Scranton, PA
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Most looked-up rules in Scranton
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🏡 Home & Property
🌿 Yard & Garden
🏠 Renting & Housing
🔊 Noise & Neighbors
🐾 Animals & Farming
🔥 Fire & Safety
🚗 Parking & Streets
💼 Business & Licensing
📋 Permits, Signs & Events
🌎 Environment & Utilities
🛡️ Privacy & Civic
📋 Other
🚗 Parking Rules
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Significant RestrictionsScranton City Code § 439-92 bars trucks, tractors, tractor-trailers, buses, and unhitched semitrailers from standing on any public street in a residence district unless the City has…
Snow Removal Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsOnce the Mayor declares a snow emergency under City Code § 412-54, § 412-55 bars parking on any posted snow emergency route two hours later, and any vehicle without chains or snow…
RV & Boat Parking
Some RestrictionsScranton's zoning code keeps recreational vehicles, trailers, campers and motor homes out of front yards. City Code § 445-26(C) bars parking or storing them in any street right-of-way…
Abandoned Vehicles
Some RestrictionsScranton makes it unlawful to abandon a vehicle on any public or private property without the owner's consent, under City Code § 438-2. Fines climb with each offense, from $100 for a…
EV Charging
Light RestrictionsScranton's zoning code defines an electric vehicle charging station and lists it as a permitted accessory use by right in residential districts. The city's parking ordinance goes…
Street Parking Limits
Some RestrictionsScranton City Code § 439-15 lists 13 places where on-street parking is prohibited citywide, including intersections, crosswalks, sidewalks, and in front of a private driveway, plus a…
Driveway Rules
Some RestrictionsScranton requires every driveway and off-street parking area to carry a durable, dustless surface of concrete or bituminous concrete, not gravel or bare dirt, and it blocks parking…
Loading Zones
Some RestrictionsScranton lets the city designate up to one 30-minute loading and unloading zone per block for businesses, under City Code § 439-54.3(D). The city has abolished all other time-limited…
Preferential Parking Districts
Some RestrictionsScranton designates residential parking permit districts under City Code § 439-63 et seq. once on-street parking in a neighborhood fills 70% of legal capacity and at least 10% of the…
Towing & Impound Rights
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaA Pennsylvania private parking lot cannot tow you unless it is posted. Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3353(b)(2) the trespass-parking rule does not reach a private parking lot at all unless the…
🔥 Fire Regulations
Outdoor Burning
Heavy RestrictionsScranton bans open burning citywide: no one may run a salvage operation or destroy refuse by burning it outdoors. The only carve-out is a no-fee Fire Chief permit for a public…
Fireworks
Some RestrictionsScranton bans consumer fireworks use on any street, sidewalk, park or public building without the property owner's permission, within 150 feet of an occupied structure or vehicle, or…
Smoke Detectors
Some RestrictionsScranton's Fire Prevention Code requires smoke detectors on every story of every dwelling unit, including basements, and in each guest room, suite and corridor of hotels, dormitories…
Propane Storage
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania regulates propane and LP-gas storage statewide under the Propane and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Act (Act 61 of 2002). The Department of Labor and Industry enforces National…
Wildfire Zones
Significant RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania's Forest Fire Protection Law makes it a crime to set fire to any woodlot, forest, or wild land anywhere in the Commonwealth. Accidental ignition is a misdemeanor…
🐔 Animal Ordinances
Breed Restrictions
Heavy RestrictionsScranton has no breed ban; instead it targets any dog by behavior. Section 169-11 holds an owner liable for all damages from a dog that bites or attempts to bite a person, and after a…
Cat Rules
Some RestrictionsScranton makes it unlawful for a cat's owner or harborer to let it run at large in the city, alongside livestock like horses, cows and goats. A loose cat is declared a public nuisance…
Chickens & Livestock
Some RestrictionsScranton lets residents keep chickens, ducks, geese and other domestic fowl but the Health Director can order them moved if they're penned or nesting within 15 feet of a dwelling…
Pet Limits
Some RestrictionsScranton's zoning code limits any residential lot under one acre to a combined six dogs and cats over three months old; larger lots can keep up to twelve. Keeping other animals, like…
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Few RestrictionsScranton's Zoning Ordinance defines an "animal hospital or veterinary clinic" at § 445-8 as a building for treating, housing, or boarding small domestic animals by a veterinarian, and…
Dog Leash Laws
Some RestrictionsScranton forbids an owner or custodian from letting a dog run at large anywhere in the city, and defines proper restraint as a leash or chain no longer than six feet. Officers must…
Beekeeping
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania's Bee Law requires all beekeepers to register their colonies annually with the Department of Agriculture for inspection and disease control.
