21 towns, read Nov 11, 2026
Dumpster street permit rules, town by town
This table covers every city, borough and township of 10,000 or more people in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties in Pennsylvania and Warren County in New Jersey (Census 2024 estimates). Each row comes from the town's own code, fee schedule or permit form. Where we found nothing, the row says so and lists where we looked.
| Town | Street permit? | Who issues it | Fee | Time limit | Rules worth knowing | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of AllentownLehigh Co. / 127,138 | Yes. Temporary Encroachment permit | Engineering Bureau, Department of Public Works | $35 a month under 20 cubic yards; $55 a month over 20 cubic yards (exactly 20: not confirmed yet) | Not published | Form names the supplier and the dates; Engineering, Inspections, Traffic and HARB can review it | Engineering permits page; Engineering fees (PDF); Encroachment application (PDF) |
| City of BethlehemLehigh and Northampton Co. / 79,453 | Yes. Engineering Permit (boxes for Dumpster and Moving Pod) | Department of Public Works, 10 E. Church St. | Not published on the pages we read | Dates of use go on the form; no limit published | Code bars obstructions and stored containers on streets and alleys unless approved; haulers need an Act 90 license and a city business license | Article 721 (PDF); Article 1162 (PDF); Engineering permit application (PDF) |
| Lower Macungie TownshipLehigh Co. / 33,246 | Call Public Works first (no written rule found) | Public Works | Not published | Not published | Township page says to order from a hauler of your choice and check with Public Works before using a street or driveway | Trash collection page |
| City of EastonNorthampton Co. / 30,432 | Yes. Police permit | Police Department | Set in Chapter 285 (amount not read) | 30 days for a dumpster; 7 days for a storage pod | Apply 5 days ahead with a sketch; reflectors; lid closed when idle; snow emergency removal | City code, Art. 713 temporary obstructions |
| Whitehall TownshipLehigh Co. / 29,656 | Yes | Police Department and Bureau of Public Works | Township fee schedule (amount not read) | Up to 30 days in a row | 8 ft wide at most; street must be 30 ft curb to curb; no street permit if the lot has a driveway; flashing lights; insurance proof | Township code, streets chapter |
| Upper Macungie TownshipLehigh Co. / 29,284 | Yes | Township office | $50 | 30 days at most | 15 ft from hydrants; no more than 9 ft out from the curb; reflective tape or lit markings on all four sides | Township code, Ord. 2019-09; Dumpster permit form |
| Bethlehem TownshipNorthampton Co. / 26,723 | No published dumpster rule found | - | - | - | Searched: township permit fee schedule (May 2025, no dumpster line), township site, web search | Permit fee schedule (PDF) |
| Palmer TownshipNorthampton Co. / 22,606 | Yes. Police permit | Police Department | Set by Board resolution (amount not read) | 15 days for a dumpster; 7 days for a storage pod | 15 ft from hydrants, intersections and traffic signals; 5 days notice; snow emergency removal | Township dumpster ordinance 2020-462 |
| South Whitehall TownshipLehigh Co. / 21,818 | Yes (fee listed) | Township, Public Works fees | $75 for a dumpster or equipment in the right-of-way | Not published | Fee schedule effective Jan 5, 2026; no escrow for residential applications | 2026 fee schedule (PDF) |
| Upper Saucon TownshipLehigh Co. / 18,233 | No published dumpster rule found | - | - | - | Searched: web search; township site blocks automated reading | no official page found |
| Forks TownshipNorthampton Co. / 16,663 | Yes. Written township permission | Public Works Director and Zoning | Not printed on the form | Your dates go on the form | Explain why it cannot go on your lot; plywood under it; lit, reflective barricades after dark | Dumpster/Container permit form (PDF) |
| North Whitehall TownshipLehigh Co. / 16,057 | No published dumpster rule found | - | - | - | Searched: township site (40 links), web search | no official page found |
| Phillipsburg, NJWarren (NJ) Co. / 15,393 | Banned in the right-of-way and front yards; special permit only | Department of Public Services | $15 | Not stated | Rear or side yard first; $20 a day fine per violation | Town code, Chapter 270 Dumpsters |
| Salisbury TownshipLehigh Co. / 13,820 | No published dumpster rule found | - | - | - | Searched: township code littering part, township site, web search | no official page found |
| Borough of EmmausLehigh Co. / 12,314 | Yes | Borough | $100 up to 20 cubic yards; $125 over 20; storage pod $60 | Not published | $50 yearly compliance fee when an independent hauler services a dumpster | 2026 fee schedule; Borough code, Chapter 20 |
| Hanover TownshipNorthampton Co. / 11,690 | No published dumpster rule found | - | - | - | Searched: township site (42 links), web search | no official page found |
| Lower Saucon TownshipNorthampton Co. / 11,089 | No published dumpster rule found | - | - | - | Searched: township site, web search | no official page found |
| Lehigh TownshipNorthampton Co. / 10,815 | No published dumpster rule found | - | - | - | Searched: township site | no official page found |
| Borough of NorthamptonNorthampton Co. / 10,587 | No published dumpster rule found | - | - | - | Searched: borough site | no official page found |
| Penn Forest TownshipCarbon Co. / 10,344 | No published dumpster rule found | - | - | - | Searched: township site | no official page found |
| Hackettstown, NJWarren (NJ) Co. / 10,182 | No published dumpster rule found | - | - | - | Searched: town site, web search | no official page found |
How to read the gaps
"No published dumpster rule found" means we did not find one in the town code, fee schedule or website. It does not mean a street box is allowed. Many townships still treat anything left in the road as an obstruction. Call the township office before a box goes on a public street.
"Amount not read" means the code sends you to a fee schedule we could not open. Easton, Whitehall and Palmer are in this group.
Two items are held as not confirmed yet: Allentown's fee for a box of exactly 20 cubic yards (its fee sheet covers "under 20" and "over 20" only), and one landfill address listed on the landfills page.