Woodbury, MN Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Clearance deadline
- 12 hours after snow/ice/rubbish stops falling
- Responsible party
- Owner of property adjacent to the sidewalk
- City abatement
- City may plow and bill owner as special assessment
- Violation
- Misdemeanor, up to $700 fine or 90 days
- Emergency abatement
- No-notice cleanup allowed for immediate hazards
Summary
Woodbury requires property owners to clear snow, ice and rubbish from the public sidewalk in front of their property within 12 hours after it stops accumulating. Uncleared walks are a nuisance under City Code § 15-2(b)(1); the city can plow it and bill the owner as a special assessment, and noncompliance is separately a misdemeanor under § 15-6.
All snow, ice, and/or rubbish not removed from public sidewalks within 12 hours after the snow, ice and/or rubbish have ceased to be deposited thereon. The owner of property adjacent to a public sidewalk shall be responsible for the removal of snow, ice and/or rubbish from said sidewalk.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 48).
Full Breakdown
Woodbury classifies uncleared sidewalk snow as a public nuisance under Article I of Chapter 15. ' The city enforces this through its general nuisance abatement machinery in §§ 15-3 through 15-6. If the enforcing official, working through the police department, determines the 12-hour deadline has been missed, § 15-4 requires a written notice of violation describing the location and violation and giving the owner reasonable time to clear the walk. If the owner still hasn't abated it, § 15-5(b) lets the city do the plowing itself and recover the cost: the city may collect unpaid special charges for abating the nuisance, plus administrative fees, as a special assessment specifically for 'snow, ice or rubbish removal from sidewalks,' billed to the property and collectible like a tax under Minn.
ch. 101. Section 15-5(d) also lets the enforcing official skip the notice step and abate immediately, at the owner's expense, when uncleared snow or ice presents a present or immediate danger to public health or safety. Separately, § 15-6 makes it a misdemeanor for any person to cause or permit a nuisance, including an unshoveled sidewalk, to remain on property they own or occupy, exposing the owner to the City Code's default penalty under §§ 26-3 and 26-4 on top of any special assessment for the city's own plowing costs.
Violations & Fines
Leaving sidewalk snow or ice past the 12-hour deadline is a misdemeanor under § 15-6, punishable up to $700.00 or 90 days under § 26-3, and the city can also bill the owner directly. If a written notice under § 15-4 goes unheeded, § 15-5(b) lets the city clear the walk itself and assess the cost, plus administrative fees, against the property as a special charge collectible like property taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to shovel my sidewalk in Woodbury after it snows?
What happens if I never shovel my Woodbury sidewalk?
Can Woodbury clear my sidewalk without warning me first?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Woodbury
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