Lincoln County, SD Parking Rules: Snow Removal Parking Rules (2026)

Lincoln County's snow-removal rule sits inside the county's general nuisance ordinance rather than a standalone winter-maintenance chapter. Section 90.01 prohibits creating or maintaining any nuisance in the unincorporated area, and § 90.02's illustrative enumeration lists snow removal at division (S): depositing or permitting the deposit of snow from private property upon a county road, county highway, or county right-of-way is declared a nuisance. That means a landowner or contractor who plows, blows, or shovels snow from a driveway or field back onto the traveled roadway or its right-of-way is in violation, separate from any state statute on obstructing a highway.

The Planning Director enforces Chapter 90 under § 90.03 and may deputize the Sheriff's Department to assist, and § 90.04 authorizes inspection of suspected violations with credentials shown to an occupied property or a reasonable attempt made to reach the owner of a vacant one. Before prosecution, § 90.05 requires written notice to abate, and § 90.06 separately criminalizes ignoring that notice within its stated deadline, triggering referral to the State's Attorney. The penalty under § 90.99 is a Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a $200 fine, or both, and each day the snow blocks or narrows the right-of-way can be charged as its own offense. The county may also bring a civil abatement action under SDCL §§ 21-10-5 through 21-10-9 instead of, or alongside, criminal charges.