Allentown requires a zoning permit before commencing any new home occupation. Type 1 (no-impact) businesses are allowed as of right, but Type 2 home occupations on lots without arterial-street frontage require special exception approval from the Zoning Hearing Board.
Allentown's Zoning Ordinance (No. 16166, effective January 1, 2026) regulates home-based work as 'home occupations' in Section 660-48. Under Section 660-114.A, a zoning permit is required from the zoning officer before 'the commencement of a new or expanded use of land or structure.' Type 1 home occupations (those meeting the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code definition of a 'no-impact home-based business') are allowed as of right as an accessory use in the household living category (660-48.G). Type 2 home occupations - those where employees or customers come to the site (e.g., tutors, barbers, stylists, photographers, counselors, real estate agents, and medical/dental/chiropractic offices) - are permitted as of right only if the lot has frontage on an arterial street or mixed-use corridor; on all other lots, a Type 2 home occupation 'is allowed only if approved in accordance with special exception procedures of 660-115' (660-48.H). Special exception applications are filed after the zoning officer reviews the zoning permit application and determines that special exception approval is required, and are decided by the Zoning Hearing Board after a public hearing. Note that uses such as bed-and-breakfast inns and family/group child care homes are exempt from the home-occupation rules but remain 'subject to all applicable permitting requirements' (660-48.D).
Operating a home occupation without a required zoning permit, or operating a Type 2 use that requires (but lacks) special exception approval, is a violation of the zoning ordinance. Under Section 660-123.D, a person, partnership, or corporation found liable in a civil enforcement proceeding must pay a judgment of not more than $500.00 plus all court costs plus reasonable attorney fees, and each day the violation continues is a separate offense.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Allentown, PA
Article 710.03(C)(12) requires every motor vehicle to have a working muffler with no cutout or bypass, bars idling longer than 15 minutes per hour within 150...
Allentown, PA
No Allentown ordinance directly regulates in-flight aircraft noise; federal law (49 U.S.C. section 40103 and City of Burbank v. Lockheed) preempts local cont...
Allentown, PA
Allentown prohibits storing abandoned, inoperable, or unregistered vehicles on public streets or visible on private property. Vehicles may be tagged and towe...
Allentown, PA
Allentown regulates electric vehicle charging infrastructure for residential and commercial properties. Building codes may require EV-ready parking in new co...
Allentown, PA
Allentown does not impose a blanket residential overnight on-street parking ban, but a vehicle parked in one place on a public street for more than 72 consec...
Allentown, PA
Allentown requires pool barriers meeting safety codes to prevent drowning. Fences must be at least 4 to 5 feet tall with self-closing, self-latching gates.
See how Allentown's home occupation permits rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.