Bethlehem, PA Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)

Bethlehem is a Third Class City spanning Lehigh and Northampton Counties without a blanket overnight on-street parking ban for ordinary passenger cars - residents commonly rely on on-street parking in the older Historic District, Northside and South Side neighborhoods - but several local rules apply. The City's Vehicles and Traffic provisions authorize signed block-by-block overnight or time-limited restrictions; the Bethlehem Parking Authority (BPA) administers residential permit-parking zones in select neighborhoods (particularly the area near Lehigh University and the downtown Historic District) where overnight parking is restricted to permit holders. The City's continuous-parking provisions limit how long a vehicle may sit in a single spot on a public street, and a vehicle that has not been moved for an extended period may be deemed 'stored' and subject to ticketing or tow. When the Mayor declares a snow emergency, vehicles must be removed from posted snow emergency routes regardless of normal overnight allowances, and violators are subject to ticket and immediate tow. Recreational vehicles, trailers and trucks face additional overnight constraints under the Zoning Ordinance and the local commercial-vehicle restrictions. Statewide §3353 setbacks (15 ft from hydrants, 30 ft from stop signs/signals) continue to apply overnight.