Ordinances

Chickens & Livestock: Reading's zoning code excludes livestock -- including chickens, other poultry, and fowl -- from the definition of household pets and directs owners to the City's animal-control chapter for permitting..

Also covered: Breed Restrictions (restrictive), Pet Limits (moderate), Dog Leash Laws (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Reading for details.

Noise Ordinances

Vehicle Noise: Reading bans excessive vehicle sound on public streets, restricts horn use and sound trucks, and separately makes it illegal to remove or disable a car's muffler under its noise ordinance..

Also covered: Barking Dogs (moderate), Decibel Limits (moderate), Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Reading for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Dark Sky Rules: Reading's zoning code requires all outdoor lighting to be shaded and shielded so it does not glare onto neighbors, caps nighttime spillover onto adjoining lots, limits pole height near homes, and bans upward-aimed spotlights and lasers, enforced under Chapter 600..

Also covered: Billboard Lighting (moderate), Light Trespass & Shielding (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Reading for details.

Building Safety

Building Inspections: Reading requires a certificate-of-transfer inspection before any residential, nonresidential or mixed-use property changes hands, with the seller applying at least 30 days ahead and the city checking 15 specific safety items..

Also covered: Electrical Permits (moderate), Building Permits (moderate), Childcare Center Rules (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Reading for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: Running an auto repair business from a house in Reading isn't allowed as a home occupation: the zoning code's home-occupation rules flatly exclude commercial motor vehicle repair from permitted activities..

Also covered: Tattoo & Body Modification (moderate), Towing Companies (moderate), Adult Entertainment (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Reading for details.

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Reading requires city review and City Council approval before any monument, statue, marker or plaque can be placed on public property, and currently has a moratorium on new memorials..

Accessory Structures

ADU Rules: Reading zoning caps most residential lots at one dwelling unit and bars converting a garage or other accessory building into a dwelling unit unless another provision of the chapter specifically allows it..

Also covered: Shed & Carport Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Reading for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Lot Coverage Limits: Reading's zoning code caps how much of a lot can be covered by buildings and by impervious surfaces, with the exact numbers set district by district in Chapter 600's dimensional tables. In the R-1A Residential District, City Code § 600-801 limits building coverage to 15% of lot area and impervious coverage, which includes roofs, driveways, patios and other hard surfaces, to 25%.

Public Conduct

Public Marijuana Use: Reading makes smoking or consuming any amount of marijuana or hashish in public a civil offense carrying a $150 fine per violation. City Code Chapter 360, adopted in 2025, treats possession of up to 30 grams the same way, with escalating civil fines instead of arrest or a criminal record..

Also covered: Public Alcohol Use (moderate), Loud Party Ordinance (restrictive), Jaywalking (limited). See the full public conduct guide for Reading for details.

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Reading bans igniting consumer fireworks on City streets, sidewalks or property without a Fire Chief permit, and flatly prohibits all aerial fireworks, including mortar shells, mortar cakes, bottle rockets and Roman candles, regardless of distance from any structure. Selling fireworks in the City requires a State license and a City operational permit..

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

Landscaping Rules

Rainwater Harvesting: Reading permits rain barrels for property owners and consenting tenants, capped at 75 gallons and six feet tall, but the collected water may only go to lawns, gardens, irrigation and washing -- never for drinking, cooking or bathing..

Also covered: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (moderate), Weed Ordinances (moderate), Tree Trimming (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Reading for details.

Home Business

Home Daycare: Reading zoning caps in-home family child care and adult care homes at four to six children or up to six adults, requires 480 square feet of dedicated floor space, and bars noisy operation between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m..

Also covered: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate), Signage Rules (restrictive), Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate). See the full home business guide for Reading for details.

Environmental Rules

Flood Zones: Any construction or development anywhere in Reading needs a floodplain zoning permit from the Floodplain Administrator before work starts, under § 600-1803(A) of the Zoning Code's Floodplain Overlay Zone Part. The only carve-out is minor repairs to existing buildings or structures.

Also covered: Vehicle Idling Restrictions (moderate), Erosion Control (moderate), Stormwater Management (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Reading for details.

Public Health Rules

Food Handler Certification: Reading requires every food establishment to have a certified food employee on staff under a Department of Agriculture certification, with a 90-day grace period for new or lapsed compliance..

Also covered: Rodent Control (moderate). See the full public health rules guide for Reading for details.

Rental Property Rules

Rental Registration: Reading requires owners of every residential and mixed-use rental parcel to hold a housing registration issued by the Property Maintenance Division, renewed each year by April 1. Single-family owner-occupied properties are excluded but must confirm owner occupancy.

