How Rochester Handles Public Conduct: A Practical Guide

Rochester maintains 123 local ordinances across all categories, and 6 of those deal specifically with public conduct. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Rochester falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Skateboarding Rules

Rochester lets riders over 12 skateboard on sidewalks, bike lanes, cycle tracks or multi-use trails, but bans it in named Center City locations like the Liberty Pole area, the Convention Center plaza and City parking garages, and requires yielding to pedestrians everywhere.

Key details: No-skate zones: Liberty Pole area, Convention Center plaza. Also banned: Listed parking garages, Inner Loop, interstates. Riders 12 and under: Sidewalk, cycle track or trail only. Dedicated legal skate spot: Roc City Skatepark. Governing section: City Code § 34-4.

Chapter 34 violations, including skating or skateboarding in a banned zone, go to the Municipal Code Violations Bureau under the penalty schedule in § 13A-11 of the Municipal Code, per § 34-7. If the person cited is a minor, the Rochester Police Department's Juvenile Unit notifies the parent or guardian by mail rather than issuing an in-person appearance requirement.

Loitering Rules

Rochester has no citywide loitering ordinance, but § 111-123 bans loitering or sleeping on or about the premises of any city parking garage. It's a narrow rule dating to 1957, and because it isn't a parking violation, it's punished under the chapter's general penalty, not the parking fine schedule.

Key details: Scope: City-owned parking garages only. Enacted: November 26, 1957. Also bans: Sleeping on garage premises. Criminal penalty: Up to $150 fine or 15 days. Civil alternative: $25 to $500 penalty.

A § 111-123 loitering violation is not a parking ticket; it is prosecuted under the chapter's general penalty at § 111-85B, which sets a fine of up to $150, imprisonment of up to 15 days, or both, or in the alternative a civil penalty of $25 to $500 recoverable by the City.

This is one of the stricter rules in Rochester's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Public Alcohol Use

Rochester bans drinking alcohol and carrying an open, uncapped alcoholic beverage with intent to drink it in any public place, from streets and sidewalks to parks and parking lots. A conviction draws a $25 to $250 fine, with up to 15 days jail possible on a second offense within a year.

Key details: Consumption ban: Any alcoholic beverage, any public place. Open container ban: With intent to consume in public. First-offense fine: $25 to $250. Repeat offense: Up to 15 days jail (within 12 months). Permit exception: City alcohol-consumption permit or ABC license.

A violation of § 44-9 is a 'violation' under the New York Penal Law. Subsection G sets the fine at not less than $25 nor more than $250 for a conviction, and a second conviction within 12 months of a prior one may add up to 15 days' imprisonment. Courts may substitute an alternative sentence for the fine, but it cannot be an unconditional discharge.

This is one of the stricter rules in Rochester's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Aggressive Panhandling

Rochester bans soliciting money 'in an aggressive manner' in any public place, plus flat bans on soliciting within 20 feet of ATMs and banks, in bus shelters, parking garages, skyways or from vehicle occupants. A first conviction draws a $25 to $250 fine; a second within a year can add up to 15 days in jail.

Key details: ATM/bank buffer: 20 feet during business/operating hours. Post-refusal buffer: 5 feet after a negative response. First-offense fine: $25 to $250. Repeat offense: Up to 15 days jail (within 12 months). Also banned in: Bus shelters, parking garages, skyways.

A violation of § 44-4 is a 'violation' under the New York Penal Law, punishable by a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $250 under § 44-4I. A second conviction within 12 months of a prior one may add up to 15 days in jail; courts may substitute an alternative sentence in place of the fine, but it cannot be an unconditional discharge.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Rochester actively enforces its aggressive panhandling requirements.

Jaywalking

Pedestrians must use a marked crosswalk in Rochester's Central Traffic District, any business district, or on a main artery or through street. Elsewhere, crossing off a crosswalk is allowed but must go straight across at right angles or by the shortest path to the far curb.

Key details: Crosswalk mandatory in: Central Traffic District, business districts, main arteries. Elsewhere: Must cross at right angles or shortest route. Governing section: § 111-65. Max fine (non-parking): $150 or 15 days, or both. Civil penalty alternative: $25 to $500.

Crossing outside a crosswalk within the Central Traffic District, a business district, or on a main artery or through street, or crossing elsewhere without taking the required right-angle or shortest route to the opposite curb, is a violation of Chapter 111; violations of the chapter other than parking violations are punishable under § 111-85(B) by a fine up to $150, imprisonment up to 15 days, or both, or by a civil penalty of $25 to $500 recovered by the City.

Rochester is more permissive than most cities when it comes to jaywalking. That said, there are still limits.

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions

Rochester bans smoking outright in every city park under City Code § 79-6, and separately bars it within 100 feet of a public library's entrance, exit or outdoor area under § 69-9. Both rules cover ordinary cigarettes, cigars and pipes; the library buffer exempts residential property boundaries, but the park ban has no such carve-out.

Key details: Park smoking: Total ban, § 79-6, since 1-1-2014. Library buffer: 100 ft of entrance/exit, § 69-9. Library ban exception: Smoker's own residential property. General outdoor ban: None outside parks/library buffer. First-offense fine: $25 ($50 if defaulted).

Smoking in a park or within 100 feet of a public library entrance is a violation of Chapter 79 or Chapter 69, respectively, referred to the Municipal Code Violations Bureau and fined under § 13A-11: $25 for a first offense ($50 if defaulted), $35 for a second ($70 defaulted), $65 for a third or subsequent offense ($130 defaulted).

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Rochester actively enforces its outdoor smoking restrictions requirements.

The Bottom Line

Rochester is tougher than many cities when it comes to public conduct. Out of the 6 rules covered here, 4 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Rochester, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

These rules come from Rochester's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.