Berks County, PA Ordinances (2026)

Berks County issues no tree-removal permit for private property. Any permit or replacement requirement is municipal. But clearing that disturbs 5,000 sq ft or more needs an erosion and…

Berks County sets no routine watering schedule. Statewide, when the Governor declares a drought emergency, 4 Pa. Code §119.4 bans nonessential outdoor water use: including watering…

Berks County publishes a compiled guide to its townships' and boroughs' campaign-sign rules. Countywide, signs may not sit in the PennDOT highway right-of-way and must stay 10 feet…

Short-term stays in Berks County face a 5% county hotel room rental tax plus Pennsylvania's 6% state hotel occupancy tax, roughly 11% total. The county tax is filed monthly with the…

Berks County has no STR-specific noise ordinance. Guest noise is handled by municipal noise ordinances and by Pennsylvania's disorderly-conduct law (18 Pa.C.S. §5503), which police can…

Berks County does not set building setbacks. Front, side, and rear yard minimums are fixed by your municipality's zoning ordinance under the PA Municipalities Planning Code (53 P.S…

Berks County sets no lot-coverage limit. Maximum building and impervious coverage is set by your municipality's zoning ordinance under MPC 53 P.S. §10603, and varies by zoning district.

Berks County sets no building-height limit. Maximum structure height is fixed by your municipality's zoning ordinance under MPC 53 P.S. §10603, and differs by zoning district…

Wood, pellet, and charcoal smokers are legal in Berks County. A smoker is a cooking fire, expressly exempt from PA's open-burning rule (25 Pa Code §129.14) and allowed even during a…

Grilling with propane, natural gas, or charcoal is allowed in Berks County and is expressly exempt from open-burning bans. Fire-code limits mainly affect apartments and decks: many…

Under PA Act 43 of 2017, residents 18+ may buy and set off consumer fireworks, but never within 150 feet of an occupied structure, on others' property without permission, or while…

Open burning of leaves, brush, garbage and debris is regulated by PA DEP (25 Pa Code §129.14) and your municipality. Berks County Commissioners can and do impose countywide burn bans…

Recreational fires are allowed under PA DEP rules (25 Pa Code §129.14 exempts fires 'solely for recreational or ceremonial purposes'), but your Berks municipality sets pit size and…

Pennsylvania's Vehicle Code defines an abandoned vehicle and lets police remove it. A vehicle left inoperable or illegally on a highway or public property for more than 48 hours, or on…

Your Berks County municipality issues the building permit through Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code. Under 34 Pa. Code, residential pools deeper than 24 inches require a UCC…

A home caring for four, five, or six unrelated children is a Family Child Care Home and must hold a Certificate of Compliance from the PA Department of Human Services under 55 Pa. Code…

Pennsylvania's scattering-rubbish law (18 Pa.C.S. §6501) makes it a summary offense to dump waste on roads, others' land, or state waters, with a $50–$300 fine and litter cleanup for a…

Berks County parks open at 8:00 a.m. daily year-round and close on a seasonal schedule, from 4:30 p.m. in December to 9:00 p.m. in June and July. Being in a county park outside these…