Exotic Pets
Heavy RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania requires Exotic Wildlife Possession Permits for keeping bears, big cats, wolves, and other dangerous exotic species under Game Commission rules.
Wildlife Feeding
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania Game Commission regulations prohibit intentionally feeding bears and elk statewide, with deer feeding restricted in chronic wasting disease zones.
💼 Home Business
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsScranton's 'Home Based Business, No Impact' zoning category is the only home-business type allowed in single-family residential districts, and it flatly bars customer, client, or…
Home Daycare
Few RestrictionsScranton's zoning code allows a "Day Care Home, Family," caring for four to six unrelated children and registered with the state, as a Permitted Use by Right in residential districts…
Signage Rules
Some RestrictionsA commercial flag flown at a Scranton home-based business is capped at 15 square feet per side, versus 40 square feet on other lots, with a maximum of two flags per lot. The limit sits…
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Some RestrictionsScranton zoning splits home businesses into two tiers: the traffic-free 'No Impact' category allowed citywide, and 'Home Based Business, Other,' a home occupation that permits on-site…
Cottage Food Operations
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania never enacted a cottage food law, so there is no sales ceiling to stay under and no exemption to claim. Instead 3 Pa.C.S. § 5734(a) makes it the duty of every person…
🏠 Short-Term Rentals
Short-Term Rental Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsScranton's zoning code treats short-term rentals as a conditional or special-exception use and requires one off-street parking space for every bedroom offered for rental. The host must…
Short-Term Rental Permits
Significant RestrictionsRenting out a home short-term in Scranton is a zoning-regulated use, not an unrestricted right. City Code Section 445-30 requires the owner to make the property their permanent address…
Noise Rules
Some RestrictionsScranton expressly folds every short-term rental into the City's general noise and nuisance ordinances. In residential areas that means a hard 62 dBA daytime ceiling and 52 dBA…
Repeat Violator Strikes
Heavy RestrictionsScranton does not run a graduated strike system for short-term rentals: a single conviction is enough. If a house guest is convicted of disturbing the peace on the premises, the owner…
Primary-Residence-Only Rule
Significant RestrictionsScranton only allows a dwelling to operate as a short-term rental if it is the owner's permanent address and the owner lives there at least six months of the calendar year, under the…
Taxes & Fees
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania charges a 6% state hotel occupancy tax on every short-term rental booked for fewer than 30 days to the same guest, whether arranged directly or through an online broker…
🌿 Landscaping Rules
Tree Trimming
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 434-1 makes it unlawful for any property owner to let shade trees, hedges or shrubs grow so overgrown that they block passage on a sidewalk or street, or obscure sight…
Rainwater Harvesting
Light RestrictionsScranton's zoning code exempts a functional rain barrel connected to a roof downspout from its yard-setback rules, as long as it holds less than 65 gallons, letting residents harvest…
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Significant RestrictionsScranton bars anyone, including a city department, from removing a street, park or public tree without permission from the Shade Tree Commission and City Forester under City Code §…
Weed Ordinances
Some RestrictionsScranton caps weeds and grass at eight inches on any lot in the city under Code § 434-25. Canada thistle, ragweed, burdock and similarly rank, foul-smelling growth over that height is…
Water Restrictions
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania Emergency Management Services Code authorizes the Governor to impose mandatory statewide drought water-use restrictions that override local rules during declared…
🔊 Noise Ordinances
Aircraft Noise
Some RestrictionsScranton doesn't regulate aircraft flight noise, which is federal airspace, but City Code § 317-7A(5) bars repairing, rebuilding or testing an aircraft (or a motor vehicle, motorcycle…
Construction Hours
Some RestrictionsScranton limits construction, drilling and demolition noise to daytime hours: work disturbing a residential property line is barred from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays…
Quiet Hours
