The county issues no home-occupation permit; your municipality does. In Allentown, a Type 1 no-impact home occupation is allowed by right, while a Type 2 (employees or clients) is by right only on an arterial-street lot and otherwise needs a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board.
Because Pennsylvania counties do not zone, home-occupation approval comes from Allentown or your borough/township. Under Allentown Zoning Ordinance Section 660-48.H, Type 2 home occupations are permitted by right as an accessory use only if the lot fronts an arterial street; on other lots they require special-exception approval under the Section 660-115 procedures. Type 2 rules limit the business to 25% of floor area, up to two nonresident employees, and client visits by appointment from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. A resident must live in the dwelling. Confirm zoning-permit steps with Allentown Planning & Zoning before opening.
Operating a Type 2 home occupation without the required special exception is a zoning violation subject to enforcement notices and fines until permitted or discontinued.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Lehigh County, PA
Pennsylvania sets no numeric hoarding limit, but the state's animal-neglect law makes it a crime to keep animals without providing each one adequate food, wa...
Lehigh County, PA
Pennsylvania Game Commission regulations make it unlawful to intentionally feed bear or elk anywhere in the Commonwealth, including Lehigh County. Feeding th...
Lehigh County, PA
Home composting is permitted in Lehigh County; Pennsylvania's Act 101 encourages diverting yard waste. There is no county composting permit. Keep piles maint...
Lehigh County, PA
Lehigh County sets no rule on artificial turf. Whether synthetic grass is allowed, and any limits on impervious coverage or front-yard use, depends on your m...
Lehigh County, PA
No Lehigh County rule limits native plantings, and Pennsylvania encourages them. The catch is Allentown's 10-inch weed limit: a deliberate, maintained native...
Lehigh County, PA
Pennsylvania has no law restricting rainwater collection, and Lehigh County imposes none. Homeowners may install rain barrels and cisterns for non-potable us...
See how Lehigh County'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 If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.