Scranton, PA Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential deadline
- 24 hours after snow/ice stops falling
- Business deadline
- 4 hours, entire sidewalk
- Path width
- At least 3 feet clear
- Ticket fine
- $100, QOL-048, due in 48 hours
- Late fee
- 10% per week, up to 10 weeks
- Citation fine
- $300-$1,000 or up to 90 days jail
- Enforcing agency
- Licensing, Inspections and Permits Dept.
Summary
Scranton property owners, tenants, occupants and property agents must clear snow and ice from their sidewalk within 24 hours after it stops falling, cutting a path at least three feet wide. Businesses get only four hours. Miss the deadline and the Licensing, Inspections and Permits Department can issue a $100 quality-of-life ticket under City Code Article II.
Snow and Ice Removal from Sidewalks. Every owner, tenant, occupant, lessee, property agent, or any other person who is responsible for any property within the City of Scranton, is required to remove any snow or ice from their sidewalk within 24 hours of the cessation of said snow and ice falling. Furthermore, they must create a path, free from any snow or ice, of three feet on said sidewalk. Should any property be a place of business within the City of Scranton, all snow and ice must be removed within four hours of the cessation of said snow and ice falling. Any property that is deemed a business must have the entire sidewalk free from any snow and ice. If and/or when the snow and/or ice cessation happens during the hours of darkness, the time limit of removal of all snow and ice begins at daybreak.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4719898; v25 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
Scranton City Code Chapter 360, Article II, § 360-5(17) puts the snow-clearing duty on whoever is responsible for the property: owner, tenant, occupant, lessee or property agent. The clock starts when the snow or ice stops falling, not when it starts: residential properties get 24 hours to clear a path at least three feet wide, while any property that is a place of business must clear the entire sidewalk within four hours. If the snowfall ends overnight, the removal window does not begin until daybreak.
A violation is ticketed as QOL-048 under § 360-11, carrying a $100 fine due within 48 hours; unpaid tickets add a 10% late fee per week for up to 10 weeks, and failure to pay within 10 days sends the matter to the Magisterial District Judge as a citation under § 360-12, exposing the violator to a fine of $300 to $1,000 or up to 90 days in jail. Under § 360-10, the City of Scranton or a City-directed contractor can also clear the sidewalk itself once 48 hours pass after a ticket issues, or immediately if the condition is an imminent hazard, then bill the property owner at $75 per worker-hour plus material costs, with a 20% markup on City-purchased material or a 30% processing fee added to a contractor's bill. The Licensing, Inspections and Permits Department enforces the article under § 360-7.
Violations & Fines
Failure to clear a sidewalk in time draws a QOL-048 ticket: a $100 fine due within 48 hours. Unpaid fines add a 10% weekly late fee for up to 10 weeks, and nonpayment within 10 days becomes a citation before the Magisterial District Judge under § 360-12, carrying $300 to $1,000 per offense or up to 90 days in jail; each day a violation continues can count as a separate offense, up to three fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to clear snow off my Scranton sidewalk?
What happens if I don't clear my sidewalk in time?
Can the City clear my sidewalk and bill me?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scranton
Compare Scranton to another location·View the Pennsylvania property maintenance overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.