Allegheny County, PA Ordinances (2026)

Booking agents like Airbnb and Vrbo that process short-term rental reservations in Allegheny County may be required to collect and remit the County's hotel room rental tax on the…

New subdivisions and land developments in Allegheny County must use IESNA full-cutoff fixtures aimed straight down over parking lots, walkways and other horizontal surfaces to cut sky…

Externally lit billboards and signs reviewed under Allegheny County's subdivision code must be top-mounted, downward-aimed and capped at 30 vertical footcandles of illumination.

Allegheny County's subdivision code requires all outdoor lighting in new developments to be aimed and shielded so it never creates a nuisance by projecting objectionable light onto…

County code sets construction, covering and cleanliness standards for every dumpster, roll-off container and compactor used to store or haul solid waste in Allegheny County.

Homeowners composting leaves or yard waste in their own garden don't need a county waste-facility permit, unlike commercial composting operations regulated under Chapter 570.

Molesting, trapping, hunting, capturing, killing or injuring any bird or mammal is banned in Allegheny County parks unless the Parks Department specifically authorizes it.

Allegheny County parks require dogs and other domestic animals to stay on a leash at all times, except in areas the county has designated for off-leash use.

Allegheny County's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance encourages developers to plant hardy indigenous species when landscaping new subdivisions and land developments, though it…

Allegheny County caps how much woodland a subdivision or land development can clear, no more than 50% of mature woodland or 75% of total woodland, and bars any removal before final…

HOA disputes in Allegheny County resolved under 68 Pa.C.S. §5311 allowing unit owners to bring actions for declaratory/injunctive relief, damages, and attorney's fees for HOA…

HOA CC&R (Declaration of Covenants) enforcement in PA authorized under 68 Pa.C.S. §5302(a)(11) and §5303. HOAs may impose fines (if authorized by declaration), suspend common area…

HOA assessments in Allegheny County governed by 68 Pa.C.S. §5314 (UPCA). Assessments are automatic liens on units from due date under §5315 without recording. HOAs may foreclose liens…

Architectural review in PA HOAs is governed by declaration/CC&Rs authority delegated under 68 Pa.C.S. §5302(a)(11). UPCA permits HOAs to regulate exterior appearance, additions, and…

Allegheny County does not issue retaining wall permits: building authority rests with each of the 130 municipalities under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (Act 45 of 1999…

Every Allegheny County subdivision or land development affecting stormwater runoff must include a management plan, following municipal rules where they exist or the county's Appendix 5…

Allegheny County bans heavy-duty diesel trucks from idling longer than reasonably needed to reach normal operating temperature, enforced by the Health Department with escalating fines.

When a municipality has no grading ordinance of its own, Allegheny County's subdivision code sets fallback grading standards, requiring an ACCD-reviewed erosion control plan before any…

Allegheny County requires written, signed authorization from the Parks Department Director before holding a parade, meeting, assembly, or similar public gathering in any county park.

Reserving a building, shelter, grove, athletic field, or other facility in an Allegheny County park requires a permit from the Parks Department under county code.

Allegheny County flatly bars approval of any subdivision or land development plan that would destroy a tree listed on its official Register of Bicentennial Trees.

Allegheny County requires street trees along both sides of new subdivision and land development streets, with minimum trunk calipers and spacing set by tree size under the county…

Allegheny County bans open burning without a permit and lets the Health Department stop any fire it deems a nuisance based on pollution, duration, or weather.

Allegheny County limits recreational wood fires to three feet by three feet by two feet high and requires them to burn at least 15 feet from a neighbor's dwelling, property line, or…

Allegheny County bans open-container alcohol and all glass alcohol containers in County parks, except in permitted buildings or groves.

Abandoned vehicles on public and private property in Allegheny County are handled under PA Vehicle Code Title 75 §7301-7308 and local ordinances. Pittsburgh BBI and municipal police…

Allegheny County sets different closing times by park: North and South Parks stay open until midnight, while every other county park closes at sundown.

New subdivisions and land developments in Allegheny County cannot use any plant on the Pennsylvania DCNR 'Invasive Plants in Pennsylvania' list as part of required landscaping under…

Allegheny County requires new subdivisions in FAA noise-contour zones near airports to either restrict development to noise-compatible uses or soundproof structures to County Aviation…

Using electrical amplifying equipment is a prohibited activity in Allegheny County parks unless the Parks Department issues written authorization.

Home occupation permits are issued by individual Allegheny County municipalities under authority of the PA Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247, 53 P.S. §10603). Most boroughs and…

Allegheny County exempts outdoor cooking fires from its open burning permit requirement, as long as the fire uses approved fuel and follows the size and setback rules for recreational…

Allegheny County restricts backyard smokers, grills, and outdoor fireplaces to clean wood, propane, natural gas, charcoal, and a few approved fire-starting materials.

Anyone performing work on or under a County road or bridge in Allegheny County must first obtain a highway or bridge occupancy permit from the Department of Public Works.

Candidates who post campaign signs on public property in Allegheny County must remove them within 10 days after the election and personally spend at least 8 hours doing the cleanup.

Allegheny County imposes a hotel room rental tax of up to 5% on the consideration paid to hotel operators for renting rooms to transients, collected by the operator.