Pennsylvania Ordinances (2026)

Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code universally exempts residential accessory sheds 1,000 square feet or smaller from building permits while requiring zoning compliance.

Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code applies the IRC Appendix Q tiny house standards universally, governing minimum safety requirements for permanent tiny homes statewide.

Pennsylvania's animal cruelty statutes apply universally to hoarding situations, treating neglect of multiple animals as a graded offense up to felony.

Pennsylvania's Bee Law requires all beekeepers to register their colonies annually with the Department of Agriculture for inspection and disease control.

Pennsylvania state law prohibits municipalities from enacting breed-specific legislation that restricts dogs solely based on their breed or appearance.

Pennsylvania's Right to Farm Act limits municipal restrictions on normal agricultural operations including chickens and livestock on qualifying farmland.

Pennsylvania's Dog Law requires all dogs to be confined, leashed, or under reasonable control by their owner whenever off the owner's property.

Pennsylvania requires Exotic Wildlife Possession Permits for keeping bears, big cats, wolves, and other dangerous exotic species under Game Commission rules.

Pennsylvania Game Commission regulations prohibit intentionally feeding bears and elk statewide, with deer feeding restricted in chronic wasting disease zones.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code sets statewide structural and fire-safety height standards even though zoning height caps remain local.

The Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Act establishes statewide siting rules for dispensaries, including a 1,000-foot setback from schools and daycares, while allowing reasonable local zoning that does not effectively prohibit permitted facilities.

Pennsylvania prohibits home cultivation of cannabis by patients, caregivers, and recreational users. The Medical Marijuana Act limits production to state-permitted growers, and unauthorized cultivation remains a criminal offense under state drug law.

Pennsylvania law authorizes municipalities to impose juvenile curfews under specific enabling statutes, but state law sets baseline due process limits applicable everywhere.

Commercial drone operators in Pennsylvania must comply with FAA Part 107 certification and any state offenses under Act 78 of 2018, which preempts local commercial drone ordinances and centralizes regulation at state and federal levels.

Pennsylvania Act 22 of 2018 (18 Pa.C.S. §3505) criminalizes drone-aided stalking, harassment, and surveillance and made drone law a state matter. FAA preempts airspace and aircraft operation, but PA municipalities retain authority to regulate drone launch and landing from public property such as parks. Hobbyists must follow FAA Part 107 or recreational exception rules.

Pennsylvania's minimum wage remains $7.25 per hour, matching the federal floor under the PA Minimum Wage Act (43 P.S. §333.101 et seq.). State law preempts local minimum wage ordinances — Philadelphia attempted a $10.88 city wage in 2014 that was struck down by Commonwealth Court. The tipped minimum is $2.83. Pennsylvania has not raised the state wage since 2009.

Pennsylvania does not have a statewide paid sick or family leave mandate, and state courts have largely permitted home-rule cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to adopt local paid sick leave laws.

Pennsylvania has no statewide predictive scheduling law and has not preempted municipal action, allowing Philadelphia's Fair Workweek Ordinance to require advance schedules and predictability pay for certain employers.

Pennsylvania's federally approved Coastal Zone Management Program covers the Lake Erie shoreline and Delaware Estuary, requiring DEP review and consistency determinations for development affecting state coastal resources.

Under the Clean Streams Law and 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102, anyone conducting earth disturbance in Pennsylvania must implement written erosion and sediment control plans, with permits required for projects disturbing one acre or more.

The Pennsylvania Floodplain Management Act (Act 166 of 1978) requires identified flood-prone municipalities to adopt and enforce floodplain ordinances meeting National Flood Insurance Program standards or face state and federal sanctions.

The Pennsylvania Storm Water Management Act (Act 167 of 1978) requires counties to prepare watershed-based stormwater plans and obligates municipalities to adopt implementing ordinances meeting state release-rate and water-quality standards.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code adopts the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, setting uniform statewide barrier requirements for residential pools.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code sets the statewide permit threshold and engineering standards for retaining walls regardless of municipality.

Pennsylvania Act 43 of 2017 legalized consumer-grade (1.4G) fireworks for adults 18+, replacing the prior ban that limited residents to sparklers. State law imposes a 150-foot setback from occupied structures and a 12% state fireworks tax. Municipalities may further restrict discharge times and locations.

Pennsylvania DEP regulations under 25 Pa Code Chapter 129 prohibit open burning of trash and most refuse statewide. Air pollution rules apply universally and supplement local fire ordinances on outdoor burning.

Pennsylvania 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 Pa.C.S. Section 6109.

