[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Dickinson 8-19-1996 by Ord. No. 2-1996. Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Dickinson Township House and Building Numbering Ordinance.”
The Board of Supervisors finds that the police, emergency medical services, and fire services have had difficulty locating addresses of homes and businesses on Township streets and roads due to lack of lot and building identification numbers. It is, therefore, the purpose of this chapter to establish a system of numbering all lots on which there is a dwelling unit or business so that police, EMS, and fire services can locate addresses in emergency situations.
The following definitions shall apply to this chapter:
BUSINESS
A building or portion of a building designed and occupied by a nonresidential, commercial, industrial, institutional, governmental or other nonresidential use.
DWELLING UNIT
A building or portion of a building designed to be occupied by one family for human living quarters.
OWNER or OWNER OF PROPERTY
Includes the following:
A. 
Legal owner;
B. 
Equitable owner;
C. 
Lessee or tenant;
D. 
Occupant;
E. 
Trustee in possession.
From and after the effective date of this chapter, it shall be the duty of each owner of property to cause each lot or parcel, and each dwelling unit and each business upon each lot or parcel, to be numbered in accordance with this chapter within six months of the date hereof. Application shall be made for new construction at the time of applying for a building permit. No occupancy permit shall be issued until the owner has complied with the requirements of this chapter.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
The Zoning Officer shall be responsible for assigning numbers to dwellings and businesses and each occupied lot or parcel. Any owner of property on which there exists a dwelling unit or business which does not presently have a number assigned to it shall apply to the Zoning Officer for assignment of a number.
The Zoning Officer shall have the power and authority to change numbers for the purpose of the orderly numbering of addresses. The Zoning Officer shall change the number of a dwelling or business by sending a notice of the new number assigned by certified mail, return receipt requested, by personal service, or by posting the notice on the property. The owner of property receiving such notice shall cause the numbers to be changed within 30 days of receipt or posting of such notice by the Zoning Officer.
The numbers shall be Arabic numbers, of a uniform size, and shall be of durable, reflective materials. Each digit or letter shall be at least four inches in height. The color shall contrast with the immediate background so as to be easily readable.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
Numbers shall be located and placed so as to clearly identify the structure containing each dwelling unit or business in accordance with the following regulations:
A. 
The numbers shall be placed in a conspicuous place so as to clearly identify the location of the dwelling unit or business. Said numbers shall be placed not less than 36 inches above ground level.
B. 
The placement of the numbers must be such that the numbers can be seen and read from the sidewalk (if any) in front of said dwelling unit or business, from both directional lanes of travel of the public street, and from the opposite side of said public street.
C. 
The number may be placed upon the structure containing the dwelling unit or business or upon the mailbox or upon a fence, wall, post, rod, or other type of fixture of substantial nature such that the number shall clearly indicate the location of the dwelling unit or business in accordance with the requirements of this section.
It shall be unlawful to cover or conceal, or to permit the sight obstruction of, the numbers required to be displayed by this chapter. It shall further be unlawful to post other numbers which would be confusing. All old numbers shall be removed when a new number has been assigned by the Zoning Officer in accordance with this chapter.
The following buildings and uses shall be exempt from the requirements of this chapter:
A. 
Farm buildings and structures which are accessory to a farm use, except those buildings used for the retail sale of products grown on the farm and farm residences shall be numbered.
B. 
Unoccupied farm land or lots containing no dwellings or businesses.
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this chapter shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a District Justice under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution. In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days. Each day or portion thereof that such violation continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this chapter that is violated shall also constitute a separate offense.
The Township Zoning Ordinance and/or Code Enforcement Officer shall be and hereby are charged with the authority and responsibility of enforcing the provisions of this chapter.