Bensalem, PA Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Removal deadline
- 24 hours after snow/ice stops
- Fine
- Up to $600 plus costs
- Jail
- Up to 30 days if unpaid
- Township remedy
- Clears walk and bills owner (§197-14)
- Multi-tenant property
- Owner is responsible, not tenants
Summary
In Bensalem Township, the owner, occupant, or tenant of any property along a road, street, or highway must clear ice and snow from the abutting paved sidewalk within 24 hours after it stops falling or forming. Miss the deadline and a District Justice can fine you up to $600, on top of the Township's own cost to clear it.
The owner, occupant or tenant of every property abutting any of the roads, streets or highways in the Township of Bensalem is hereby required to remove or cause to be removed from all of the paved sidewalks on such property alongside of any street, road or highway all ice and snow formed or fallen thereon within 24 hours after the same shall have formed or ceased to fall. ... Any owner, occupant or tenant who shall fail to remove any snow or ice from any paved sidewalk as required by section 197-12 of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $600.00 and costs of prosecution and, in default of payment of such fine and costs, to imprisonment for not more than 30 days, provided that such fine and costs of prosecution may be in addition to any expenses and additional amounts authorized by law, imposed as provided in section 197-14 of this article.
Full Breakdown
Bensalem Township Code § 197-12, adopted by Ordinance No. 49 on March 15, 1961, requires the owner, occupant or tenant of every property abutting a Township road, street or highway to remove ice and snow from the paved sidewalk alongside that property within 24 hours after it has formed or stopped falling. Section 197-13 assigns responsibility: an owner-occupied or vacant property is the owner's job; a single tenant is responsible for a single-occupancy rental; and on any multiple-business or multiple-dwelling property with more than one tenant, the owner, not the tenants, must see the sidewalk cleared.
If the deadline passes and the sidewalk is still covered, § 197-14 lets Township crews clear it themselves and bill the owner, occupant or tenant for the cost, on top of any fine. Under § 197-15, a District Justice can fine a violator up to $600 plus the costs of prosecution; if the fine and costs go unpaid, the violator can be committed to jail for up to 30 days. These penalties apply separately from, and in addition to, the Township's cost recovery under § 197-14, so a resident who ignores a citation can face both a bill for Township-performed clearing and a court fine.
The rule sits in Chapter 197, Streets and Sidewalks, Article II, Snow and Ice Removal, alongside the Township's broader right-of-way maintenance duties in Article VI.
Violations & Fines
Failing to clear ice and snow within the 24-hour window is a summary offense: a District Justice can impose a fine up to $600 plus prosecution costs, with up to 30 days in the Bucks County Jail if the fine and costs go unpaid. Separately, Township crews may clear the walk themselves under § 197-14 and bill the owner, occupant or tenant for that work, in addition to any court fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to clear snow from my Bensalem sidewalk?
What happens if I don't shovel my sidewalk in time?
Who is responsible if I rent out a duplex or storefront?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bensalem
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