Bozeman, MT Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)

Snow clearing on Bozeman sidewalks is the owner's job under § 34.06.020. Every owner of land fronting or abutting a paved sidewalk must remove, or cause to be removed, snow and ice from the part of the sidewalk in front of or abutting the building or lot. The deadline depends on the zone. In business districts, which cover lots in an R-0, B-1, B-2 or B-3 district other than lots occupied solely by dwelling units, all snow and ice must be gone by 9:00 a.m. of the next business day, by 12:00 noon of the next non-business day, or within four business hours after any snow or ice deposit, whichever period is shorter.

A business day is any day that is not a Sunday or a national holiday, and business hours run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On every other sidewalk the deadline is the first 24 hours after any snow or ice deposit. The manner in which the snow or ice landed on the sidewalk does not change the duty. A double frontage lot with a sidewalk on an arterial street and another on the direct opposite lot line does not have to clear the arterial street sidewalk.

When the director of transportation and engineering decides snow and ice cannot reasonably be removed, the director can require sand or another suitable substance to make pedestrian travel reasonably safe, on the same deadline, and the sidewalk must be thoroughly cleaned as soon as the weather permits. Section 34.06.030 bars depositing snow or ice on a fire hydrant, sidewalk, roadway, curb or gutter, a public transportation loading and unloading area, or an area designated for emergency vehicle access. If the owner fails, the director can have the sidewalk cleared as soon as practicable and records the owner name, legal description, street address, dates and costs (§ 34.06.040).

Downtown, the adjacent owner must keep all sidewalk areas, including exclusive use areas, free and clear of snow and ice at all times (§ 34.05.070).