Kent, WA Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- KCC 6.04.100
- Ice/snow listed hazard
- Item 6 of the section
- Max criminal fine
- $300
- Max jail term
- 90 days
- Civil liability
- Owner liable for injuries, city's costs
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Public Works
Summary
Kent property owners must not let ice or snow accumulate into a hazardous condition on the sidewalk fronting their land. KCC 6.04.100 makes it unlawful to permit such defects on the public right-of-way, and violators face a misdemeanor fine of up to $300 or 90 days in jail.
It is unlawful for the owner and/or person occupying or having charge or control of any premises abutting upon any public street right-of-way or alley in the city to construct, place, cause, create, maintain or permit to remain upon any part of such right-of-way located between the curbline... including but not limited to the following conditions: ... 6. Defects resulting from accumulation of ice and snow on public sidewalks or on the right-of-way between the curbline or, if there is no curbline, then between the adjacent edge of the traveled portion of the street roadway and the abutting property line; ... Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter, upon conviction thereof, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding three hundred dollars ($300) or by imprisonment for a period not exceeding ninety (90) days or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4542, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
KCC 6.04.100, titled Hazardous conditions on public street right-of-way, makes it unlawful for the owner or person in control of property abutting a public street or alley to construct, place, cause, create, maintain or permit to remain a defective or hazardous condition on the right-of-way between the curbline and the abutting property line. The section lists eight specific hazards, and item 6 names defects resulting from accumulation of ice and snow on public sidewalks directly, alongside cracked pavement, tripping depressions, tree-root damage, overhanging brush, and slick foreign matter such as gravel, oil, or grease.
The duty carries teeth. KCC 6.04.110(A) makes the abutting property owner personally liable for any injury or property damage proximately caused by the defective, dangerous or hazardous condition of any sidewalk, or by the presence or accumulation of ice or snow thereon, including the city's own costs, court costs, and attorney's fees if the city is sued and has to pay. KCC 6.04.110(B) separately assigns the ongoing duty and expense of the maintenance, cleaning, repair and renewal of an abutting sidewalk to the property owner. The chapter does not set a fixed number of hours to clear a walk after snowfall; the standard is that the owner cannot allow the hazardous condition to remain. Kent's department of public works administers the right-of-way and requires a street excavation permit for any repair work triggered by an ice- or snow-related sidewalk failure.
Violations & Fines
KCC 6.04.130 makes any violation of Chapter 6.04, including letting ice or snow create a hazardous sidewalk condition, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $300, imprisonment for up to 90 days, or both. Beyond the criminal penalty, KCC 6.04.110(A) exposes the property owner to civil liability for a pedestrian's slip-and-fall injury or property damage caused by the unaddressed ice or snow, plus the city's litigation costs if it is named in the resulting lawsuit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Kent ordinance requiring homeowners to shovel snow off the sidewalk?
What can happen if someone slips on an icy sidewalk in Kent?
What is the fine for an unshoveled, hazardous Kent sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
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Snow & Sidewalk Clearing in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle snow & sidewalk clearing.