Pennsylvania law comprehensively preempts local regulation of firearms under 18 Pa.C.S. §6120. Cities and counties cannot regulate lawful ownership, possession, transfer, or transportation of firearms or ammunition. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown have all attempted local gun ordinances and lost in PA appellate courts.

Open 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 vehicle and concealed carry.

Under 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 transport between specified lawful locations.

Pennsylvania's Food Code requires all mobile food units to obtain retail food facility licenses through the Department of Agriculture or local health departments.

Pennsylvania regulates home-based cottage food producers as Limited Food Establishments under the PA Department of Agriculture, requiring registration, inspection, and labeling for non-potentially hazardous foods sold direct to consumers.

Pennsylvania requires Department of Human Services certification for family child day care homes serving four to six unrelated children, with statewide background checks, training, and ratio standards that apply regardless of municipal zoning labels.

Pennsylvania's Public Works Employment Verification Act (43 P.S. Section 167.1 et seq.) requires public works contractors and subcontractors statewide to enroll in and use the federal E-Verify system to confirm work authorization for new employees.

Pennsylvania law permits rainwater harvesting statewide with no state-level prohibition, while plumbing code universally governs any potable connection to home systems.

Pennsylvania PUC regulations universally authorize utilities to trim or remove trees within rights-of-way and easements to ensure electric service reliability statewide.

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Services Code authorizes the Governor to impose mandatory statewide drought water-use restrictions that override local rules during declared emergencies.

The Pennsylvania Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Act requires all property owners statewide to control designated noxious weeds, preempting any conflicting local exemptions.

Aircraft noise across Pennsylvania is preempted by federal law, leaving municipalities and the Commonwealth without authority to regulate flight operations or in-flight sound.

Pennsylvania's Dog Law applies statewide to confinement and disturbance, working alongside but not replacing local barking dog ordinances.

Pennsylvania Title 75 Chapter 73 governs abandoned vehicles statewide, defining when a vehicle is abandoned and authorizing law enforcement and authorized salvors to remove, store, and dispose of them through a uniform process.

Pennsylvania's Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act allows neighbors and nonprofits statewide to petition courts for conservator appointments.

Pennsylvania's Land Bank Act enables municipalities statewide to acquire, hold, and dispose of vacant and tax-delinquent lots through dedicated land bank entities.

Pennsylvania Landlord-Tenant Act establishes uniform eviction notice and procedure requirements applicable statewide, governing all residential tenancy terminations universally.

Pennsylvania does not authorize rent control, and state law permits no municipal rent stabilization outside Philadelphia, leaving rental pricing unregulated statewide.

Pennsylvania protects agricultural land through Agricultural Security Areas under Act 43 of 1981 and the Agricultural Area Security Law, working alongside municipal zoning to limit development pressure on working farms.

Pennsylvania'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 ordinances. Operations in existence for at least one year and following normal agricultural practices are presumed not to be a nuisance. Municipalities cannot enact ordinances that restrict normal ag activities.

Act 87 of 2024 ended Pennsylvania's multi-year moratorium preempting local plastic bag and single-use plastic ordinances, restoring municipal authority to regulate or ban single-use carryout bags.

Pennsylvania has no statewide ban on expanded polystyrene foam food containers, and after Act 87 of 2024 ended single-use plastic preemption local governments may regulate foam packaging.

Pennsylvania has no statewide ban or upon-request rule for plastic straws, and following the lapse of single-use plastic preemption in 2024 cities may again adopt straw-on-request or ban policies.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires building and electrical permits for residential solar panel installations across all municipalities statewide.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code applies the same permit and barrier requirements to above-ground pools deeper than 24 inches as in-ground pools.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires four-foot barriers around residential pools statewide, following the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code requires permits for hot tubs and spas, with locking covers acceptable as a barrier alternative under the ISPSC.

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code adopts the International Code Council standards, requiring building permits for residential swimming pools statewide.

Pennsylvania's Public Bathing Place Act regulates safety, lifeguards, and water quality at public, semi-public, and apartment swimming pools statewide.

Pennsylvania 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 products including vapes, hookah, and nicotine pouches. Cities cannot lower the age, and flavored vape regulation is handled at the state retail license level.

Pennsylvania does not currently impose a statewide ban on flavored tobacco or menthol cigarettes, though federal FDA marketing rules restrict which flavored vape products and cigarettes can be lawfully sold.

Pennsylvania 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 retailers to comply with state Department of Revenue licensing.

Pennsylvania's Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act of 1988 (Act 101) mandates curbside recycling in municipalities over 10,000 residents and requires statewide commercial recycling for designated materials.