Winter 2025-2026 Ordinance Guide
Snow removal, holiday displays, parking bans, and winter-specific rules from the 2025-2026 season.
This guide reflects 2025-2026 winter season rules. Check your city for any updates that may apply to winter 2026-2027.
❄️ Snow Removal
Snow removal was a major enforcement area during winter 2025-2026. Most cities in snow-prone regions required property owners to clear sidewalks within a set window after snowfall - typically 24 to 48 hours. Fines for non-compliance ranged from $25 to $250 per violation, with repeat offenders facing steeper penalties. Some cities held property owners liable for slip-and-fall injuries on uncleared sidewalks. Renters were often surprised to learn their leases assigned this responsibility to them rather than the landlord.
🎄 Holiday Lighting and Displays
Holiday display rules during the 2025-2026 season covered timing (most cities required removal by mid-January to late January), light trespass (preventing light from shining into neighbor windows), and power usage. Inflatable displays faced height restrictions in many cities - typically limited to the height of the structure they were placed near. Some HOAs had stricter rules than the city, including color restrictions and display approval requirements.
🚗 Winter Parking Bans
Cities in the Northeast, Midwest, and Mountain West enforced winter parking bans during 2025-2026 to allow snow plows to clear streets. These bans were typically activated by snow emergency declarations and required cars to move to one side of the street or off-street entirely. Violations resulted in tickets and, in many cities, towing at the owner expense. Some cities maintained overnight parking bans throughout the entire winter season regardless of snowfall.
🔥 Fire Safety
Winter 2025-2026 fire safety rules focused on indoor heating safety, space heater regulations, and fireplace and wood stove requirements. Many cities required annual chimney inspections and had rules about creosote buildup. Space heater rules typically required clearance from combustible materials and prohibited use of extension cords. Fire pit usage during winter was subject to the same rules as other seasons, plus additional no-burn day restrictions during temperature inversions.
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