Tacoma, WA Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Deadline
- 24 hours after snow/ice forms
- Duty falls on
- Person in charge of premises
- Also covers
- Street gutter fronting the walk
- Enforcement
- Uniform Enforcement Code, Ch. 1.82
Summary
Tacoma property owners and occupants must clear snow and ice from the public sidewalk along their premises within 24 hours of it falling or forming, under TMC § 9.16.050.
It shall be the duty of every person having charge or control of any premises located within the City of Tacoma to remove or cause to be removed from the public walks along the side or in front of the premises all snow or ice which may have formed or been deposited therein within 24 hours after the same has fallen or been formed, and shall also cause such snow or ice to be removed from the gutter in front of such walk for a sufficient width to allow the water to run freely therein.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4946110; v22 updated 2026-07-28).
Full Breakdown
Whoever has charge or control of premises in Tacoma must remove, or cause to be removed, all snow or ice from the public walk along or in front of that property within 24 hours after it has fallen or formed. The same duty reaches the street gutter fronting the walk, which must be cleared to a width sufficient to let water run freely. The rule sits in Chapter 9.16, Streets and Sidewalks – Keeping Clean and Unobstructed, and dates to a 1918 ordinance still in force today. Violations are handled under the chapter's general penalty section, § 9.16.060.
Violations & Fines
Failing to clear sidewalk snow or ice within 24 hours is a violation subject to the penalties and enforcement process of the Uniform Enforcement Code, TMC Chapter 1.82, per § 9.16.060.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to shovel snow off my Tacoma sidewalk?
Does Tacoma's snow rule cover the street gutter too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tacoma
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