Home Business in Allentown, PA (2026)
6 verified home business rules for Allentown, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Zoning Restrictions
Allentown allows home occupations as an accessory use to a residential dwelling but caps them at 25% of the principal building's gross floor area, prohibits exterior changes that make the building look commercial, and expressly bans a long list of intensive uses such as vehicle repair, restaurants, animal boarding, and equipment rental.
Home Occupations Capped at 25% of Floor Area; Many Uses Banned
Some RestrictionsAllentown, PA Zoning Ordinance No. 16166, Sections 660-48.A, 660-48.F, 660-48.G(1) (effective Jan. 1, 2026)
660-48.A APPLICABILITY. The regulations of this section apply to home occupations, which are jobs or professions conducted as an accessory use to an allowed household living use. ... Type 1 home occupations must be accessory and subordinate to the principal residential use of the property and may not occupy more than 25% of the gross floor area of the principal building, whether the type 1 home...
Signage Rules
Allentown's sign table allows only exempt signs on residential buildings of 1-4 units, and small attached signs in N (neighborhood) zones may not exceed 2 square feet. For Type 1 'no-impact' home businesses, Pennsylvania state law independently bars any outside indication of the business, including signs.
No Business Signs on Most Homes; PA No-Impact Rule Bars Signage
Heavy RestrictionsAllentown, PA Zoning Ordinance No. 16166, Table 660-15 and Sections 660-97.D, 660-98.D (effective Jan. 1, 2026)
Table 660-15. Signs in N, MX-N, and GX-N Zones - Household Living - 1 to 4 units: Only those exempt signs allowed under 660-97. ... 660-97.D SMALL ATTACHED SIGNS. Small attached signs are allowed in all zones, provided such signs do not exceed 2 square feet in area in N zones or 4 square feet in area in all other zones. ... 660-98.D ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS. (1) Illumination. (a) Signs on N-, MX-...
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. and 8 p.m., one appointment per hour, with no more than 2 clients on site at a time.
Clients by Appointment Only, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Max 2 Employees
Heavy RestrictionsAllentown, PA Zoning Ordinance No. 16166, Section 660-48.H(3)-(4) (effective Jan. 1, 2026)
(3) A maximum of 2 nonresident employees are allowed with a type 2 home occupation. For the purpose of this provision, the term 'nonresident employee' includes an employee, contractor, business partner, co-owner or any other person affiliated with the home-based business, who does not live at the site, but who visits the site as part of the home-based business. (4) Customers or clients may visi...
Cottage Food Operations
Allentown permits certain homemade food products to be sold directly to consumers under cottage food laws. Products must be non-potentially hazardous and properly labeled.
Allentown Cottage Food Operation Rules
Few RestrictionsHome Daycare
Family and group child care homes are expressly exempt from Allentown's home-occupation regulations but remain subject to all applicable permitting requirements, and child care licensing is governed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services under state law.
Home Daycares Exempt from Home-Occupation Rules; State License Governs
Some RestrictionsAllentown, PA Zoning Ordinance No. 16166, Section 660-48.D (effective Jan. 1, 2026)
660-48.D EXEMPTIONS. Nonresidential uses that are expressly allowed in conjunction with residential uses (e.g., bed and breakfast inns, family child care homes, and group child care homes) are not subject to home occupation regulations but are subject to all applicable permitting requirements.
Home Occupation Permits
Allentown requires a zoning permit before commencing any new home occupation. Type 1 (no-impact) businesses are allowed as of right, but Type 2 home occupations on lots without arterial-street frontage require special exception approval from the Zoning Hearing Board.
Zoning Permit Required; Type 2 May Need Special Exception
Some RestrictionsAllentown, PA Zoning Ordinance No. 16166, Sections 660-48.H and 660-114.A (effective Jan. 1, 2026)
660-48.H TYPE 2 HOME OCCUPATIONS. Type 2 home occupations are permitted as of right as an accessory use to a principal use in the household living use category if the subject lot has frontage on an arterial street. Type 2 home occupations are allowed on lots without frontage on an arterial street only if approved in accordance with special exception procedures of 660-115. All type 2 home occupa...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Allentown city rules.
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