Some RestrictionsScranton's noise ordinance sets a 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. curfew on outdoor power tools, model vehicles and loading noise in residential areas, and a separate 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m…
Barking Dogs
Some RestrictionsScranton's noise ordinance treats a barking, baying or squawking animal as a noise disturbance if it makes continuous noise for 10 minutes or intermittent noise for a half hour or…
Vehicle Noise
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 317-7A(9) requires every motor vehicle to run a working muffler, without a cutout or bypass, and bars exceeding the sound levels set by state PennDOT regulation 67 Pa. Code…
Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 317-8 caps sound at a residential lot line at 69 dB(A) by day and 64 dB(A) overnight and on major holidays, 78 dB(A) in an I-G or I-L industrial district at any hour, and…
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 317-7A(1) bars operating a radio, stereo, phonograph, sound amplifier or similar device so loudly it creates a noise disturbance across a property line, in a vehicle on a…
🧱 Fence Regulations
Height Limits
Some RestrictionsScranton residential fences top out at four feet in a front yard and six feet in a side or rear yard, dropping to four feet along an alley. Non-residential lots allow ten-foot fences…
Material Restrictions
Some RestrictionsScranton bars any fence with sharp, pointed pickets or barbed wire on property abutting a street, and its zoning code separately limits every fence in the City to a defined list of…
Fence Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsScranton requires a zoning permit before building or altering a fence worth more than $500 in fair market value, while a fence under that threshold needs no zoning permit at all…
Retaining Walls
Some RestrictionsScranton's zoning code permits a retaining wall built for the geotechnical needs of a lot, but the City's construction code amendments require a building permit before that wall goes…
Neighbor Fence Rules
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaUnder Pennsylvania's 1905 Line Fence Act (29 P.S. § 41), adjoining owners of improved and occupied land must build and maintain equal halves of any boundary or division fence, and…
🏗️ Accessory Structures
Shed & Carport Rules
Some RestrictionsScranton's Zoning Ordinance defines a storage shed as an "accessory structure" and regulates it at § 445-28: it must sit on the same lot as the main house, follow the district's normal…
ADU Rules
Some RestrictionsScranton's zoning code defines and permits accessory dwelling units under Section 445-8, allowing a second residential unit on a single-family lot, attached or detached, only in…
🏊 Swimming Pools & Spas
Fencing & Safety Requirements
Some RestrictionsAny Scranton pool holding at least 18 inches of water over 72 square feet must be fenced to at least four feet, with gaps no wider than two inches and self-catching latches on every…
Pool Permits
Some RestrictionsScranton's zoning code requires outdoor pools 18 inches deep or 72 square feet or larger to be built to Uniform Construction Code standards, fenced at least four feet high with…
🎪 Special Events & Permits
Street Fair Rules
Some RestrictionsStreet fairs, festivals, and other community activities held in Scranton must recycle under City Code Section 400-33.I, the same as any commercial establishment. Any special event…
Park Event Permits
Some RestrictionsReserving a Scranton ball field, pavilion or the city's Showmobile for a game, tournament or gathering requires a schedule approved by the Department of Parks and Recreation and a set…
Parklets
Significant RestrictionsScranton defines a parklet as a platform or similar surface extending into the City right-of-way, such as a sidewalk or parking space, fitted out with tables, chairs, planters or bike…
Parade Permits
Significant RestrictionsA parade, festival, or other new special event that will draw a large crowd in Scranton needs a temporary-use approval from the Zoning Hearing Board under City Code Section 445-34. The…
Sidewalk Dining & Cafés
Significant RestrictionsScranton requires a permit from the Bureau of Code Enforcement before anyone can operate a sidewalk cafe under City Code § 412-59, and § 412-60 sets the application fee at $25…
🔍 Rental Inspections
Tenant Complaint Process
Some RestrictionsScranton's Code Official can inspect a rental unit at any time a health or safety concern is reported, outside the regular three-year cycle, and a tenant can independently sue in…
Inspection Programs
Some RestrictionsEvery Scranton rental unit undergoes a Bureau of Code Enforcement health and safety inspection no more than once every three years, with fees from $50 to $300 per building. Landlords…
💡 Outdoor Lighting
Billboard Lighting
