Casper, WY Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Sit-Lie Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Duty holder
- owner/occupant of adjoining premises
- Banned debris items
- glass, filth, rubbish, ice, garbage
- Banned obstructions
- vehicles, boxes, bicycles, merchandise
- Minimum open sidewalk if modified
- 5.5 feet
- Approval needed for exception
- city council + written agreement
Summary
Casper Municipal Code section 12.24.030 bars anyone controlling adjoining premises from letting rubbish, ice, or debris sit on the sidewalk, and separately bans parking vehicles or leaving boxes, bicycles, toys or merchandise that obstruct the sidewalk, unless the city council approves a written agreement preserving at least five and a half feet of open walkway.
12.24.030 - Sidewalk obstructions prohibited when. It is unlawful for any person owning, occupying or having control of any premises to place or permit upon the sidewalk or the half of the street adjacent to such premises:A.Any broken ware or glass, and filth, rubbish, refuse matter, snow, ice, water, oil, mud, garbage, ashes, tin cans or other like substances;B.Any automobile, truck or trailer from which merchandise is sold, or any automobile, truck or trailer on the sidewalk, any box or boxes, bicycle, toy, merchandise or other things that will obstruct the sidewalk or street in any way; provided, that the city council shall have the power, upon request for permission by any property owner, or any other person, to authorize temporary use of the sidewalks, if found justifiable by the city council and in the public interest, or to authorize a non-permanent modification of the sidewalk or a portion thereof by the adjacent property owner for purposes of public safety and upon written agreement with the property owner and city council approval; however, no modification as expressed herein shall be approved or permitted, unless a minimum width of five and one-half feet of open sidewalk is preserved - running the length of the modified property, measuring from the back of the curb to the structure closest to the curb.
Full Breakdown
Casper Municipal Code section 12.24.030 makes it unlawful for any person owning, occupying or controlling premises to place or permit upon the sidewalk, or the adjacent half of the street, broken ware or glass, filth, rubbish, refuse, snow, ice, water, oil, mud, garbage, ashes or tin cans (subsection A), or to leave an automobile, truck or trailer, or boxes, a bicycle, toys, merchandise "or other things that will obstruct the sidewalk or street in any way" (subsection B). Subsection B carries a built-in exception: the city council may authorize a temporary use of the sidewalk, or a non-permanent modification of it, upon written agreement with the adjacent property owner and council approval, but only if a minimum width of five and one-half feet of open sidewalk is preserved along the full length of the modified property, measured from the back of the curb to the nearest structure.
The section traces to the 1963 prior code section 34-1 and was most recently amended by Ordinance No. 12-25 on July 15, 2025. It sits in Chapter 12.24, Obstructions, Article I, alongside section 12.24.010, which exempts necessary fixtures like barricades, streetlights, utility poles and parking meters from the obstruction ban, and section 12.24.040, which separately bars sight-obstructing fences, hedges or signs at intersection corners.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 12.24 sets no dedicated fine for section 12.24.030, so an unlawful sidewalk obstruction is a misdemeanor punishable under the city's general penalty, Casper Municipal Code section 1.28.010(B): a fine of up to $750 plus court costs of up to $10, with each day the obstruction remains chargeable as a separate offense under section 1.28.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave merchandise or boxes on the sidewalk outside my Casper business?
Is there any way to legally use part of the sidewalk for a business in Casper?
What is the penalty for blocking a sidewalk in Casper?
Sources & Official References
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