Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in San Jose, CA (2026)
3 verified sidewalk & pedestrian rules for San Jose, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Sidewalk Repair
San Jose Municipal Code § 14.16.2200 puts sidewalk repair on the abutting property owner, not the city. Owners must maintain the sidewalk, parking strip, curb and gutter, and cover the city's inspection and repair costs.
San Jose Property Owners Repair Sidewalks
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 14.16.2200
The owners of lots or portions of lots adjacent to or fronting on any portion of a sidewalk area between the property line of the lots and the street line, including parking strips, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, and persons in possession of such lots by virtue of any permit or right shall repair and maintain such sidewalk areas and pay the costs and expenses therefor.
Obstruction Rules
San Jose bans displaying, storing, or vending merchandise on any sidewalk, gutter, alley, or street citywide, with a narrow council-permit carve-out for festivals and community events.
San Jose Sidewalk Display & Storage Ban
Significant RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 13.20.010
it shall be unlawful for any person to display, store, leave, place, or expose for sale, or cause to be displayed, stored, left, placed, or exposed for sale upon any sidewalk, gutter, alley, or street of the city any produce, merchandise, store boxes or store substance or material, objects or implements whatsoever of any class, kind, or character; nor shall any stand of any sort for the vending...
Encroachment Permits
San Jose requires a Public Works encroachment permit before placing any structure or object on public right-of-way; unauthorized encroachments are unlawful and the owner must remove them within 30 days or the City removes it and bills them.
San Jose Right-of-Way Encroachment Permit Required
Significant RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 13.37.200
Encroachments placed, installed, constructed or maintained without authorization from the City are unlawful and the owner of the Encroachment shall either remove it at their sole expense or obtain authorization under this Chapter or another provision of this code. If the owner does not remove the Encroachment ... within thirty (30) days of the City's notification, the City shall have the right ...
Looking for Santa Clara County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Jose city rules.
Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Santa Clara County →