Billings, MT Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Billings Code Sec. 24-802 (Chapter 24, Article 24-800)
- Where it applies
- Roadway crossings in the business district
- Offense class
- Misdemeanor under Sec. 1-110(a)
- Maximum fine
- $500.00 per offense
- Maximum jail term
- Six months, or both fine and jail
- Crosswalk authority
- City administrator under Sec. 24-801
- State law reference
- MCA 61-8-501 et seq.
Summary
Billings Code Sec. 24-802 bars any pedestrian from crossing a roadway other than in a crosswalk in the business district. The rule is one sentence long and applies downtown only. The city administrator designates and maintains the crosswalks under Sec. 24-801, and a violation is a misdemeanor under Sec. 1-110(a), punishable by a fine of up to $500.00, up to six months in jail, or both.
No pedestrian shall cross a roadway other than in a crosswalk in the business district. ... The city administrator is authorized to: (1) Designate and maintain, by appropriate devices, marks or lines upon the surface of the roadway, crosswalks at intersections where in his opinion there is particular danger to pedestrians crossing the roadway, and at such other places as he or she may deem necessary; (2) Establish safety zones of such kind and character and at such places as he or she may deem necessary for the protection of pedestrians. ... (a) Any person violating any of the provisions or failing to comply with any of the mandatory requirements of this Code or any ordinance of this city or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this Code, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and any person convicted of a misdemeanor under this Code or any ordinance of this city, shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00), or by imprisonment not to exceed six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
The jaywalking rule in Billings is Sec. 24-802 of the Code of Ordinances, found in Article 24-800 (Pedestrians) of Chapter 24, Traffic and Motor Vehicles. Its full text is one sentence: no pedestrian shall cross a roadway other than in a crosswalk in the business district. The ordinance names no distance from the nearest intersection and says nothing about signal phases, so the test is simple. Inside the business district, stepping onto the roadway anywhere except a crosswalk breaks the rule.
Sec. 24-802 does not define "business district." Sec. 24-602(a), the sidewalk bicycle rule, defines the term for its own section by pointing to MCA 61-8-102 and to the Central Business District (CBD), Downtown Support (DX), Heavy Commercial (CX), Light Industrial (I1) and Heavy Industrial (I2) zones. Sec. 24-101 separately adopts the state definitions of "Crosswalk" (MCA 61-1-209) and "Business district" (MCA 61-1-408), and Sec. 24-102 says those adopted definitions apply throughout Chapter 24.
Crosswalks come from the city. Sec. 24-801 authorizes the city administrator to mark crosswalks on the roadway surface where the administrator sees particular danger to pedestrians and at other places the administrator deems necessary, and to establish safety zones for pedestrian protection. Under Sec. 24-103(a) the local traffic authority is the city administrator or a person the administrator designates, and Sec. 24-103(e) directs that authority to place and maintain traffic-control markings. Sec. 24-105 ratifies crosswalks and safety zones the city had already established.
Outside the business district, Sec. 24-802 does not apply. Sec. 24-101 adopts the Montana pedestrian provisions MCA 61-8-501 through 61-8-509, including "Crossing at other than crosswalks" (61-8-503) and "Pedestrians on roadways" (61-8-506), and Article 24-800 carries a state law reference to MCA 61-8-501 et seq. Sec. 24-803 adds MCA 49-4-213 and 49-4-216, on white canes and the duty of pedestrians or drivers approaching a blind person carrying a white cane.
Drivers share the duty. Sec. 24-308 forbids a driver to enter an intersection or a crosswalk without enough space beyond it to clear the vehicle without obstructing other vehicles or pedestrians, even when a signal indicates proceed.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Sec. 24-802 falls under Sec. 1-110(a): a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500.00, imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both. Sec. 1-110(b) adds that the city can abate any condition violating the Code. The civil penalty in Sec. 1-110(c), set by section 18-1304, reaches only offenses specifically designated as municipal infractions, and the text of Sec. 24-802 carries no such designation. A person who skips the court date on a traffic citation commits a separate misdemeanor under Sec. 24-1002.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jaywalking illegal everywhere in Billings?
What is the penalty for jaywalking in Billings?
Who decides where Billings crosswalks go?
Can a police officer arrest someone for crossing outside a crosswalk?
What happens if a driver blocks a crosswalk in Billings?
Sources & Official References
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