53 Pa.C.S. § 306

This is the official text of 53 Pa.C.S. § 306, part of Pennsylvania’s Pa.C.S — part of the compiled statutory law of Pennsylvania, published by the state as "Pa.C.S." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

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Businesses operated by minors.

Official statutory text

(a) Restrictions on business licenses and permits.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law:

(1) a municipality or an agency of a municipality may not require a business license for a business that is:

(i) operated on an occasional basis by a minor; and

(ii) located a sufficient distance, as determined by the municipality, from a commercial entity required to obtain a business license from the municipality or an agency of the municipality to prevent the minor's business from becoming a direct economic competitor of the commercial entity.

(2) A municipality may not prohibit a business operated by a minor from operating in a primarily residential zone or unzoned area in the municipality.

(b) Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit a municipality from enacting and enforcing local laws relating to the manner in which a business may be operated by a minor, with the exception of a requirement that the minor obtain a permit or business license prior to operating the business.

(c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Business."

(1) An enterprise that is:

(i) Exclusively owned by one or more minors receiving not more than $5,000 in net proceeds per year from the enterprise unless the enterprise is created for a charitable purpose.

(ii) Carried on for the purpose of gain or economic profit.

(2) The term does not include:

(i) An act of an employee rendering services to an employer.

(ii) An enterprise organized as a form of for-profit corporation, limited liability partnership or company under the provisions of 15 Pa.C.S. (relating to corporations and unincorporated associations).

"Business license." A license or permit required by a municipality to temporarily or permanently offer sale of goods or provision of services or otherwise operate an enterprise in the municipality. This term does not include a building permit.

"Minor." A person under 18 years of age.

"Municipality." A county, city, borough, incorporated town, township or home rule municipality.

"Occasional basis." A business that does not operate more than 84 days in a calendar year. (June 30, 2021, P.L.184, No.34, eff. 60 days) 2021 Amendment. Act 34 added section 306.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.