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Erie added accessory dwelling units to its zoning code by Ordinance No. 52-2024 (passed 9-18-2024), defining an ADU as a single dwelling unit secondary to the principal dwelling and recognizing interior, attached and detached types. The city's earlier zoning ordinance had no ADU category.
Erie defines a private garage as an accessory building used only to store the occupants' vehicles and personal effects, not for commercial use or outside auto repair. Converting a garage to living space changes its use and triggers zoning review and a building permit; a garage may also host an ADU under Ordinance No. 52-2024.
In Erie's 'R' districts a detached accessory building (shed) must sit in the side or rear yard, at least 6 ft from any dwelling or alley and 3 ft from side/rear lot lines, and may be no larger than 720 sq ft or 15 ft tall. Sheds 100 sq ft or smaller are exempt from setback and lot-coverage limits, and under PA state law a shed under 1,000 sq ft accessory to a one-family home needs no state building permit.
Pennsylvania municipalities have limited statutory authority to impose impact fees on new development. Under the Municipalities Planning Code Article V-A (53 P.S. §§10502-A through 10503-A), the only authorized impact fee is a transportation impact fee, and even that requires a multi-year traffic study, an adopted impact fee ordinance, and impact-fee districts. Erie has not adopted a transportation impact fee ordinance under Article V-A as of mid-2024. Other typical "impact" charges (water/sewer connection fees, school district contributions, recreation fees) operate under separate authorities. ADU applicants in Erie generally face only standard zoning and building permit fees, water/sewer tap-in charges through Erie Water Works and the Erie Sewer Authority, and any school district enrollment-related charges if dwelling-unit count increases.
An accessory dwelling unit in Erie requires permits from two municipal offices: a zoning permit from the Erie Department of Planning and Neighborhood Resources (confirming the ADU is permitted in the district under the Erie Zoning Ordinance, either by right or by special exception/variance through the Erie Zoning Hearing Board) and a building permit from the Erie Building Code Official under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code at 34 Pa Code §401.7 for the construction itself. Pennsylvania has no statewide ADU preemption like California's SB 9 or Oregon's HB 2001, so timelines, fees, and approval criteria are set by Erie and the PA UCC.
Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code applies the IRC Appendix Q tiny house standards universally, governing minimum safety requirements for permanent tiny homes statewide.
Erie does not set a fixed numeric limit on the number of dogs or cats a household may keep, relying instead on nuisance and restraint provisions; Pennsylvania's Dog Law requires a kennel license at 26 or more dogs in a calendar year.
The City of Erie prohibits keeping any animal usually kept as a farm animal or livestock; owners receive a seven-day warning to remove the animals or face a citation.
Erie has no breed-specific ban; Pennsylvania state law expressly prohibits any local ordinance from prohibiting or limiting a specific breed of dog, so the City regulates dangerous dogs by behavior, not breed.
Erie's Codified Ordinances Article 505 (Animals and Fowl) prohibits dogs from running at large within the City of Erie — dogs off the owner's property must be on a leash and under control. State-level licensing is administered by the Erie County Treasurer under the Pennsylvania Dog Law at 3 P.S. Section 459-101 et seq., which requires every dog three months or older to be licensed annually. Erie's contracted animal-control authority responds to off-leash and at-large complaints.
Erie's Codified Ordinances Article 505 addresses dangerous and wild animals through general nuisance and restraint provisions, and the Zoning Ordinance does not list exotic species as a customary residential accessory use. Statewide, the Pennsylvania Game and Wildlife Code at 34 Pa.C.S. Section 2961 et seq. and the Pennsylvania Game Commission's permit regulations at 58 Pa. Code Chapter 147 separately require an Exotic Wildlife Possession Permit for big cats, primates, bears, wolves, and venomous reptiles native to non-PA jurisdictions.
Erie's local wildlife-feeding enforcement runs through Article 505 nuisance provisions of the Codified Ordinances and property-maintenance rules against accumulations attracting vermin. Statewide rules add specific bans: 58 Pa. Code Section 137.33 prohibits feeding bears and elk anywhere in Pennsylvania, and 58 Pa. Code Section 137.34 prohibits feeding wild deer within designated Disease Management Areas. As of 2025 Erie County is not within a DMA, so general deer feeding in Erie is not prohibited solely by 137.34 — bird-feeder rules still apply, and a DMA designation could change this.
Erie's Codified Ordinances do not contain an express urban-beekeeping framework, and bees are not listed as a permitted accessory use in residential zones under the Erie Zoning Ordinance. The practical effect is that any hive proposed within City limits sits in regulatory gray space and would draw nuisance review under Article 505 if it triggered complaints. Statewide, the Pennsylvania Bee Law at 3 Pa.C.S. Section 2101 et seq. requires every beekeeper to register all apiaries with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry.
Erie addresses animal hoarding through two overlapping frameworks: (1) Article 505 of the Codified Ordinances, which prohibits keeping animals that constitute a public nuisance or menace to public health or safety; and (2) the Pennsylvania cruelty statutes at 18 Pa.C.S. Sections 5532 (neglect), 5533 (cruelty), and 5534 (aggravated cruelty), as enacted by Libre's Law in 2017. The Pennsylvania SPCA and humane society officers, working with the Erie Humane Society, enforce the criminal statutes alongside Erie Bureau of Animal Enforcement.
