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Chico, CA Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)

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

Key Facts

Applies in
central traffic/business district only
Rule
crosswalk use required
Citywide?
no, geographically limited
Adopted by
Ord. 2119

Summary

In Chico's central traffic and business districts, pedestrians must cross only at a marked crosswalk: jaywalking there violates Municipal Code §10.35.030, though the rule doesn't extend citywide.

No pedestrian shall cross a street at other than a crosswalk in any central traffic or business district.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Supplement contains local legislation current through: Codified Resolution No. 53-26, adopted 7-14-26 and Ordinance No. 2622, adopted 6-2-26).

Full Breakdown

Municipal Code §10.35.030 requires pedestrians in Chico's central traffic or business district to cross only at a marked crosswalk: stepping off the curb mid-block there is prohibited. The rule is geographically limited: it applies specifically within the central traffic or business district the city has designated, not to residential or outlying streets citywide. A related section, §10.35.040, separately requires crossing at right angles to the curb outside marked crosswalks, but that is a distinct provision covering different territory.

Violations & Fines

Crossing mid-block in the designated central traffic or business district, instead of at a marked crosswalk, is a citable pedestrian infraction under §10.35.030.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a jaywalking ticket anywhere in Chico?
This specific ban only covers the central traffic and business district; §10.35.030 doesn't create a citywide crosswalk-only requirement for residential streets.
What about crossing diagonally outside downtown?
A separate section, §10.35.040, requires crossing at right angles to the curb unless in a marked crosswalk, and that rule applies more broadly citywide.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Chico

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