Some RestrictionsScranton ties a billboard's required setback from housing directly to whether the sign is lit: an off-premises sign normally needs 250 feet from a residential lot line, but that drops…
Light Trespass & Shielding
Some RestrictionsScranton's zoning code requires every outdoor light fixture to be shielded and aimed so glare stops at the property line. Residential zones cap spillover at just 0.10 foot-candles…
Dark Sky Rules
Some RestrictionsScranton requires every outdoor light fixture to be shielded and aimed so glare stays off neighboring lots and streets, and it caps how much light can spill across a property line…
🚷 Public Conduct
Jaywalking
Some RestrictionsScranton City Code § 439-73 bars pedestrians from crossing a street between intersections unless a controlled crosswalk is provided there, and in residential districts forbids a…
Outdoor Smoking Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsScranton designates every city park and playground where children are present as tobacco-free, banning cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes outright under City Code § 332-24. Violators…
Loitering Rules
Significant RestrictionsScranton bans loitering in any public place that obstructs a street, sidewalk, bridge or building's free passage, under City Code § 309-2. Officers must first order violators to stop…
Skateboarding Rules
Heavy RestrictionsScranton bans skateboarding and rollerblading entirely within a downtown area bounded by Hickory Street, Vine Street, Mifflin Avenue and Jefferson Avenue, day and night. Chapter 394 of…
Public Alcohol Use
Some RestrictionsScranton bans drinking alcohol and carrying an open container of it on public sidewalks, streets, parks and other public property, and in any vehicle on those areas. A no-fee…
🏪 Business Licensing & Operations
Secondhand Dealers
Significant RestrictionsScranton requires anyone buying scrap gold, jewelry, electronics, tools, firearms, and other secondhand goods to hold a $100 annual license from the Bureau of Code Enforcement and to…
Towing Companies
Significant RestrictionsAny towing company that tows vehicles at Scranton's request must hold an annual public towing license under City Code Chapter 439, and no towing company, licensed or not, may tow a…
Tattoo & Body Modification
Some RestrictionsScranton zoning defines a tattoo parlor broadly enough to cover cosmetic tattooing and permits the use by right in four commercial and mixed-use districts. There is no standalone…
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Some RestrictionsScranton zoning caps vehicle work on residential property to minor maintenance only: oil and fluid changes, wiper blades, and brake pads done by the vehicle's owner. Anything more is a…
Tobacco Retail License
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania regulates electronic cigarettes and vape products under Act 84 of 2016, imposing a 40 percent wholesale tax on e-liquids and devices and requiring tobacco product…
🗑️ Trash & Recycling
Illegal Dumping
Heavy RestrictionsScranton declares dumping ashes, scrap, garbage, rubbish or refuse anywhere in the city, or into its rivers, streams or waterways, a nuisance and prohibits it outright under § 305-7. A…
Bulk Item Disposal
Some RestrictionsScranton picks up large nonmetal items like furniture, rugs and mattresses at curbside with regular trash on the designated collection day under Section 400-29(D), but will not collect…
Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsScranton requires every property owner to keep trash and recycling in durable, watertight, covered metal or plastic containers stored at the rear of the property. Containers can only…
Bin Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsScranton requires every property owner to keep durable, covered trash containers stored in the rear of the property, out of view from the street, and only allows curbside placement…
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Some RestrictionsScranton requires every dwelling to use tight, covered garbage receptacles of 3 to 26 gallons, placed in the yard where collectors can reach them, under §§ 400-4 and 400-6 of the Solid…
Dumpster Rules
Significant RestrictionsPlacing a roll-off container or portable box on any Scranton street or highway requires a permit from the Department of Permits, Licensing and Inspections, costs $5 per day, and limits…
Yard Waste Collection
Some RestrictionsScranton collects leaves, brush and yard trimmings curbside from April through November plus Christmas trees each holiday season under Section 400-29(C), with branches bundled to four…
Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsScranton runs a mandatory Source Separation Resource Recovery Program under Section 400-27, collecting recyclables biweekly from every residence that gets City trash service. Section…