Erie caps fences, hedges and enclosures in required yard space at 6 ft 6 in in Residential Districts and 8 ft 6 in in non-Residential Districts. Height is measured from the maximum grade on either side of the property.
Erie's zoning ordinance does not restrict fence materials by type, but it imposes an opacity rule near corners and driveways: a fence is only 'see-through' if 70 percent of its area is open.
The City of Erie issues a dedicated 'Fence' permit. Applications run through Code Enforcement (Room 407, City Hall) and require zoning and building-code review before a fence is installed.
Erie's Zoning Ordinance regulates fence height, location, and visibility but does not prescribe a list of allowed materials for residential fences. Specialized rules apply to security fencing and utility-protection chain-link fences under Section 204.19.
Erie's Zoning Ordinance Section 204.19 allows a fence to be placed up to but not over the property line, and does not require neighbor consent. Boundary disputes between adjoining owners are handled under Pennsylvania common law, not the City Code.
Swimming pools in Erie must comply with IRC Chapter 42 Appendix G and IBC Section 3109.4 as adopted by the PA UCC (34 Pa. Code 401-405). Barriers must be at least 48 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates around pools over 24 inches deep.
Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code sets the statewide permit threshold and engineering standards for retaining walls regardless of municipality.
Erie adopts International Fire Code Section 307 as its local fire code. Portable outdoor fireplaces must follow the manufacturer's instructions and stay at least 15 feet from any structure or combustible material; recreational fire pits must be 25 feet away. All fires must be constantly attended with a 4-A fire extinguisher or other suppression on site.
Pennsylvania Act 74 of 2022 (3 Pa.C.S. Ch. 11) preempts local fireworks bans and legalizes consumer fireworks statewide for anyone 18 or older. They may not be discharged within 150 feet of an occupied structure or vehicle, on public/private property without the owner's permission, or while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Erie has no separate ordinance further restricting consumer fireworks.
Burning garbage, recyclable materials, leaf waste, or grass clippings is unlawful in the City of Erie at all times under Quality of Life ordinance item QOL-31. Open burning is also prohibited whenever atmospheric conditions make fires hazardous or winds gust to or are sustained at 10 mph. Because the City of Erie lies within the state-designated Erie air basin (25 Pa. Code 121.1), stricter air-quality burning limits apply.
Erie permits recreational backyard fires of seasoned firewood between 5 pm and 11 pm Monday-Thursday and 5 pm to midnight on weekends and federal holidays, kept 25 feet from any structure. Bonfires require a permit from the fire code official and must stay 50 feet from structures unless contained in a barbecue pit.
Erie has no California-style defensible-space program because Erie County is rated low overall wildfire risk. The city controls fire-fuel vegetation through Article 1129 (Quality of Life Ticketing Program) of the Codified Ordinances and the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code adopted under Part Fifteen. All premises must be kept free of weeds or plant growth exceeding 10 inches in height.
Erie, PA does not have a city-designated Wildfire Hazard Severity Zone. Pennsylvania has not adopted IFC Chapter 49 (Requirements for Wildland-Urban Interface Areas) statewide, and Erie has not adopted it locally through Article 1503. Erie County is rated low overall wildfire risk by the USDA Forest Service, though approximately 60 percent of Pennsylvania homes statewide sit within the wildland-urban interface boundary mapped by DCNR.
Propane (LP-gas) storage in Erie is regulated through the International Fire Code Chapter 61 (Liquefied Petroleum Gases) adopted at Part Fifteen Article 1503 of the Codified Ordinances and the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code at 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401-405. IFC 6101.2 references NFPA 58 (Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code) for tank setbacks, and IFC 6109.13 caps residential aggregate LP-gas storage on R-3 lots at 500 pounds water capacity (about 125 gallons of propane).
A Home Occupation in Erie must be clearly secondary to the residential use and generate no more customer, delivery or pickup traffic than normal residential use; it may have no employees, no retail display or substantial inventory, no outside commercial appearance, no noise/odors/interference, and may occupy no more than 25% of the dwelling's habitable floor area, conducted only within the dwelling.
A Home Occupation in Erie may have no sign at all - the Zoning Ordinance prohibits any outside appearance of a commercial use 'including, but not limited to, parking, signs or lights.' The only sign allowed at a residence in R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-3 and W-R districts is a non-illuminated, non-reflective sign up to four square feet announcing the occupant's name and address.
Erie's Home Occupation definition allows 'no customer, client or patient traffic, whether vehicular or pedestrian, pickup, delivery or removal functions to or from the premises, in excess of those normally associated with residential use,' so a qualifying home business cannot draw client visits, deliveries or pickups beyond ordinary household levels.
Erie's Zoning Ordinance allows a Home Occupation as a permitted accessory use and does not require a separate home-occupation permit; instead the Zoning Officer administers the use through Zoning Certificates, which a property owner may obtain on request, and any sign or new construction tied to the business needs a permit.
Pennsylvania regulates home-based cottage food producers as Limited Food Establishments under the PA Department of Agriculture, requiring registration, inspection, and labeling for non-potentially hazardous foods sold direct to consumers.
Pennsylvania requires Department of Human Services certification for family child day care homes serving four to six unrelated children, with statewide background checks, training, and ratio standards that apply regardless of municipal zoning labels.
