How-to guides

How Berks County Domestic Relations handles child support: where to file, what it costs, how the amount is set, and what happens if payments stop.

Potholes, streetlights, dumping, code violations, noise, water, graffiti, abandoned cars: which Reading, PA office or number handles each problem.

How Reading, PA rental registration works: the $100 housing fee, April 1 renewal, 2-to-5-year inspections, fees, fines, and the 25-mile local-agent rule.

How City of Reading trash and recycling works: pickup days, bag limits, bulk items, yard waste, the $395.91 annual fee and the proposed 2027 increase.

A PA hunting license costs $20.97 and an antlerless tag $6.97. Where Berks hunters buy them, the 2026-27 dates, the WMU lines, and the State Game Lands.

How the Reading Parking Authority works: ticket fines and appeals, residential permits, the eight downtown garages, meter hours, and snow rules.

A PA fishing license costs $27.97 a year, and you need one at age 16. How to buy one, and where to fish in Berks County.

Where Gring's Mill and the Union Canal Trail are, how to get there, parking, hours, events, and the rule that pets are not allowed on the trail.

Reserve a Berks County park pavilion or the Gring's Mill barn: 2026 fees, how to book on RecDesk, the free small-group option, and wedding rules.

What the nine Berks County parks offer: trails, historic sites, fishing, and hours, plus the rule that dogs are allowed only at Antietam Lake.

A practical guide to Blue Marsh Lake near Reading: the swim beach, boat launches, trails, fees, pet rules, and hours at the federal lake.

Check Berks County road closures, crashes, construction, and winter conditions on 511PA, online, in the free app, or by dialing 511.

What a REAL ID costs, what to bring, and where to get one in Berks County, including the Exeter center that issues it the same day.

A resident's guide to Reading Regional Airport (RDG) in Berks County: who runs it, whether you can catch a flight, parking, and the air museum on site.

BARTA Special Services in Berks County: door-to-door shared-ride and paratransit for seniors and people with disabilities, fares, and how to apply.

Where to renew a license or get a photo ID in Berks County: PennDOT driver license centers in Shillington and Exeter Township, hours, and what to bring.

How to run a Pennsylvania State Police criminal background check through PATCH: the $22 fee, free volunteer checks, and how to read the result.

Where to apply for a U.S. passport in Berks County: which libraries accept applications, the $130 fee plus $35 execution fee, and what to bring.

Visiting the Berks County Courthouse: where to park, what to expect at security, and which building and floor each county office is on.

What the Berks County Clerk of Courts does: how to look up a criminal case, get a certified copy, and tell it apart from the Prothonotary.