🔧 Building Safety
Building Permits
Some RestrictionsScranton requires a Bureau of Code Enforcement permit before any construction, alteration, addition, removal or demolition of a building or structure, and before installing or altering…
Plumbing Permits
Some RestrictionsScranton requires a permit before any plumbing installation, adopted under the 2009 International Plumbing Code, and the permit application for plumbing or heating work must be filed…
Electrical Permits
Some RestrictionsScranton has adopted the 2008 National Electric Code as part of its Uniform Construction Code, and every electrical installation permit application must be filed by a licensed master…
Childcare Center Rules
Some RestrictionsScranton requires anyone operating a child or adult day-care center to pass a City inspection and hold an annual $250 license from the Department of Community Development. Inspectors…
Lead Paint
Significant RestrictionsScranton bans applying lead paint or any lead-bearing substance over 0.5% lead by weight to interior surfaces, or to exterior surfaces kids can reach, anywhere children live or spend…
Building Inspections
Some RestrictionsScranton runs a two-stage building inspection process before a certificate of occupancy issues: a general inspection, then a final inspection once work is complete. The Bureau of Code…
🌍 Environmental Rules
Stormwater Management
Significant RestrictionsScranton's Stormwater Management Ordinance, Chapter 405 Part 3, requires an approved SWM site plan before most land-disturbing projects begin, exempts activity disturbing less than…
Flood Zones
Some RestrictionsScranton requires a permit from the Floodplain Administrator before any construction or development anywhere in an identified floodplain area. The City Planner in the Department of…
Flood Elevation Requirements
Some RestrictionsScranton's Zoning Code requires new construction and substantial improvements in the AE, A1-30 and AH flood zones to elevate the lowest floor, including any basement, up to or above…
Vehicle Idling Restrictions
Some RestrictionsScranton limits how long a tractor-trailer can idle on residential property under its zoning code's vehicle-parking standards: no more than 10 minutes between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m…
Erosion Control
Some RestrictionsScranton requires erosion and sediment control best management practices on every earth-disturbing construction site under City Code § 405-25(D), part of the city's Stormwater…
🏚️ Property Maintenance
Property Blight
Significant RestrictionsScranton reviews and certifies blighted properties through its Blighted Property Review Committee, created by City Code §§ 18-32 to 18-36. The five-member panel acts only when the…
Vacant Lot Maintenance
Some RestrictionsScranton bars dumping or depositing litter on any open or vacant lot, occupied or not, under City Code § 305-5. Owners must also keep private premises free from litter at all times…
Snow & Sidewalk Clearing
Some RestrictionsScranton 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…
🍔 Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors
Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Some RestrictionsScranton limits food cart and food truck vending on public streets and sidewalks to 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily, except in the Center City corridor where vendors can operate around…
Food Truck Permits
Some RestrictionsEvery restaurant, food cart and food truck operating in Scranton must hold an annual license from the City Health Inspector under § 256-6, renewed each year. The license fee is $250…
Vending Zones
Some RestrictionsScranton keeps mobile food vendors at least 100 feet from a restaurant's entrance and service area under § 256-2B, even if the vendor is licensed. The buffer doesn't apply on private…
🔑 Rental Property Rules
Repairs & Habitability
Some RestrictionsScranton's Rental Act makes every landlord responsible for keeping rental premises in code compliance, performing routine upkeep including lawn mowing and snow removal, and correcting…
Rental Registration
Some RestrictionsScranton requires every landlord to obtain a rental license for each residential rental unit, every calendar year the unit is occupied. Renewals are due by March 15; new rentals must…
Eviction Notice & Process
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaUnder 68 P.S. Section 250.501, a Pennsylvania landlord must serve a written notice to quit before eviction: 10 days for nonpayment of rent, and 15 days (term of one year or less) or 30…
Just Cause Eviction
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania Landlord-Tenant Act establishes uniform eviction notice and procedure requirements applicable statewide, governing all residential tenancy terminations universally.
