Drive-Throughs and Vehicle Stacking Areas.
Philadelphia Code § 14-805
in effect§ 14-805. Drive-Throughs and Vehicle Stacking Areas.
The following standards shall apply to drive-throughs, regardless if the drive-through is part of another use (e.g., restaurant or financial institution) or if it is a stand-alone use (e.g., automatic teller machine).
(1) General Standards.
(a) Audible electronic devices such as loudspeakers, automobile service order devices, and similar instruments shall not be located within 50 ft. of any residential property line and shall be subject to Chapter 10-400 of The Philadelphia Code.
(b) No service shall be rendered, deliveries made, or sales conducted within the required front yard or corner side yard. Customers served in vehicles shall be stopped to the side or rear of the drive- through.
(c) All areas associated with the drive-through, including but not limited to menu boards, stacking lanes, trash receptacles, loudspeakers, drive up windows, and other objects, shall be located in the side or rear yard of a property to the maximum extent feasible.
(d) Any drive-through shall provide landscape in accordance with the requirements of § 14-803(5) (Parking Landscape and Screening), not including § 14-803(5)(e) (Interior Landscape Requirements for Parking Lots and Off-Street Loading Areas). 923
(e) Unless otherwise provided by this Zoning Code, drive-throughs shall: 924
(.1) Be prohibited in all residential districts and the CMX-1, CMX-2.5, CMX-4, CMX-5, and IRMX districts.
(.2) Require special exception approval in the CMX-2 and CMX-3 districts in accordance with § 14-303(7) (Special Exception Approval).
Notes
923 | Amended, Bill No. 220414 (approved September 13, 2022). For effective date provisions, see note 165.
924 | Added, Bill No. 150766 (approved December 8, 2015).
(2) Stacking Lanes.
(a) Design.
Stacking lanes shall be provided for any use having a drive-through establishment and shall comply with the following standards:
(.1) Drive-through stacking lanes shall have a minimum width of 10 ft.
(.2) When stacking lanes are separated from other stacking lanes, from bypass lanes, or from other site areas, the separation shall be by means of a raised concrete median, concrete curb, or landscape area.
(.3) Stacking lanes shall be set back 20 ft. from any property line.
(b) Stacking Space and Lane Requirements.
The number of required stacking spaces shall be as provided for in the following Table 14-805-1.
Table 14-805-1: Stacking Space Requirements 925
{For printable PDF version, click HERE}
Activity | Minimum Stacking Spaces (per lane) | Measured From:
Financial Services or Automated Teller Machine (ATM) | 3 | Window or ATM
Eating and Drinking Establishments | 5 | Order Board
Personal Vehicle Repair and Maintenance – full service car wash | 6 | Outside of Washing Bay
Personal Vehicle Repair and Maintenance – self service car wash | 2 | Outside of Washing Bay
Vehicle Fueling Stations | 2 | End of Pump Island
[image omitted; see the official code]
{For printable PDF version of image, click HERE}
Notes
925 | Amended, Bill No. 150264 (approved June 16, 2015).
Source: City of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Code and Home Rule Charter (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-293989Fetched: 10/27/2026