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Jefferson County, MO Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Mid-block ban
No crossing where signals operate, off-crosswalk
Unsignalized roads
Must cross at right angles off-crosswalk
Right-of-way
Pedestrian yields outside marked crosswalks
Crosswalks
Drivers must stop for crosswalk pedestrians
Penalty ceiling
Up to $2,000/1 yr under general §300.040

Summary

Jefferson County pedestrians may not cross between two intersections that have working traffic control signals unless they use a marked crosswalk. Outside signalized stretches, walkers must cross at right angles by the shortest path and must yield to vehicles unless already in a crosswalk.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Jefferson County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Pedestrians shall not cross at any place between adjacent intersections at which traffic control signals are in operation, except when crossing in a marked crosswalk.

Full Breakdown

060 of the county's Traffic Code, titled 'Prohibited Crossing,' bars pedestrians from crossing at any place between adjacent intersections where traffic control signals are in operation, unless the crossing is inside a marked crosswalk. 040, still requires pedestrians to cross at right angles to the curb by the shortest path to the opposite curb, except when using a crosswalk. 050 flips that duty onto the pedestrian anywhere else, requiring the walker to yield to all vehicles when crossing outside a marked or unmarked intersection crosswalk, and again at any point where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead crossing has been built.

030 adds that once in a crosswalk, pedestrians should keep to the right half whenever practicable. Together the sections mean a pedestrian who steps off the curb mid-block on a signalized stretch, or who cuts diagonally across an intersection instead of crossing at right angles, has crossed unlawfully and forfeits the right-of-way protection a marked crosswalk would otherwise provide.

Violations & Fines

Chapter 335 carries no chapter-specific penalty section, so a mid-block crossing violation falls under the Traffic Code's general misdemeanor provision, Section 300.040, punishable by up to a $2,000 fine, up to one year in the county jail, or both, though courts in practice apply a fraction of that ceiling to pedestrian citations. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol have arrest authority for the violation under Section 300.050.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is jaywalking illegal in Jefferson County?
Yes, in a specific sense. Section 335.060 prohibits pedestrians from crossing between adjacent intersections that have working traffic control signals unless they use a marked crosswalk, which is the county's version of a jaywalking ban; it does not separately outlaw every mid-block crossing on unsignalized roads.
Do I have the right-of-way if I cross outside a crosswalk?
No. Section 335.050 requires a pedestrian crossing a roadway anywhere other than in a marked crosswalk, or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, to yield the right-of-way to all vehicles on the roadway, reversing the protection Section 335.020 gives crosswalk users.
What happens if I'm cited for crossing mid-block?
Chapter 335 has no dedicated penalty section, so the citation is prosecuted as a general Traffic Code misdemeanor under Section 300.040, which allows a fine of up to $2,000, up to a year in jail, or both, though actual pedestrian fines are typically set well below that ceiling by the court.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Jefferson County

All Jefferson County rules

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