Administrative overview · FIPS 42023
Cameron County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
Municipal Fallback
This profile identifies a handoff outside the county’s ordinary structural permitting lane.
Required jurisdiction check
Confirm the controlling local or state authority before filing.
The record is marked Municipal Fallback. That means the county profile should be treated as a routing brief: incorporated municipalities, a state building department, or a state fire marshal may control plan review, permits, and inspections. Contact the named agency below and verify the parcel’s jurisdiction before paying a fee or scheduling field work.
Responsible agency
Cameron County Planning Commission; Jones Township administers the UCC for participating Cameron County municipalities, while Shippen Township follows its own designated process
For a project in or near Cameron County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
Cameron County Planning Commission: 814-486-3439; county planning contact also listed as 814-486-2315; local UCC/building official varies by municipality
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Cameron County Planning Commission, Cameron County Courthouse, 20 East 5th Street, Emporium, PA 15834; UCC applications for participating municipalities are submitted to Jones Township, P.O. Box 25, Wilcox, PA 15870
Operating hours
N/A for a countywide permitting counter; county, Jones Township, Shippen Township, and other municipal/code-agency hours vary
Review expectation
Pennsylvania UCC generally requires a building code official to grant or deny a complete permit application within 30 business days of filing; incomplete applications can take longer and local routing varies.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Cameron County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Cameron County Planning Commission: 814-486-3439; county planning contact also listed as 814-486-2315; local UCC/building official varies by municipality.
How long might review take?
Pennsylvania UCC generally requires a building code official to grant or deny a complete permit application within 30 business days of filing; incomplete applications can take longer and local routing varies.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit the permit and arrange inspections through the applicable building-code official. Jones Township's program serves participating municipalities; Shippen Township projects use a separate process. The Cameron County guide requires sewage and zoning approvals before the building-permit submission where applicable.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC), 34 Pa. Code Chapters 401-405 and referenced current ICC codes as adopted by Pennsylvania. Jones Township's Cameron County permit program administers the UCC for participating municipalities; the county Planning Commission handles subdivision and land-development review. Pennsylvania UCC exemptions apply, including the recreational-cabin exclusion process identified by the Cameron County permit guide; the application requires the associated affidavit. Emergency repairs or equipment replacements may proceed without a prior permit only when the application is submitted within three business days. Confirm all minor-work, zoning, sewage, and floodplain exemptions with the municipality or code official.