Security Deposit Rules
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania's Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 caps a residential security deposit at two months' rent during the first year and one month's rent in the second and later years…
Squatter's Rights & Adverse Possession
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania's general adverse possession period is 21 years under 42 Pa.C.S. Section 5530. A shorter 10-year period applies under 42 Pa.C.S. Section 5527.1 to a parcel of one-half…
🚶 Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules
Obstruction Rules
Some RestrictionsScranton City Code § 412-3 makes it unlawful to place or leave any merchandise, wares, boxes, crates or barrels on a city street, sidewalk or highway, and § 412-6 separately bars any…
Sidewalk Repair
Some RestrictionsScranton City Code § 412-41 puts sidewalk construction and repair on the owner of property fronting or abutting the street, lane or alley, not the city. The Department of Public Works…
Encroachment Permits
Significant RestrictionsOperating a sidewalk cafe or parklet on a Scranton sidewalk or right-of-way requires a permit from the Bureau of Code Enforcement under City Code § 412-59, with a $25 application fee…
📐 Building Setbacks & Zoning
Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsScranton's zoning code sets minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks separately for each zoning district under § 445-12. In the Suburban Single Family Residential District, principal…
Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsScranton's zoning dimensional tables cap building height by district rather than city-wide. In the Suburban Single-Family Residential district, a principal structure is limited to 35…
🎋 Invasive Plant Rules
Tree-of-Heaven Removal
Some RestrictionsScranton's subdivision code bans Ailanthus altissima, the tree of heaven, from every street right-of-way planted under a land development or major subdivision plan. Section 423-69…
Prohibited Species
Some RestrictionsAny landscaping plan Scranton requires for a site or land-development project has to skip species the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources classifies as…
🪧 Sign Regulations
Political Signs
Some RestrictionsScranton limits political signs to five per lot, 20 square feet per side on smaller residential lots and 40 square feet elsewhere, and only within a 65-day window before an election…
Window Signs
Some RestrictionsScranton caps window signage as a share of the building face it's mounted on: 5% in Residential and Institutional Districts, rising to 20% in Commercial and Industrial Districts and…
Digital Billboards
Light RestrictionsScranton's sign code allows an electrically changing message on any permitted sign, including an off-premises billboard, as long as the message change itself does not flash, blink or…
📢 Noise from Specific Sources
Generator Noise
Some RestrictionsScranton's code does not regulate home standby generators directly, but it does address generator noise at cell towers and other wireless facilities. Section 445-36.E(7) generally bars…
Car Alarm Limits
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 317-7A(3)(c) makes it a noise disturbance to sound, or let sound, any exterior burglar alarm or motor vehicle burglar alarm unless it shuts off automatically within six…
Bar & Nightclub Noise
Significant RestrictionsA nightclub in Scranton must close between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., keep all activity inside a fully enclosed building with doors and windows shut during performances, and produce no more…
Delivery Truck Noise
Some RestrictionsScranton's noise ordinance bars loading and unloading crates, containers, building materials or garbage cans without mufflers or sound barriers between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. if the noise…
🚪 Soliciting & Door-to-Door
No-Knock Registry
Some RestrictionsScranton makes it unlawful for any peddler or door-to-door solicitor to enter private property posted with a "No Peddlers Allowed" or "No Solicitations Allowed" sign under City Code §…
Solicitor Permits
Significant RestrictionsScranton requires anyone peddling or soliciting door-to-door to obtain a license from the Department of Public Safety under City Code § 340-10. Annual licenses cost $20 and expire…
