Philadelphia property owners must clear a 30-inch-wide path along sidewalks within 6 hours of snowfall ending or by sunrise if snow falls at night. Ice must be treated with salt or ash. Owners are liable for noncompliance fines and civil slip-and-fall claims.
Philadelphia Code Section 10-720 ("Removal of Snow and Ice") requires owners, agents, and tenants in possession of any building or premises to clear a path at least 30 inches wide on all sidewalks (including curb cuts) abutting the property within 6 hours after the snow has ceased to fall. If snow falls overnight, the 6-hour clock starts at daybreak. Where ice has formed so hard that it cannot be removed, the owner must, within the same time period, cause the sidewalk to be strewn with ashes, sand, salt, or other suitable abrasive. The Streets Department and Licenses & Inspections (L&I) enforce the ordinance, typically responding to 311 complaints. Philadelphia courts have held that property owners can be sued for slip-and-fall injuries on uncleared sidewalks (Mahanoy Area School Dist. line of cases), giving the ordinance real teeth. The SnowAngels program matches elderly and disabled residents with volunteer shovelers each winter.
Fines range from $50 to $300 per violation, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. L&I inspectors may also issue Code Violation Notices ($100+) and refer commercial violators to court for additional penalties.
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