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Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Huntsville, AL (2026)

3 verified sidewalk & pedestrian rules for Huntsville, Alabama, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Sidewalk Repair

In Huntsville, the owner of the property a sidewalk fronts, not the city, must keep that sidewalk in proper repair at all times under Sec. 23-86 of the Code.

Huntsville Sidewalk Repair Duty

Some Restrictions

Sec. 23-86

All property owners abutting on the streets shall put their sidewalks in proper condition and keep them in such condition at all times. (Code 1982, § 20-86) State Law reference— Authority of city to require owners of abutting property to keep sidewalks in repair, Code of Ala. 1975, § 11-49-2.

Obstruction Rules

Huntsville bans encumbering a street or sidewalk with goods, merchandise, lumber, fuel, or any obstruction without a city building permit, and lets police or public works remove hazards outright.

Huntsville Sidewalk Obstruction Rules

Some Restrictions

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 23-1

It shall be unlawful for any person to encumber a street or sidewalk with goods or merchandise, lumber or fuel or any article or obstruction whatever, except under a building permit from the city.

Encroachment Permits

Digging, opening, or otherwise encroaching into a Huntsville street or sidewalk without city sign-off is illegal. Sec. 23-122 requires anyone who wants to excavate in or under a public street or sidewalk to file a written application and get a written permit from the engineering division first, and land-disturbing work separately needs a stormwater grading permit.

Huntsville Sidewalk Encroachment Permit Rules

Some Restrictions

Huntsville Code of Ordinances Sec. 23-122

(a)Any person who shall desire to make any excavation in or under the streets or sidewalks of the city shall be required before commencing such excavation to file a written application and obtain a written permit from the engineering division.(b)Any person performing any land disturbing activity shall request and obtain a permit in coordination with the Stormwater Management Manual, section 2.2...

Looking for Madison County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Huntsville city rules.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Madison County