Erie defines weeds as a nuisance, caps plant growth at 10 inches, and lets the City cut overgrowth and bill the owner if it is not removed after notice.
Erie requires trees to be kept clear at 14 feet above the street and 9 feet above the sidewalk, and any planting or removal of a tree in the public right-of-way needs a City permit from the Urban Forest Committee.
The City of Erie does not mandate native-plant landscaping on residential property. The Erie Environmental Advisory Council (codified at eCode360 https://ecode360.com/43570009) is established under the Pennsylvania Environmental Advisory Council Act (53 P.S. §11304) and promotes sustainability education. The Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Erie County and PA DCNR provide free native-plant guidance. Pennsylvania's Right to Farm Act (3 P.S. §951-957) protects qualifying agricultural operations from nuisance suits raised more than one year after operations begin.
Tree removal in the City of Erie is governed by Article 165 (Urban Forest Committee). No person may remove a tree or shrub on a street or municipal property without filing an application and procuring a permit from the City Arborist, and Article 165.07(c) imposes a $50 administrative fee for tree-removal applications (waivable for City-confirmed hazard removals). Routine removal of dead, diseased, or hazardous trees on private property is generally exempt from City permitting.
Erie has no city lawn-watering ordinance in normal conditions; Pennsylvania state law (4 Pa. Code Chapter 119) prohibits watering grass and most outdoor plants once the Governor declares a drought emergency in the area.
The City of Erie's adopted property-maintenance standard requires premises to be kept free of weeds and plant growth taller than 10 inches; overgrowth is a code-enforcement and Quality of Life violation.
Backyard composting in the City of Erie is permitted and encouraged. The City operates a curbside compost-collection program that picks up grass clippings, leaves, hedge and shrub trimmings, and garden clippings in approved compostable bags (ASTM D6400) or hard containers (50-lb limit) on regular trash days. PA Act 101 (53 P.S. §4000.101+) requires Pennsylvania municipalities over 5,000 population to provide yard-waste collection. Open burning of leaves is prohibited under 25 Pa. Code §129.14.
Pennsylvania law permits rainwater harvesting statewide with no state-level prohibition, while plumbing code universally governs any potable connection to home systems.
Erie sets no fixed numeric quiet hours. Instead, Article 705 (Disorderly Conduct) of the Codified Ordinances makes it disorderly conduct to shout or make noise during the nighttime to the annoyance or disturbance of others, and more generally to disturb the good order and quiet of the City by clamor or noise.
No Erie-specific ordinance directly addresses aircraft noise; the topic is preempted. Aircraft operations and in-flight noise are governed by the Federal Aviation Administration under federal law, and Pennsylvania regulates airport operation and aircraft under the Aviation Code (74 Pa.C.S. Chapter 51 et seq.). Erie International Airport noise is managed at the airport-proprietor level, not by city ordinance.
No Erie-specific ordinance directly addresses construction hours; the City's Codified Ordinances do not set start/stop times for construction noise. Daytime construction noise is governed by the general disorderly conduct standard (Article 705), and nighttime construction noise can be cited under Section 705.02(d).
The City of Erie has no industrial-noise chapter with property-line decibel limits. Industrial and commercial sound is regulated indirectly through Article 705 (Disorderly Conduct), Article 732 (Quiet Zones near hospitals), and the city zoning ordinance, which separates manufacturing districts from residential ones. PA DEP does not regulate ambient industrial noise.
Erie has no decibel-based barking-dog ordinance with fixed time thresholds; persistent animal noise that disturbs the good order and quiet of the City is addressed under the general clamor-or-noise standard of Article 705. Pennsylvania's Dog Law (3 P.S. Section 459-101 et seq.) governs licensing and dangerous-dog matters statewide.
The City of Erie has not adopted a dedicated leaf-blower ordinance and there is no seasonal ban, decibel cap, or time-of-day restriction targeting blowers specifically. Leaf-blower noise is reachable only through the general Article 705 disorderly-conduct provisions and Article 732 (Quiet Zones) for hospital-adjacent properties.
Article 705 of Erie's Codified Ordinances makes it disorderly conduct to operate any radio, television, phonograph, sound amplifier, musical instrument or similar device at a sound intensity audible 50 feet away in any public area, street or sidewalk, or in a manner that creates a noise disturbance across a real property boundary.
Erie's Article 736 (Recreational Motor Vehicles) bars muffler cutouts, bypasses and straight pipes and requires standard mufflers in constant operation to keep noise to a minimum. On-highway vehicles are also governed by the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, 75 Pa.C.S. Section 4523, which requires an effective muffler and bans modifications that amplify exhaust noise.
Erie Codified Ordinance Section 521.04 prohibits using city streets to store a vehicle: leaving any vehicle in one place continuously for over 72 hours is a storage violation. Statewide, 75 Pa.C.S. Section 3353 sets where stopping, standing, and parking are flatly prohibited (intersections, crosswalks, within 15 feet of a hydrant, etc.).
No Erie ordinance creates an RV- or boat-specific on-street parking program; recreational vehicles, boat trailers, and campers parked on city streets are governed by the general 72-hour storage limit in Section 521.04 and the statewide prohibited-places rule in 75 Pa.C.S. Section 3353. On private lots, Erie's zoning code limits outdoor storage of such vehicles.
