Locallow impact · 3/10substantive000678

Handbill Distributors Must Get Owner's OK Before Placing Flyers On Private Property Throughout City

Official:Amending Section 10-723.2 of The Philadelphia Code, relating to prohibited conduct in connection with the distribution of commercial and non-commercial handbills, by prohibiting the placement of such handbills on private property only if the owner has both notified the Department of Licenses and Inspections the owner does not wish to receive handbills and has so posted the property, all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember Mariano

Introduced: November 2, 2000

: Committee on Licenses and Inspections

handbillshousing zoning

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2000–2003 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill amends an existing law to prevent people from distributing handbills on private property unless the owner has explicitly told the city they don't want them and posted a notice saying so.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Prohibits the placement of commercial and non-commercial handbills on private property unless the owner has notified the Department of Licenses and Inspections.
Requires the owner to post a notice on the property against receiving handbills.
Defines "conspicuous" as visible from the sidewalk, meaning the notice must be easily seen by the public.
Imposes a new condition on handbill distributors to ensure that they do not place handbills on private property without explicit permission from the owner.