Akron, OH Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Clearing deadline
- 24 hours after snowfall
- Prohibited act
- Shoveling/piling snow onto sidewalk
- City cleanup fee
- Cost of work plus $200
- Repeat violation fine
- $250 extra on 3rd notice/year
- Criminal penalty
- Minor misdemeanor, §98.99(A)
Summary
Akron gives property owners 24 hours after snowfall to clear their abutting sidewalk under § 98.01(A)(3), and separately bans piling or shoveling snow onto sidewalks or streets. Repeat non-compliance triggers city-performed clearing plus a $200 charge, rising to a $250 fine on a third notice in one year.
3. No owner or occupant of a lot or land abutting any sidewalk in the City shall permit the sidewalk, after the fall of snow, to become and remain encumbered therewith for a period of twenty-four hours. ... 6. No person shall shovel, push, or pile snow onto the sidewalks, aprons, streets or cause or create barriers of snow and/or ice that impede passage of pedestrians or vehicular traffic on public property. ... All expenses incurred in the repair, maintenance and/or clearing of a sidewalk or other property, together with an administrative charge of two hundred dollars for each notice processed, shall be reported to the Director of Finance, who shall mail a statement of the amount thereof to the owner of the property. For a third or subsequent notice processed during a calendar year for the maintenance of sidewalks or other property as described in this chapter, removal of litter under Chapter 95, and/or abating a nuisance under Chapter 94, a fine of two hundred fifty dollars shall be charged to the owner in addition to the expenses and administrative charge described above.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
01(A)(3) sets the clock running the moment snow falls: no owner or occupant of land abutting a sidewalk may let that sidewalk remain encumbered by snow for a period of twenty-four hours. Paragraph (A)(6) closes an obvious loophole by separately banning the act of creating the problem: no person may shovel, push, or pile snow onto sidewalks, aprons, or streets, or otherwise create barriers of snow or ice that block pedestrian or vehicle passage on public property, so a resident cannot simply move their own driveway snow onto the public walk.
011's notice procedure: the Director of Neighborhood Assistance or Director of Health can issue a written notice ordering the owner to clear the walk within a specified time, and the owner has seven days to appeal. If the snow is not cleared by the deadline in the notice, the city clears it and bills the owner for the labor cost plus a $200 administrative charge for each notice processed. 011(C)(2) imposes an additional $250 fine, on top of the cost and administrative charge, for a third or subsequent notice processed against the same owner within a calendar year for sidewalk maintenance, Chapter 95 litter removal, or Chapter 94 nuisance abatement combined. 01 violation a minor misdemeanor independent of the civil billing process.
Violations & Fines
A snow-covered sidewalk left more than 24 hours after a snowfall, or a sidewalk blocked by snow shoveled from a driveway, violates §98.01(A)(3) or (A)(6) and is a minor misdemeanor under §98.99(A). If the city has to clear it after a §98.011 notice goes unanswered, the owner also owes the removal cost plus a $200 administrative charge, and $250 more on a third notice within the same year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon must I shovel my sidewalk in Akron after it snows?
Can I push my driveway snow onto the public sidewalk in Akron?
What does Akron charge if it has to clear my sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
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