Erie's Zoning Ordinance limits commercial vehicles in residential districts: not more than one commercial truck may be stored on a lot, and heavier equipment (dump trucks, buses, tractor trailers, etc.) is prohibited. On streets, the 72-hour storage rule (Section 521.04) and statewide 75 Pa.C.S. Section 3353 apply.
Driveway construction and curb cuts in Erie are governed by Article 907 (Curb Cuts and Driveways) of the City of Erie Codified Ordinances, which requires a written permit from the City Engineer before constructing, reconstructing or altering any driveway apron, driveway or curb across a public sidewalk. Driveway widths and curb-cut counts vary by lot width, and design must also comply with the PA Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa. Code §§401-405).
Erie has no blanket overnight ban on ordinary cars, but the 72-hour storage limit (Section 521.04) caps how long a car may sit. In the inner-city area odd-even parking runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, and during a declared Snow Emergency odd-even parking is in effect 24/7, with the downtown core posted No Parking from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.
Pennsylvania has not adopted a statewide EV-ready building mandate, and the City of Erie's Zoning Ordinance (Article 1303 / Ord. 80-2005) does not impose a city-specific EV-ready percentage on new construction. EV charging equipment in Erie is evaluated under existing zoning categories and requires an electrical permit issued under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa. Code §§401-405), which adopts the NEC, IBC and IRC.
Abandoned and inoperable vehicles in Erie are handled under Article 529 (Abandoned Vehicles on Private Property) of the City Codified Ordinances, together with the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code abandoned-vehicle provisions at 75 Pa.C.S. §7311 et seq. Erie's Article 529 prohibits leaving any wrecked, junked, stripped or abandoned motor vehicle where it constitutes a hazard, and authorizes the Director of Public Safety to order removal.
The City of Erie requires a Short-Term Rental license before any dwelling may be rented for under 30 days. Operators must first obtain zoning approval and a Zoning Certificate, then register and pay an annual $80 fee; the license is not transferable and does not run with the property.
Erie does not impose STR-specific parking minimums, but short-term rentals are bound by the off-street parking requirements in the Erie Zoning Ordinance for the use district where the dwelling sits, and by the on-street residential parking system administered through the Erie Parking Authority. Hosts must inform guests that posted time limits and snow-emergency rules apply.
Short-term rental hosts in Erie are responsible for guest noise under the city's general noise and nuisance provisions in the Erie City Code (eCode360 ER3969). Loud music, parties, and amplified sound that disturb neighbors trigger citations, and repeat violations can jeopardize a host's rental registration and Business Privilege License under city enforcement practice.
Erie PA does not require short-term rental hosts to carry a specific insurance policy or post a liability minimum, and Pennsylvania has no statewide STR insurance mandate. However, hosts using Airbnb or VRBO rely on platform-provided host protection (AirCover up to $1M, VRBO Liability Insurance up to $1M), and a personal homeowner's policy almost always excludes commercial transient rental.
Short-term rental operators in Erie must collect the Erie County 7% hotel room rental tax administered by the Erie County Department of Finance and the Pennsylvania 6% state hotel occupancy tax under 72 P.S. §7210 for any stay under 30 consecutive days. The combined rate is 13%. Erie does not impose a separate municipal STR tax. Erie County requires monthly remittance.
Erie short-term rentals may not exceed the number of occupants allowed in the applicable zoning district, with maximum occupancy based on the number and size of bedrooms, a family unit, or no more than four unrelated occupants. In the R-1 and R-1A districts occupancy of a rentable unit is limited to one Family.
A residential swimming pool, hot tub, or spa in the City of Erie must comply with the barrier provisions of the International Residential and International Building Codes, and any yard fence or pool enclosure in a residential district may not exceed six feet six inches in height under the Erie Zoning Ordinance.
The City of Erie requires a building permit for any swimming pool deeper than 24 inches, and the pool, hot tub, or spa must comply with the International Residential and Building Codes; the pool must sit at least six feet from the dwelling and side and rear property lines and may not be installed in front of the house.
Pools in Erie must comply with the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act (15 USC 8003) requiring anti-entrapment drain covers, plus the PA UCC adoption of the 2018 ISPSC for circulation, electrical bonding, alarms, and barriers. Public pools also need a PADEP Bathing Place permit.
In Erie, a hot tub or spa accessory to a one- or two-family dwelling is regulated as a swimming pool: it must comply with the International Residential and Building Codes the city adopts, and statewide it must meet the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code under 34 Pa. Code Section 403.26.
Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code applies the same permit and barrier requirements to above-ground pools deeper than 24 inches as in-ground pools.
Erie's residential refuse-container rules are codified at Article 951 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Erie. Each receptacle must be a rigid container of rust-resistant metal or plastic, watertight, with outside handles and a tight-fitting cover, holding not less than 3 and not more than 35 gallons. On the designated weekly collection night, householders deposit either the receptacles containing securely bagged refuse, or securely bagged refuse itself, at the curbside; nothing may be set out more than 24 hours before the collection day.
