Columbia, MO Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- §§ 14-580 through 14-582
- Business district
- crosswalk required, no exceptions
- Between signals
- crosswalk mandatory, § 14-582(a)
- Elsewhere
- midblock crossing legal if you yield
- Crossing angle
- right angles to curb required
Summary
Columbia lets pedestrians cross outside a crosswalk in most of Boone County, Missouri if they yield to traffic, but crossing outside a crosswalk is flatly banned between signalized intersections and in the business district.
(a)Between adjacent intersections at which traffic control signals are in operation, pedestrians shall not cross at any place except in a crosswalk.(b)No pedestrian shall cross a roadway other than in a crosswalk in any business district.(c)No pedestrian shall cross a roadway other than in a crosswalk upon any street designated by ordinance.(d)No pedestrian shall cross a roadway intersection diagonally unless authorized by official traffic control devices, and, when authorized to cross diagonally, pedestrians shall cross only in accordance with the official traffic control devices pertaining to such crossing movements. (Code 1964, § 12.450)
State Law reference— Similar provisions, RSMo. § 300.395.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 138).
Full Breakdown
Columbia's jaywalking framework isn't a blanket ban: it's a yield-based system. Code of Ordinances § 14-581 lets pedestrians cross outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk, but they must yield the right-of-way to all vehicles on the roadway. Section 14-582 draws the hard lines: between adjacent signalized intersections and anywhere within the business district, crossing outside a crosswalk is flatly prohibited. Section 14-580 further requires any midblock crossing to run at right angles to the curb, by the shortest route, rather than diagonally.
Violations & Fines
Crossing outside a crosswalk between signalized intersections or in the business district, or failing to yield when crossing midblock, violates §§ 14-581 and 14-582 and is a citable traffic offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jaywalking illegal in Columbia, Missouri?
Can I cross diagonally at a Columbia intersection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbia
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