Duluth, MN Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Clearing deadline
- 24 hours after snowfall ends
- Minimum clear path
- 36 inches wide
- Ice treatment
- Sand or non-salt deicer only
- Enforcer if abutter defaults
- Director of Public Works
- Cost of city removal
- Assessed to abutting property
- Governing sections
- §§ 45-56 to 45-62
Summary
In the City of Duluth, anyone who owns, leases or occupies property abutting a public sidewalk must clear snow within 24 hours of a snowfall's end, per Duluth Legislative Code § 45-57. Ice that cannot be readily removed must instead be sanded or treated with a non-salt deicer, and the city can remove uncleared snow itself and assess the cost.
For the purposes of this Division, the word abutter shall mean any person who owns, leases or otherwise lawfully occupies any parcel of land which abuts any public sidewalk with the city. ... All abutters shall remove or cause to be removed sufficient snow falling on any public sidewalk abutting such parcel of land within 24 hours after the end of every snowfall to create a clear path of a minimum width of 36 inches. ... All abutters shall sprinkle sand and/or a chemical deicer other than salt upon any ice forming upon any public sidewalks abutting upon their property when such ice cannot be readily removed, so that such sidewalks shall be made reasonably safe for the use of pedestrians. ... At the close of the season, he shall report the same to the city council, which shall thereupon cause an assessment to be made and levied against the real property abutting upon such sidewalks for the purpose of defraying the expense and cost of such snow removal.
Full Breakdown
Article VI of Chapter 45 puts snow and ice removal on the abutting property, not the city. Section 45-56 defines an 'abutter' as any person who owns, leases or otherwise lawfully occupies a parcel of land abutting a public sidewalk. Section 45-57 requires every abutter to remove, or have removed, sufficient snow from any public sidewalk bordering that parcel within 24 hours after the snowfall ends, creating a clear path at least 36 inches wide. When ice forms and cannot readily be removed, § 45-59 requires the abutter to sand it or apply a chemical deicer other than salt, so the sidewalk stays reasonably safe for pedestrians; the salt exclusion is written into the ordinance itself.
If an abutter defaults, § 45-61 authorizes the director of public works to have the snow removed immediately, either by contract to the lowest responsible bidder or by whatever method the director judges best suited to the circumstances. The cost of that city-ordered removal does not fall on general taxpayers: § 45-62 requires the public works department to keep an accurate account of removal expenses for the season, report them to the city council, and have the council assess and levy that cost against the real property abutting the sidewalk, collected the same way as other special assessments for local improvements, with an added collection fee set by council resolution to cover the city's administrative costs.
Violations & Fines
Failing to clear the required 36-inch path within 24 hours means the city can have the snow removed by contractor or other method under § 45-61 and bill the abutting owner directly. That bill becomes a special assessment against the property under § 45-62, collected like other local-improvement assessments, plus a collection fee the council sets to cover its administrative costs. The ordinance sets no fixed dollar fine; the abutter's exposure is the removal cost itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon must I clear snow from the sidewalk in front of my Duluth property?
Can I use salt to melt ice on my Duluth sidewalk?
What happens if I do not clear my Duluth sidewalk in time?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Duluth
Compare Duluth to another location·View the Minnesota property maintenance overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.