Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Durham, NC (2026)
3 verified sidewalk & pedestrian rules for Durham, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Sidewalk Repair
Durham's City Code puts specific, narrow upkeep duties on the property next to a public sidewalk, not a blanket repair obligation. Owners abutting an improved sidewalk must grade their land or build a retaining wall so dirt, grass or trash doesn't wash onto the walk, and occupants must keep the sidewalk and gutter clear of rubbish, removing it within 12 hours of a city notice. Violating either duty is a misdemeanor under City Code § 62-4 and § 62-8.
Durham Sidewalk Owner Maintenance Duties
Some RestrictionsDurham City Code §§ 62-4, 62-8
Sec. 62-4: "All owners of property abutting upon concrete, brick or other permanently improved sidewalks or curb and gutter shall grade such property or construct a retaining wall in such a manner as to prevent the washing of dirt, grass, trash or other material upon the sidewalks of the city." Sec. 62-8: "The occupant of a lot abutting on any street shall keep the sidewalk clear and the gutter...
Obstruction Rules
Durham bars anyone from impeding the "regular flow of travel" on a sidewalk in a way that blocks pedestrian or vehicle passage into a driveway or building entrance, under City Code § 62-10, and separately requires abutting-lot occupants to keep sidewalks and gutters clear of debris under § 62-8.
Durham Sidewalk Obstruction Ordinance
Some RestrictionsDurham City Code § 62-10(a)-(b)
(a)It is unlawful to impede the regular flow of travel on a sidewalk in such a manner as to block a pedestrian's or motor vehicle's attempted passage into or out of a driveway, without leaving a safe and adequate alternative route into or out of the driveway. Consent to such blocking given by an owner, tenant, lawful occupant, or person in control of the property to which the driveway leads is ...
Encroachment Permits
Paving a driveway across a Durham sidewalk, walkway or parkway, or cutting curb for a driveway approach, requires a permit from the city before work starts, under City Code § 62-82. The permit carries a fee set by city council, and separate width and spacing rules in the same division cap how wide and how many driveway approaches a single property can have.
Durham Driveway Encroachment Permit Requirement
Some RestrictionsDurham City Code § 62-82
Sec. 62-82. Permit for paving driveway across public way. "No person shall pave a driveway across any public sidewalk, walkway or parkway, or into any street or alley, or cut, break out or remove any curb along a street or alley for the construction of a driveway approach, unless he or she shall first have obtained a permit therefor from the city in accordance with the provisions of this divisi...
Looking for Durham County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Durham city rules.
Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Durham County →