🌱 Cannabis Regulations
Dispensary Zoning
Some RestrictionsScranton's zoning code channels state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries and growers into its commercial and industrial districts rather than banning them outright. A dispensary…
Home Cultivation
Heavy RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania prohibits home cultivation of cannabis by patients, caregivers, and recreational users. The Medical Marijuana Act limits production to state-permitted growers, and…
📋 Code Violation Reporting
🛴 Mobility & Curb Rules
Bike Lane Rules
Light RestrictionsScranton has no marked-bike-lane ordinance, but it does fix where a cyclist must ride: as close to the right-hand curb as conditions allow, no more than two abreast, and never on a…
Golf Carts & Low-Speed Vehicles
Significant RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania draws a hard line between a golf cart and a neighborhood electric vehicle. Chapter 77A of the Vehicle Code makes it unlawful to operate a golf cart on any highway at all…
🚁 Drone Rules
Commercial Drones
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaCommercial drone operators in Pennsylvania must hold an FAA Part 107 certificate and comply with state crimes under Act 78 of 2018 (18 Pa.C.S. Section 3505). That law preempts local…
Recreational Drones
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania Act 78 of 2018 (18 Pa.C.S. Section 3505) criminalizes drone surveillance of a private place, menacing operation, and contraband delivery, and preempts most local drone…
🔫 Firearms
Concealed Carry
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania is a shall-issue state requiring a License to Carry Firearms (LTCF) issued by the county sheriff for concealed carry or carry in a vehicle, with statewide rules under 18…
Local Firearms Preemption
Heavy RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania law comprehensively preempts local regulation of firearms under 18 Pa.C.S. §6120. Cities and counties cannot regulate lawful ownership, possession, transfer, or…
Open Carry
Few RestrictionsPennsylvaniaOpen carry of firearms is generally legal in Pennsylvania for adults 18 or older without a permit outside Philadelphia, but a License to Carry Firearms is required statewide for…
Firearms in Vehicles
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaUnder 18 Pa.C.S. Section 6106, carrying a firearm in a vehicle anywhere in Pennsylvania generally requires a valid License to Carry Firearms, with limited exceptions for unloaded…
🎰 Gambling & Gaming
Casino Zoning Districts
Significant RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania caps mini-casinos at ten Category 4 slot machine licenses statewide under 4 Pa.C.S. § 1305.1, each barred from sitting within 25 linear miles of an existing Category 1, 2…
Charitable Bingo and Raffles
Significant RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania nonprofits can't run raffles, punchboards, or 50/50 drawings for charity until their own municipality's voters approve it in a referendum. Once approved, the county…
Social Gambling Rules
Heavy RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania's gambling code has no social-game or private-residence exception. 18 Pa.C.S. § 5513 makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to let people 'collect and assemble for the…
Sports Betting Law
Significant RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania channels all sports wagering through Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board certificates, and only an existing slot machine licensee can hold one under 4 Pa.C.S. § 13C11…
🏘️ HOA Rules
Assessment & Dues
Heavy RestrictionsPennsylvaniaUnder Pennsylvania's Uniform Planned Community Act, 68 Pa.C.S. § 5315, an association has an automatic lien on a unit for unpaid assessments and fines from the time they become due…
Board Procedures
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaA Pennsylvania association's bylaws must call at least one owners' meeting a year, and notice has to go out not less than ten and not more than 60 days before it, stating the time, the…
Flag Display Rights
Light RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania's American, Commonwealth and Military Flag Act overrides any HOA covenant that bans flags. Whatever the declaration says, an association may not stop a unit owner from…
