DeSales University, PA

Pennsylvania has no statewide ADU mandate. Under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC, Act 247 of 1968, 53 P.S. §10101 et seq.), zoning authority rests with municipalities (boroughs, townships, cities) - not Lehigh County itself. Each of Lehigh County's 24 municipalities (1 city, 23 boroughs/townships) decides whether ADUs are permitted, what size limits apply, and whether a special exception or variance is required. The City of Allentown's Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 16166, adopted October 15, 2025) is the controlling document for the county seat.

Pennsylvania Act 43 of 2017 (35 P.S. §1303 et seq.), as amended by Act 74 of 2022, legalized consumer fireworks (aerial and explosive devices) for residents 18 and older - reversing Pennsylvania's prior near-total ban. Consumer fireworks may not be discharged within 150 feet of an occupied structure or vehicle (whether or not owned by the user), on public or private property without consent, indoors, or while impaired. Lehigh County municipalities (including Allentown) may further restrict times, places, and discharge under their own ordinances.

Lehigh County itself does not enforce a countywide quiet-hours ordinance - under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247 of 1968, 53 P.S. §10101 et seq.), police-power regulation is delegated to municipalities. The City of Allentown (the county seat) prohibits 'unreasonable noise' under Allentown Codified Ordinances Chapter 717, with enforcement by the Allentown Police Department (610-437-7751 non-emergency). Statewide, 18 Pa.C.S. §5503 (disorderly conduct) makes 'unreasonable noise' a summary offense, applicable in any unincorporated area or where local rules are silent.

Pennsylvania's statewide Dog Law (3 P.S. §459-101 et seq.) requires every dog to be 'confined' on the owner's premises, secured by leash or chain, or under reasonable control of a person, with violations enforced as a 'dog at large' summary offense (3 P.S. §459-305). The PA Dog Law also requires annual licensing of all dogs over 3 months old through the county treasurer, plus current rabies vaccination per 7 Pa. Code Ch. 16. Lehigh County dog licenses are issued by the Lehigh County Treasurer. The City of Allentown supplements with its own leash and animal-nuisance ordinance enforced by the Allentown Health Bureau and Police Department.

Lehigh County does not regulate fence heights directly - under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247 of 1968, 53 P.S. §10101 et seq.), fence rules are set by each municipality's zoning ordinance. The City of Allentown (the county seat) generally caps residential fences at 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in side and rear yards, with corner-lot vision-clearance requirements. Pennsylvania has no statewide fence-height preemption, so the 25 municipalities in Lehigh County each set their own standards. Most fences in Allentown require a zoning permit before installation.

Lehigh County and all its municipalities participate in the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) under the Pennsylvania Floodplain Management Act (Act 166 of 1978, 32 P.S. §679.101 et seq.). The Lehigh River bisects the county and creates Special Flood Hazard Areas in Allentown, Catasauqua, Coplay, and surrounding municipalities. Pennsylvania regulations at 12 Pa. Code Chapter 113 require municipalities to adopt a FEMA-approved floodplain ordinance and require new residential structures in the SFHA to have the lowest floor elevated at least 1.5 feet above the base flood elevation.