Erie addresses blight through three layered tools: (1) Article 1503 of the Codified Ordinances (Property Maintenance Code, based on the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code) adopted under the PA Uniform Construction Code; (2) the Erie Land Bank established under Article 941 (PA Land Bank Act, 68 Pa.C.S. §2101) to acquire and dispose of tax-delinquent and blighted parcels; and (3) the state-law backstop of PA Act 90 of 2010 (Neighborhood Blight Reclamation and Revitalization Act, 53 P.S. §6111) under which Erie may deny permits and approvals to property owners with serious code violations anywhere in the Commonwealth.
Erie's Vacant and Foreclosure Property Registration ordinance (codified at Part 13 of the Codified Ordinances, Vacant and Foreclosure Property) requires every owner of any building or structure on real property that has been vacant for more than 180 consecutive days to register with the Office of Code Enforcement on forms or website access provided by the City. A nonrefundable $300 registration fee accompanies the form and is repeated every six months until the property is no longer subject to registration. Foreclosure-property registrations additionally name the lender, mortgage servicer, 24-hour contact, and local property management company.
Erie's sidewalk snow ordinance (Codified Ordinances Article 521, Snow and Ice Removal) requires the occupant of any home, apartment, store, storehouse, shop, garage, factory, church, schoolhouse, or other building to remove or hire someone to remove all snow, ice, or sleet from the sidewalk in front of the premises within three hours after snowfall ceases. Owners of corner buildings must clear the side sidewalks for the full distance their occupancy extends; owners of vacant lots and vacant buildings are responsible for the abutting sidewalk. If ice is so hardened it cannot be removed without damaging the sidewalk, sand or sawdust must be applied until it can be removed.
Erie operates city-run residential refuse collection through the Bureau of Refuse and Recycling (Department of Public Works) under the Third Class City Code (53 P.S. §35101 et seq.) and Article 951 of the Codified Ordinances. Pickup is weekly and occurs at night on a route map maintained by the Bureau. All compliant receptacles and securely bagged refuse must be at the curbside or edge of the street on the designated collection night, and nothing may be placed out more than 24 hours before the collection day. Service is limited to residential properties of four units or fewer.
Erie's Bureau of Refuse and Recycling operates a citywide yard-waste composting program covering grass clippings, lawn and leaf waste, and hedge trimmings. Yard waste must be placed in open rigid containers, compost-friendly plastic bags, or brown paper bags at curbside; no item may be set out more than 24 hours before the collection day per Article 951. Leaf collection runs each fall (typically early October through early December). Raking leaves into the street and bagging pet waste or cat litter with leaves are both prohibited. PA Act 101 (53 P.S. §4000.101 et seq.) authorizes the program at the state level.
Article 951 of the Codified Ordinances directs householders to deposit compliant receptacles, or securely bagged refuse, at the curbside or edge of the street on the designated weekly collection night - not in the cartway, not blocking sidewalks, and not against fire hydrants or signs. The City's Bureau of Refuse and Recycling additionally instructs residents to keep set-outs away from parked vehicles and obstructions so collection trucks can access the material, and to remove containers promptly after pickup. Set-out cannot precede pickup by more than 24 hours.
Illegal dumping in Erie is enforced under three layered authorities: (1) 18 Pa.C.S. §6501 (Scattering Rubbish), the Pennsylvania criminal statute making it a summary offense to deposit waste paper, ashes, household waste, glass, metal, refuse, or rubbish onto roads, streets, alleys, railroad rights-of-way, the land of another, or waters of the Commonwealth ($50-$300 fine plus 5-30 mandatory cleanup hours for first offense, third-degree misdemeanor with $300-$1,000 for subsequent offenses); (2) Article 1129's Quality of Life Ticketing Program at $100 per ticket; and (3) the PA Solid Waste Management Act (35 P.S. §6018.101) for larger-scale dumping referred to PA DEP.
Erie's mandatory recycling program is codified at Article 958 of the Codified Ordinances (Separation of Recyclables), enacted under the Third Class City Code (53 P.S. §35101 et seq.) and the Pennsylvania Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act of 1988 (Act 101, 53 P.S. §4000.101 et seq.) which mandates curbside recycling for every municipality with population over 10,000. Residents must separate newspapers, office paper, magazines, #1 and #2 plastic bottles/jugs/jars with screw-top lids, flattened corrugated cardboard and paperboard, and metal food and beverage cans. Curbside set-out is in clear plastic bags or blue bins (blue bags no longer accepted) on the regular refuse night.
Erie offers free curbside bulk pickup to its residential refuse customers through the Bureau of Refuse and Recycling. Residents may schedule 1-3 large items per regular refuse night by calling 814-870-1550 (weekdays 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) at least 72 hours in advance, or by scheduling online; a 6-digit confirmation number is required and pickups may be scheduled up to two weeks ahead. Furniture (couches, chairs, mattresses) is accepted; large appliances, automotive parts, electronics, hazardous materials, and construction debris are not. Carpet must be cut into 4-foot sections and rolled (max 4 rolls); glass must be boxed and labeled.
Erie's rental inspection program is run by the Bureau of Code Enforcement under the Department of Permitting and Inspection. Inspectors apply the International Property Maintenance Code as adopted by the City to confirm habitable conditions, on a rotation cycle and on tenant complaint.
Security deposits in Erie follow Pennsylvania statute. Under 68 P.S. §250.511a a landlord may collect at most two months' rent in the first year. Under §250.511b only one month may be held after year one. Under §250.512 the deposit must be returned with itemization within 30 days of vacancy.