Also covered: Repairs & Habitability (moderate). See the full rental property rules guide for Reading for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Dumping solid waste or recyclable material on vacant or unoccupied property in Reading is a quality-of-life ticket offense, starting at $25-$50 and rising to $100-$250 for repeat offenses within twelve months..

Also covered: Dumpster Rules (moderate), Recycling Requirements (moderate), Bin Placement Rules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Reading for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Obstruction Rules: Reading's code bars placing or erecting any obstruction on a sidewalk, alley, street, bridge or public passageway anywhere in the city. Temporary barriers or warning signs put up to protect the public are exempt.

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

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Reading allows short-term rentals by right in its commercial districts and by special exception in R-3, but only inside a conforming dwelling meeting district-specific spacing rules, and requires a Zoning Permit covering a use-and-occupancy agreement, maintenance specs and nuisance terms before renting begins..

Also covered: Noise Rules (moderate), Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (moderate), Occupancy Limits (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Reading for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Pool Permits: In Reading, a portable above-ground pool under 125 square feet and 2 feet deep needs no zoning permit; larger pools must sit in the rear yard with 3 feet of clearance and cost $75 to permit..

Also covered: Fencing & Safety Requirements (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Reading for details.

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: Reading requires street trees to be Arborist-approved species set back at least 40 feet from intersections, 15 feet from driveways or light poles, and 10 feet from utility lines, with 24 inches of clearance from the curbline..

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Reading limits how fast electronic message signs can change (once every six to ten seconds), bans scrolling text on larger signs, and curfews illuminated off-premises signs near homes after 11 p.m..

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

Noise from Specific Sources

Delivery Truck Noise: Loading or unloading boxes, crates, containers, building materials and garbage cans between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Immigration Policy

Sanctuary Policy Preemption: Reading's Welcoming City ordinance bars city officials and police from asking about immigration status or supporting ICE detainers absent a warrant or court order..

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Reading confines sidewalk vending to the Downtown Improvement District: vending on public property anywhere outside the DID is flatly prohibited, and a permit is required to vend even inside the DID's mapped boundary between Franklin, Washington, Front and 11th Streets..

Also covered: Vending Zones (restrictive), Food Truck Permits (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Reading for details.

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Reading bans barbed wire in residential and certain commercial districts, electrically charged fencing, razor wire outside prisons, broken glass on fences, and fabric or junk used as fencing material citywide..

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

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Moratoriums: Reading City Council declared the zoning ordinance invalid for lacking data center standards and imposed a 180-day moratorium on July 13, 2026, halting new data center zoning approvals citywide while the city drafts siting rules..

Invasive Plant Rules

Prohibited Species: Reading bans distributing, cultivating or propagating any invasive plant or noxious weed listed by the state, and makes it a violation to conceal one from inspection or ignore a state Control Order. Chapter 317 implements Pennsylvania's Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Act, and the City Arborist enforces it with fines up to $600 per day..

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Reading's property maintenance code defines blighted property to include public nuisances, two-year tax-delinquent vacant lots, and unfit dwellings, letting the City record a formal Declaration of Blight against the deed..

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

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Reading requires a zoning permit before installing any solar energy system, with an application covering system description, drawings, setbacks, and a signed acknowledgment about shading rights..

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Reading places every registered rental property into a routine inspection cycle, requiring a Property Maintenance Division inspection at least once every five years and no more often than every two years..

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

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Reading caps residential yard and garage sales at four per year per lot, two days each, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., used items only, and the required zoning permit is free..

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Reading bars anyone under 18 from public streets, parks, or other public places between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Reading taxes gross receipts of every business at 1.5 mills, but drops to 1 mill for wholesale dealers and vendors on their wholesale sales..

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Reading requires anyone canvassing or soliciting door-to-door to obtain a police permit at least 10 business days in advance, bars the activity outside 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and fines violators up to $300 per day..

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Density Bonus Law: Reading's Transit-Oriented Development Overlay lets developers add one market-rate unit for every workforce housing unit, up to a 20% density increase..

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Reading has no separate hotel or room occupancy tax. Hotels, motels and rooming houses instead pay the citywide Business Privilege Tax on room, meal and service receipts, currently 1½ mills of gross receipts..

Code Violation Reporting

How to Report: Every tenant and resident in Reading has the right to report suspected property maintenance code violations to the Property Maintenance Division, and a landlord cannot evict a tenant in retaliation..

What to Do With This Information

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