HOA Fines & Enforcement
Significant RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania sets no dollar ceiling on a homeowners association fine. Under the Uniform Planned Community Act, 68 Pa.C.S. § 5302(a)(11), an association may levy "reasonable fines" for…
Lien & Foreclosure Limits
Significant RestrictionsPennsylvaniaA Pennsylvania planned community association gets a lien on a lot the moment an assessment or fine falls due, and 68 Pa.C.S. § 5315(a) lets it foreclose that lien in a like manner as a…
⚖️ Know Your Rights
DUI Checkpoint Legality
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaSobriety checkpoints are lawful in Pennsylvania, and the authority is a single clause in 75 Pa.C.S. § 6308(b) permitting an officer to stop a vehicle whenever he is engaged in a…
Recording Police
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania is an all-party consent state, and 18 Pa.C.S. § 5703 grades an intentional interception of an oral communication as a felony of the third degree, one of the harshest…
Stop & Identify Laws
Light RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania has never enacted a general stop-and-identify statute, so a person stopped on the street in this Commonwealth has no statutory duty to state a name or produce…
Vehicle Search & Consent
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania does not require an officer to obtain written consent before searching a car, and it does not require a warning that you may refuse. Since 5 December 2025 it does require…
🚜 Right to Farm
Agricultural Zoning Protection
Few RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania protects agricultural land through Agricultural Security Areas under Act 43 of 1981 and the Agricultural Area Security Law, working alongside municipal zoning to limit…
Farm Nuisance Protection
Few RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania's Right to Farm Act (Act 133 of 1982, 3 P.S. §951 et seq.) protects established agricultural operations from local nuisance lawsuits and overly restrictive municipal…
🚬 Tobacco & Vaping
Tobacco Age Restrictions
Some RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania Act 112 of 2019 raised the minimum age to purchase tobacco and e-cigarettes to 21, aligning with the federal Tobacco 21 law (Dec 2019). The state law covers all tobacco…
Flavored Tobacco Bans
Few RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania does not currently impose a statewide ban on flavored tobacco or menthol cigarettes, though federal FDA marketing rules restrict which flavored vape products and…
🚗 Vehicle Equipment Laws
Underglow & Auxiliary Lighting
Significant RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania allows a passenger vehicle or light truck exactly one pair of approved auxiliary driving lamps and fog lamps, mounted at least 20 inches apart from center to center and no…
Dash Cam & Windshield Mounting
Light RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania has never written a dash cam allowance into the Vehicle Code. 75 Pa.C.S. § 4524(a) bars nontransparent material on the front windshield that materially obstructs the…
Lane Splitting & Filtering
Significant RestrictionsPennsylvaniaLane splitting is expressly illegal in Pennsylvania. Section 3523(c) of the Vehicle Code says no person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or…
Plate Covers & Obstruction
Significant RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania flatly prohibits a tinted registration plate cover. Section 1332(b)(5) of the Vehicle Code makes it unlawful to display a plate that "has a tinted plate cover," with no…
Radar Detector Rules
Few RestrictionsPennsylvaniaA radar detector is legal in a private passenger vehicle in Pennsylvania. The full text of Title 75, the Vehicle Code, contains no occurrence of the word "detector" at all, and the…
Studded Tire & Chain Rules
Light RestrictionsPennsylvaniaStudded snow tires are legal in Pennsylvania only between November 1 and April 15 of the following year, and the studs may project no more than two thirty-seconds of an inch beyond the…
Window Tint Limits
Significant RestrictionsPennsylvaniaPennsylvania sets no separate front-and-rear tint percentages the way most states do. 75 Pa.C.S. § 4524(e)(1) simply bars driving with any sun screening device that does not permit a…