The City of Erie requires owners of residential rental units to register with the Bureau of Code Enforcement under the Department of Permitting and Inspection, identify a local agent, pay the annual fee, and submit to periodic IPMC inspection.
The City of Erie has no rent-control ordinance. Residential rent is governed by the Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (68 P.S. §250.101 et seq.), which sets no cap on rent amounts or increases for third-class cities like Erie.
Erie has no local just-cause eviction ordinance. Evictions are governed by Pennsylvania's Landlord and Tenant Act (68 P.S. §250.501), which allows termination at lease end or for breach with proper written notice. Filings go to Erie County Magisterial District Court.
Under 68 P.S. Section 250.501, a Pennsylvania landlord must serve a written notice to quit before eviction: 10 days for nonpayment of rent, and 15 days (term of one year or less) or 30 days (term over one year) at term-end or breach. The lease may shorten or waive the notice.
Pennsylvania recognizes an implied warranty of habitability in every residential lease under Pugh v. Holmes, 486 Pa. 272 (1979), which abolished caveat emptor. A landlord must keep the dwelling fit for habitation. Tenants may withhold rent into escrow, repair and deduct, or counterclaim for the reduced rental value.
Pennsylvania has no statute setting an advance-notice period for landlord entry. The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 is silent on access, so entry is governed by the lease and the tenant's common-law right to quiet enjoyment. Most leases and practitioners treat 24 hours' notice as reasonable, with emergencies excepted.
Pennsylvania has no statutory cap on residential late fees and no mandated grace period. A late fee is enforceable only if the written lease provides for it and the amount is reasonable rather than a penalty under contract principles. Courts generally view fees around 5 to 10 percent of monthly rent as reasonable.
To end a periodic or month-to-month tenancy, a Pennsylvania landlord follows the notice in 68 P.S. Section 250.501: 15 days for a term of one year or less or an indeterminate term, and 30 days for a term of more than one year. The lease may set a shorter period or waive notice entirely.
Pennsylvania has no statute setting a rent-increase notice period and no rent control, so the lease governs. A landlord cannot raise rent mid-term on a fixed lease but may increase it at renewal or, for a month-to-month tenancy, by serving the notice the lease requires to end and re-let the term.
Pennsylvania's general adverse possession period is 21 years under 42 Pa.C.S. Section 5530. A shorter 10-year period applies under 42 Pa.C.S. Section 5527.1 to a parcel of one-half acre or less improved by a single-family dwelling the possessor has occupied, identified as a separate recorded lot.
Lot coverage in Erie is regulated by the City of Erie Zoning Ordinance (Article 1303 / Ord. 80-2005) and is set district-by-district in Article 2 (District Regulations). The Industrial Park district caps coverage by main and accessory structures at no more than 60% of the lot area. Section 205 sets R-1 lot coverage with ground floor roofless decks, swimming pools and roofless walkways excluded from the calculation. Stormwater impacts are reviewed under 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102.
Building setbacks in Erie are set by the City of Erie Zoning Ordinance (Article 1303 of the Codified Ordinances / Ordinance Number 80-2005) and vary by zoning district. In the R-1 Low Density Residential district, Section 205 of the Zoning Ordinance sets a minimum total side-yard width of 15 feet (with the least side at 5 feet minimum), and Section 205.11 sets the front-yard setback within five feet of the average depth of adjacent block structures.
Building height in Erie is regulated by the City of Erie Zoning Ordinance (Article 1303 / Ord. 80-2005) and is set district-by-district in the bulk standards for each zoning district. Industrial Park district building height is capped at 50 feet under the Zoning Ordinance, with R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential districts subject to lower limits set in Article 2 (District Regulations). The Pennsylvania UCC IBC height/area limits apply on top.
Loud parties in Erie are handled through Article 705 (Disorderly Conduct) of the Codified Ordinances and, where minors are involved, through Article 711 (Furnishing Liquor to Minors) and 18 Pa.C.S. Section 6310.1 (state social-host liability). The City has not adopted a separate 'unruly gathering' or 'loud party' chapter, but the disorderly-conduct framework supplies the operative penalty.
Smoking in Erie is governed mostly by the Pennsylvania Clean Indoor Air Act (35 P.S. §637.1 et seq.), which restricts indoor public smoking and preempts most stricter local rules outside Philadelphia and Allegheny County. PA school grounds and designated Presque Isle State Park areas are smoke-free.
Erie tobacco retailers are licensed primarily at the state level. Pennsylvania Act 112 of 2020 (codified at 18 Pa.C.S. §6305) raised the minimum sales age to 21 for all tobacco products including e-cigarettes and vapes, and the PA Department of Revenue issues the Cigarette Dealer License. Erie retailers must also hold a city Business Privilege License from the Erie City Treasurer; Erie has not enacted a separate municipal tobacco license.
Erie secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers are regulated primarily under Pennsylvania state law - the Pawnbrokers License Act (63 P.S. §281-1 et seq.) and the Precious Metals Sales Act (73 P.S. §1932 et seq.) - and must hold an Erie Business Privilege License. PA requires precious-metals dealers to register with the Pennsylvania State Police, keep transaction records for 4 years, and hold purchased items for at least 7 days before resale.
