Business Licensing & Operations in Harrisburg, PA (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
In the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, an adult establishment is allowed only by special exception in the IND Zoning District. It must stay 1,000 feet from any other adult establishment or any residential district and 500 feet from the lot line of a dwelling, place of worship, school, recreation area, child-care center, or public library.
Adult Establishment Zoning and Spacing in Harrisburg, PA
Significant RestrictionsHarrisburg Codified Ordinances § 7-309.2
C. Adult establishment. An adult establishment shall be permitted by special exception in the IND Zoning District subject to the following criteria: (1) No adult establishment shall be permitted within any of the following areas: (a) Within 1,000 feet of any other existing adult establishment or any residential district; and (b) Within 500 feet of the lot line of an existing dwelling, place of ...
Tattoo & Body Modification
In the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, no one can run a tattoo or body piercing establishment without a license from the Health Officer under Chapter 6-329. The application fee is $100 per establishment plus $75 per tattoo artist or body piercer, licenses expire every December 31, and the Harrisburg Board of Health reviews denials and revocations.
Harrisburg PA Tattoo and Body Piercing License Rules
Significant RestrictionsHarrisburg Codified Ordinances § 6-329.3
A. No person shall engage in operating a tattoo or body piercing establishment within the corporate limits of the City without first having obtained a license to conduct such business from the Health Officer, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. A license application may be refused and a license may be revoked or suspended summarily by the Health Officer, but such action shall be ...
Secondhand Dealers
In the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, § 3-359.2 covers anyone who buys or sells used goods, from antiques and jewelry to tools, appliances and firearms. Each dealer must keep a written acquisition book, file a daily report with the Bureau of Police before 12:00 p.m. of the following day of business, and hold goods on the premises for seven days after the police form is furnished.
Antique and Secondhand Dealer Rules in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Some RestrictionsHarrisburg Codified Ordinances § 3-359.2
§ 3-359.2. Antique or secondhand dealers. A. Definition. "Antique or secondhand dealer" as used in this chapter means any person who either wholly or in part engages in or operates the trade or business of buying and/or selling used goods such as antiques, precious stones, stained glass, metals, jewelry, tools, electrical devices, fixtures, appliances, household goods, firearms, and bric-a-brac...
Pawnbrokers
In the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, § 3-359.1 requires every pawnbroker to keep a legibly written book of each pledge and to file a written report with the Bureau of Police daily before 12:00 p.m. of the following day of business. A pawnbroker cannot accept a pledge from anyone under 18, an intoxicated person or a known thief, and cannot sell a received article until seven days after furnishing the police form.
Pawnbroker Rules in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Some RestrictionsHarrisburg Codified Ordinances § 3-359.1
§ 3-359.1. Pawnbrokers. ... B. Each and every pawnbroker shall keep a book legibly written in the English language in which shall be recorded: ... C. All pawnbrokers shall, daily before 12:00 p.m. of the following day of business, provide a written report to the Bureau of Police containing a complete description of all articles received in the course of pawnbroking business during the previous ...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
In the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, repairs to motor vehicles in a residential district are allowed only if the vehicle is owned or leased by a permanent resident of the dwelling. Work on a street or alley is limited to minor and emergency servicing, with no disassembling, spray painting, body work or changing of engines.
Harrisburg PA Auto Repair at Home: Residential Limits
Significant RestrictionsHarrisburg Codified Ordinances § 7-327.14
A. No person shall cause an obstruction to vehicle or pedestrian traffic as a result of working upon a motor vehicle on a street or alley. No motor vehicle shall be worked upon on a residential lot or street or alley in such a manner that generates nuisances, public safety hazards or hazards to the environment. Only minor and emergency servicing of vehicles shall occur on a street or alley, whi...
Towing Companies
In the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Codified Ordinances fix what a salvor can charge to reclaim a vehicle removed under Chapter 3-135: $65 for a routine tow, $45 per hour for winching, $75 for a rollback tow, and $35 for each day or part of a day of storage. Wreckers cannot monitor police radio or solicit at accident scenes.
Harrisburg PA Towing and Wrecker Rules and Fees
Significant RestrictionsHarrisburg Codified Ordinances § 3-135.7
§ 3-135.7. Towing and storage charges. ... B. Any party having the right to reclaim a vehicle other than those which are deemed to be abandoned shall first pay the salvor the following amounts: (1) For expenses incurred in routine removing and towing any vehicle from any place in the City to an approved storage garage and/or facility: $65. ... (2) If winching is required to facilitate the towin...