Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules, San Bernardino

San Bernardino maintains 124 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with sidewalk & pedestrian rules. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where San Bernardino falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Sidewalk Repair

San Bernardino puts the legal duty to maintain and repair public sidewalks and curbs on the owner of the abutting lot, not the city. Municipal Code § 12.92.040 requires owners to keep the sidewalk and curb in a condition that will not endanger persons or property or interfere with public use.

Key details: Who must repair: Owner of the abutting frontage lot. Enforcing official: Director of Public Services (notice). Repair deadline after notice: 60 days to start and complete. Non-compliance remedy: City repairs and liens the property. Objection hearing: Mayor and City Council, 10+ days after notice.

Failure to repair within the 60-day notice period lets the Director of Development Services complete the work and record the full cost as a lien against the property under § 12.92.060(B) and (D). Owners who want to contest the scope or necessity of ordered work must raise objections at the Mayor and City Council hearing set under § 12.92.060(C), held at least ten days after notice; the council's ruling on those objections is final and conclusive, with no further administrative appeal specified in the chapter.

Encroachment Permits

San Bernardino requires a written encroachment permit before anyone excavates, obstructs, or puts a sidewalk, street, or public right-of-way to private use. The Director of Development Services issues the permit only after a 48-hour-advance application, a plat of the work, and a deposit covering inspection and repair costs.

Key details: Permitting authority: Director of Development Services. Application lead time: 48 hours before work starts. Security required: Deposit or bond for inspection/repair. Blanket permit term: 12 months for utilities. Street cut moratorium: 5 years after new construction.

Violating any provision of Chapter 12.03, including working without a permit or outside the approved plat, is a misdemeanor punishable under § 1.12.010, and the city may still pursue any other remedy allowed by law, such as ordering restoration work at the applicant's cost under § 12.03.130 or drawing on the posted deposit.

Obstruction Rules

San Bernardino Municipal Code § 12.44.030 keeps every public street, sidewalk and crosswalk "free from all obstructions," including obstruction by people standing or sitting; § 12.44.090 separately bars using sidewalks to display merchandise or leave boxes that block foot traffic.

Key details: Core obstruction ban: SBMC § 12.44.030. Merchandise display ban: SBMC § 12.44.090. Goods removal window: 4 hours after delivery. Curb clearance for staged goods: Within 3 ft of curb, parallel. Penalty: Infraction under § 1.12.010.

Violating § 12.44.030's obstruction ban is an infraction punishable under § 1.12.010. Violating the merchandise-display and removal-timing rules in §§ 12.44.090 through .110 is also an infraction under § 1.12.010, per the penalty clause in § 12.44.120.

The Bottom Line

San Bernardino's sidewalk & pedestrian rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming San Bernardino is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects San Bernardino's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.