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Bay County, MI Parking Rules: Snow Removal Parking Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Prohibited act
Dumping private snow/ice on public roads
Adopted
Ordinance No. 16, Dec. 9, 1975
Maximum fine
$100.00
Maximum jail term
90 days
Classification
Misdemeanor, not civil infraction

Summary

Bay County's Ice and Snow Removal Ordinance bars anyone from shoveling, plowing or blowing snow and ice from private property, including a private driveway or parking area, onto any public street, road or other public property. A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $100 and 90 days in jail, enforced countywide since the ordinance's 1975 adoption.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Bay County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Sec. 2. No person shall remove any snow or ice from any private property, including any private driveway, road or parking area, and deposit the same in or upon any public property, including public streets and roads. ... ... Sec. 3. Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this Ordinance shall be subject to a fine of not more than One Hundred ($100.00) Dollars or imprisonment in the County Jail not to exceed ninety (90) days or both, such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the Court.

Full Breakdown

Adopted as Ordinance No. 16 on December 9, 1975 and codified as Part 40 of the county code, the Ice and Snow Removal Ordinance addresses only one act: moving snow or ice off private land and depositing it on public ground. 002 makes it unlawful to remove any snow or ice from any private property, including any private driveway, road or parking area, and deposit it in or upon any public property, including public streets and roads. The ordinance does not create a snow-emergency parking ban, an alternate-side rule or a sidewalk-shoveling deadline; it is narrowly aimed at property owners, plow operators and contractors who push accumulated snow across a property line and onto a county or public road, where it can refreeze into a hazard or block the road for the Road Commission's own plows.

007, which lets the county post no-parking signs during snow removal and impound vehicles that do not move. A violation of the Ice and Snow Removal Ordinance is prosecuted as a misdemeanor rather than a civil infraction, and the fine and jail time are left to the sentencing court's discretion up to the statutory caps.

Violations & Fines

Section 40.003 sets the penalty: a fine of not more than $100.00 or imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed 90 days, or both, with the exact sentence left to the discretion of the court. Each instance of depositing snow or ice on a public street or road is a separate misdemeanor offense; there's no escalating fine schedule or civil-infraction option under this ordinance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I plow snow from my driveway into the street in Bay County?
No. Section 40.002 makes it unlawful to remove snow or ice from private property, including a driveway, and deposit it on any public street or road. The ordinance applies to the property owner and to any contractor or plow operator doing the work.
What's the penalty for dumping snow on a Bay County road?
Section 40.003 makes it a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100.00, up to 90 days in the county jail, or both, with the court deciding the exact sentence. There's no separate civil-infraction ticket option under this ordinance.
Does Bay County have a snow-emergency parking ban?
Not under this ordinance. Part 40 only prohibits depositing private snow and ice onto public property; it doesn't create alternate-side parking or a declared snow-emergency route. Section 31.007 lets the county post no-parking signs for snow removal in its own parking lots and impound cars left there.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Bay County

All Bay County rules

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