Harrisburg, PA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Driveway width in front or side yard setback
- Not wider than 10 feet
- Parking in required setback driveway area
- Prohibited within setback or ahead of building wall
- Front-yard spaces in RL, RM, RF
- No off-street parking in required minimum front yard
- Driveway surface
- Asphalt, concrete, paving block or City Engineer-approved material
- Driveways per street frontage
- No more than two per lot
- Center-line separation
- At least 50 feet between driveways
Summary
In the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where a driveway crosses a front or side yard setback, no vehicle can be parked within the required setback or in front of the building wall line, and that driveway cannot be wider than 10 feet. In the RL, RM and RF Districts, no off-street parking space can sit in the required minimum front yard.
A. The following general requirements shall apply to off-street parking: ... (4) Parking areas shall not be within a required yard setback, except that parking for a single-family dwelling may be located within a required rear yard setback. Where driveways traverse a front yard or side yard setback, no vehicles shall be parked within the required setback or to the fore of a building wall or a plane created by an imaginary extension of the wall, and in such areas the driveway shall not be wider than 10 feet;
Full Breakdown
Harrisburg Codified Ordinances § 7-327.9(A)(4) is the core driveway and front-yard rule in the City of Harrisburg. Parking areas shall not be within a required yard setback, except that parking for a single-family dwelling can be located within a required rear yard setback. Where driveways traverse a front yard or side yard setback, no vehicles shall be parked within the required setback or to the fore of a building wall or a plane created by an imaginary extension of the wall, and in such areas the driveway shall not be wider than 10 feet. A homeowner can drive across the front yard to reach a rear or side parking spot, but the car cannot stop on the strip in front of the house.
Section 7-327.5(C) backs this up for the residential districts: within the RL, RM, and RF Districts, no off-street vehicle parking spaces and no off-street loading spaces shall be located within the required minimum front yard specified in Chapter 7-307.
Surface and layout rules sit in nearby sections. Under § 7-327.11(C), except for landscaped areas, all portions of required parking, loading facilities and driveways shall be surfaced with asphalt, concrete or decorative paving block or such other material as may be approved by the City Engineer. Stone is approved only in narrow cases: the City Engineer can approve a stone parking area if it is used for industrial purposes, is located to the rear of buildings and is served by a paved driveway, or if it is used for recreational park purposes. Section 7-327.10(B) requires at least 50 feet between the center lines of any two driveways along one street within one lot and caps driveways at two per lot on a street frontage, and § 7-327.10(F) subjects every driveway to City Engineer approval so that drainage along a public street is not affected.
The off-street parking chapter, by § 7-327.2, does not apply to uses within the Downtown Center or Commercial Neighborhood Zoning Districts.
Violations & Fines
Parking a car on the front yard setback strip of a driveway, widening that driveway past 10 feet, or placing a parking space in the required front yard in an RL, RM or RF District violates Chapter 7-327. The zoning penalty provisions apply, and § 7-701.2 allows a civil judgment of not more than $500 plus court costs and reasonable attorney fees, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park in my front yard in the City of Harrisburg?
How wide can a driveway be across a Harrisburg front yard?
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Sources & Official References
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