Food truck operators in Erie need a Mobile Food Facility permit from the Erie County Department of Health (one of only six county/municipal health departments in PA), an Erie city Business Privilege License from the City Treasurer, a current food-safety certification for the person in charge, and zoning compliance for each operating location. Erie County health inspectors, not the PA Department of Agriculture, conduct inspections.
Erie regulates mobile food vending through the Codified Ordinances licensing chapter and zoning rules, paired with Erie County Department of Health licensing for mobile food facilities. Vendors need a City peddler or mobile-vendor license and must avoid posted no-vending zones and sidewalk obstructions.
Pennsylvania repealed the statewide mandate for sprinklers in new one- and two-family dwellings effective retroactively to January 1, 2011 (Act 1 of 2011, HB 377). Erie does not impose a local residential sprinkler mandate. New townhouses, commercial buildings, and existing buildings undergoing significant renovation remain subject to the sprinkler triggers in the IBC and IFC adopted at Article 1503 of the Erie Codified Ordinances, including the IFC Section 903 thresholds.
Erie regulates rodent and insect infestation through the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (enforced by the Bureau of Code Enforcement) and Article 1129 (Quality of Life Ticketing Program). IPMC Section 309 requires extermination of pests by the owner of structures and shared infestations in multifamily buildings; Sections 304.5 and 308 require rodent-proofing of exterior openings and approved garbage containers.
The City of Erie does not have a stand-alone municipal lead ordinance equivalent to Reading Chapter 328. Lead hazards in Erie are addressed through the federal Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (42 U.S.C. Section 4851), EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR Part 745), Pennsylvania's Lead Certification Act (35 P.S. Section 5901), and the Erie County Department of Health LeadSAFE program enforced under the Erie County Sanitary Code.
Erie does not maintain a dedicated public heritage-tree registry in its Codified Ordinances, but Article 165 (Urban Forest Committee) uniformly protects all trees and shrubs on streets and municipal property — no removal or disturbance without a City Arborist permit. Specimen trees on private property may be designated for protection through conditions on approved land-development plans under the Erie Zoning Ordinance. Notable mature-tree resources include Frontier Park, Glenwood Park, and the Presque Isle State Park system (PA DCNR-managed).
Tree replacement in the City of Erie is administered by the City Arborist under Article 165 (Urban Forest Committee) for street and municipal-tree removals and by the Erie Zoning Ordinance for development-site removals. Article 165 expressly contemplates 'Removal and Replacement Permit' procedures at Article 165.07(c), with the $50 administrative fee covering the combined removal-and-replacement application. Replacement species are typically drawn from the City's approved street-tree list — predominantly native or proven non-invasive species suited to northwestern PA.
Tree-removal permitting in the City of Erie is administered by the City Arborist under Article 165 (Urban Forest Committee). No person may plant, maintain, remove, or disturb a tree or shrub on a street or municipal property without filing an application and procuring a permit from the City Arborist. Article 165.07(c) imposes a $50 administrative fee for each tree-removal application, waivable for City-confirmed hazardous removals. Maximum fine for violation is $300, with default of payment up to 30 days' imprisonment.
Erie's Codified Ordinances do not contain a dedicated garage-sale or yard-sale permit chapter, and no garage-sale permit is required from the City of Erie for occasional residential sales of household items on private property. Sales that grow in frequency, volume, or commercial character can be reviewed as unlicensed business activity under Erie's business privilege license framework. Occasional residential sales remain exempt from Pennsylvania sales-tax licensing under 61 Pa. Code Section 32.1 (isolated sale exception).
Erie does not cap the number of garage or yard sales a household may hold per year. The Codified Ordinances contain no dedicated garage-sale chapter, so there is no frequency limit and no permit requirement for occasional residential sales inside the City of Erie. Sales that become recurring or commercial in character may be treated as unlicensed business activity requiring a business privilege license. Pennsylvania state law retains the 'isolated sale' sales-tax exemption under 61 Pa. Code Section 32.1.
Erie's Floodplain Management Regulations (Article 945, Ord. 12-2017) govern development in FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas shown on the June 7, 2017 FIRMs. The ordinance implements PA's Floodplain Management Act of 1978 and is required for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.
Erie's Stormwater Quality Management Ordinance (Article 946, Ord. 20-2004) governs runoff, infiltration, and BMP maintenance under PA Act 167 and the PADEP NPDES MS4 permit. A separate Article 948 stormwater utility fee, enacted in fall 2022, funds the aging system.
Pennsylvania's federally approved Coastal Zone Management Program covers the Lake Erie shoreline and Delaware Estuary, requiring DEP review and consistency determinations for development affecting state coastal resources.
Under the Clean Streams Law and 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102, anyone conducting earth disturbance in Pennsylvania must implement written erosion and sediment control plans, with permits required for projects disturbing one acre or more.
Recreational drones in Erie are regulated mostly by federal law. The FAA requires registration for drones over 0.55 lb, TRUST test passage, and flight under 49 U.S.C. §44809. Presque Isle State Park bans drone launch without a DCNR permit. PA Act 78 of 2018 limits municipal drone rules.
Commercial drone operators in Pennsylvania must comply with FAA Part 107 certification and any state offenses under Act 78 of 2018, which preempts local commercial drone ordinances and centralizes regulation at state and federal levels.
The Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Act establishes statewide siting rules for dispensaries, including a 1,000-foot setback from schools and daycares, while allowing reasonable local zoning that does not effectively prohibit permitted facilities.
Pennsylvania prohibits home cultivation of cannabis by patients, caregivers, and recreational users. The Medical Marijuana Act limits production to state-permitted growers, and unauthorized cultivation remains a criminal offense under state drug law.
Pennsylvania's minimum wage remains $7.25 per hour, matching the federal floor under the PA Minimum Wage Act (43 P.S. §333.101 et seq.). State law preempts local minimum wage ordinances — Philadelphia attempted a $10.88 city wage in 2014 that was struck down by Commonwealth Court. The tipped minimum is $2.83. Pennsylvania has not raised the state wage since 2009.
Pennsylvania does not have a statewide paid sick or family leave mandate, and state courts have largely permitted home-rule cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to adopt local paid sick leave laws.
Pennsylvania has no statewide predictive scheduling law and has not preempted municipal action, allowing Philadelphia's Fair Workweek Ordinance to require advance schedules and predictability pay for certain employers.
Pennsylvania is a shall-issue state requiring a License to Carry Firearms (LTCF) issued by the county sheriff for concealed carry or carry in a vehicle, with statewide rules under 18 Pa.C.S. Section 6109.
Pennsylvania law comprehensively preempts local regulation of firearms under 18 Pa.C.S. §6120. Cities and counties cannot regulate lawful ownership, possession, transfer, or transportation of firearms or ammunition. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown have all attempted local gun ordinances and lost in PA appellate courts.
Open carry of firearms is generally legal in Pennsylvania for adults 18 or older without a permit outside Philadelphia, but a License to Carry Firearms is required statewide for vehicle and concealed carry.
Under 18 Pa.C.S. Section 6106, carrying a firearm in a vehicle anywhere in Pennsylvania generally requires a valid License to Carry Firearms, with limited exceptions for unloaded transport between specified lawful locations.
Under Pennsylvania's Uniform Planned Community Act, 68 Pa.C.S. § 5315, an association has an automatic lien on a unit for unpaid assessments and fines from the time they become due. The lien "may be foreclosed in a like manner as a mortgage on real estate," with a six-month limited priority over a first mortgage.
Under Pennsylvania's Uniform Planned Community Act, § 5308 requires at least one association meeting a year with 10-60 days' agenda notice (the Act does not impose a general open-meeting mandate). Section 5303 governs board elections and the handover from declarant control, and § 5316 makes association records reasonably available to owners.
Pennsylvania's 68 Pa.C.S. § 5302 lets a unit owners' association adopt and amend rules and regulate the use, maintenance, and modification of common elements. It enforces the declaration, bylaws, and rules through reasonable fines and suspensions after notice and a hearing. Architectural control flows from the recorded declaration combined with these powers.
Pennsylvania's Uniform Planned Community Act, 68 Pa.C.S. § 5302(a)(11), lets an association "levy reasonable fines" for violations of the declaration, bylaws, and rules, but only after notice and an opportunity to be heard. The Act sets no dollar cap; fines must simply be reasonable, and unpaid fines are enforceable like assessments.
Pennsylvania has no state solar-access law, so an HOA may restrict or even ban solar panels through its covenants; a 2021 bill to curb such restrictions did not pass. American-flag display is protected only by the federal Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005 (4 U.S.C. § 5), not by any Pennsylvania statute.
Pennsylvania protects agricultural land through Agricultural Security Areas under Act 43 of 1981 and the Agricultural Area Security Law, working alongside municipal zoning to limit development pressure on working farms.
Pennsylvania's Right to Farm Act (Act 133 of 1982, 3 P.S. §951 et seq.) protects established agricultural operations from local nuisance lawsuits and overly restrictive municipal ordinances. Operations in existence for at least one year and following normal agricultural practices are presumed not to be a nuisance. Municipalities cannot enact ordinances that restrict normal ag activities.
Act 87 of 2024 ended Pennsylvania's multi-year moratorium preempting local plastic bag and single-use plastic ordinances, restoring municipal authority to regulate or ban single-use carryout bags.
Pennsylvania has no statewide ban on expanded polystyrene foam food containers, and after Act 87 of 2024 ended single-use plastic preemption local governments may regulate foam packaging.
Pennsylvania has no statewide ban or upon-request rule for plastic straws, and following the lapse of single-use plastic preemption in 2024 cities may again adopt straw-on-request or ban policies.
Pennsylvania Act 112 of 2019 raised the minimum age to purchase tobacco and e-cigarettes to 21, aligning with the federal Tobacco 21 law (Dec 2019). The state law covers all tobacco products including vapes, hookah, and nicotine pouches. Cities cannot lower the age, and flavored vape regulation is handled at the state retail license level.
Pennsylvania does not currently impose a statewide ban on flavored tobacco or menthol cigarettes, though federal FDA marketing rules restrict which flavored vape products and cigarettes can be lawfully sold.
Pennsylvania regulates electronic cigarettes and vape products under Act 84 of 2016, imposing a 40 percent wholesale tax on e-liquids and devices and requiring tobacco product retailers to comply with state Department of Revenue licensing.