Scranton, PA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)

Sign regulation in Scranton sits at the intersection of zoning authority and First Amendment doctrine. The U.S. Supreme Court in Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015) held that content-based sign regulations are subject to strict scrutiny; municipalities can regulate size, height, location, illumination, and duration, but cannot impose different rules based on the message conveyed (e.g., real estate signs treated differently from political signs treated differently from home-business signs). Scranton's Zoning Ordinance must comply with Reed's content-neutrality requirement. For home occupations, typical Scranton sign rules (consistent with neighboring PA municipalities) include: maximum sign area of 1-2 square feet, wall-mounted only (no freestanding), non-illuminated, no animated or flashing elements, no off-premises display. The PA MPC §10107 "no-impact home-based business" definition explicitly requires "no display or other indication of the business" visible from outside the dwelling, which functionally bans signage for that tier. Customary home occupations may have a small identification sign with a zoning permit. Scranton Code Enforcement responds to complaints; the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County hears appeals from Zoning Hearing Board decisions on sign variances. Historic-district properties — Scranton's Downtown Historic District and other locally and nationally listed districts — face additional review where local designation applies.