Fairfield, CT Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Clearance deadline
- 24 hours after storm ends
- Enforcing agency
- Fairfield Police Department
- Fine
- Up to $250 per offense
- Town cleanup cost
- Billed to owner, becomes a lien
- Injury claim limit
- 2 years from date of injury
Summary
In the Town of Fairfield, property owners, tenants and occupants must clear natural snow or ice from the sidewalk fronting their property within 24 hours of a storm, or apply abrasives to reduce slipping, under Fairfield Town Code § 91-2. Violators face fines up to $250 per offense.
No natural accumulation of snow or ice shall be permitted to remain on the sidewalks or hard-surfaced, improved walkways fronting on the property of any property owner, tenant or occupant of the Town for a period in excess of 24 hours after any storm causing or contributing to such accumulation, unless abrasives are applied to reduce slipping. ... It shall be the duty of the Police Department to see that Article I, § 91-2C and D are duly enforced. Any person found violating the terms of this section shall be fined not more than $250 (or the maximum amount permitted by state law) for each offense. The person to be fined may be the owner of the property, the occupant or the operator of any vehicle or equipment depositing the ice or snow on the sidewalk, street, road, highway or other public property.
Full Breakdown
Amended December 16, 2024, § 91-2 of the Streets and Sidewalks chapter sets the Town's snow-and-ice clearance standard: no natural accumulation may remain on sidewalks or hard-surfaced walkways fronting any property for more than 24 hours after a storm, unless abrasives are applied to reduce slipping. If the owner, tenant, or occupant fails to act within that window, the Department of Public Works may remove the snow or ice itself, or apply abrasives, and bill the property owner for the cost; an unpaid charge becomes a lien on the property once the Town files a certificate of lien with the Town Clerk within 60 days of the work.
The section separately bars anyone from shoveling or otherwise depositing snow or ice onto a public sidewalk, street, road, or highway, and bars discharging water in a way that lets ice form on those surfaces. A companion rule in § 91-2.D requires that rubbish accumulating on a public sidewalk be removed within 24 hours by whoever owns or possesses the adjoining premises, with the Town again able to remove it and charge the responsible person. Enforcement of the anti-dumping and rubbish provisions (Subsections C and D) is assigned specifically to the Fairfield Police Department.
The Town also adopted the liability framework of C.G.S. § 7-163a, which shifts a duty of care over sidewalk ice and snow onto the abutting property owner rather than leaving the Town liable, and any personal-injury claim over that duty must be brought within two years of the injury.
Violations & Fines
Anyone who violates § 91-2's dumping or rubbish-removal rules (Subsections C and D) is fined not more than $250 per offense, enforced by the Fairfield Police Department; the person fined can be the property owner, the occupant, or the operator of a vehicle or piece of equipment that deposited the ice or snow. Separately, unpaid Town removal charges become a lien against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Fairfield property owner have to clear sidewalk snow?
What happens if I don't clear the snow in time?
Can I shovel my snow into the street?
Who is liable if someone slips on my sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fairfield
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