Edmonds, WA Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- ECC 8.04.150, business district designation
- Central Traffic District
- Sixth/Dayton to Sprague to Edmonds to Main
- Listed streets
- 212th St SW and 76th Ave W segments
- Max civil fine
- $1,000 under ECC 8.04.002
- Marking required
- Crosswalk or no-crossing signs must be posted
Summary
Edmonds designates specific streets as "business districts" where RCW 46.90.418 bars pedestrians from crossing anywhere except at a marked or signed crosswalk. ECC 8.04.150 lists the Central Traffic District, a stretch of 212th Street SW, and a stretch of 76th Avenue West, plus any other street the traffic engineer flags for heavy retail and pedestrian conflict.
For the purposes of RCW 46.90.418, prohibiting pedestrian crossing of streets in business districts other than at crosswalks, “business district” shall include the following streets provided crosswalks are clearly marked on such streets by signs or painted street markings, or signs are erected prohibiting pedestrian crossings: A. Central traffic district as defined by this chapter; B. 212th Street S.W. between the intersections of 74th Avenue West and 80th Avenue West; C. 76th Avenue West between the intersections of 218th Street S.W. and 203rd Street S.W.; and D. All other portions of streets that, at the discretion of the traffic engineer, have a substantial volume of traffic and along which there are retail businesses and/or public facilities such as schools, libraries and recreation centers thereby creating a significant risk of hazard and a strong likelihood of pedestrian crossings.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Edmonds does not ban mid-block street crossing citywide. 418, the state law requiring pedestrians in a business district to cross only at a marked crosswalk. The ordinance names four categories of streets. 140. Second is 212th Street SW between 74th Avenue West and 80th Avenue West. Third is 76th Avenue West between 218th Street SW and 203rd Street SW. Fourth, and open-ended, is any other street the city traffic engineer designates because it carries substantial traffic volume and runs past retail businesses or public facilities such as schools, libraries, or recreation centers, creating a real risk of pedestrian conflict.
The rule only applies where crosswalks are clearly marked by signs or pavement markings, or where signs specifically prohibit crossing elsewhere. Outside these designated streets, or where marking is absent, the crosswalk-only rule does not attach through this section. 002: absent a more specific penalty, a violation of Title 8 is a civil infraction, not a criminal offense, and a violator cannot be jailed for it.
Violations & Fines
Crossing mid-block on a designated business-district street without using a marked crosswalk is a civil infraction under ECC 8.04.002, carrying a fine up to $1,000 and no jail time. The traffic engineer's designation must be backed by visible crosswalk markings or no-crossing signage before the rule is enforceable on a given block; without that signage, ECC 8.04.150 does not itself create a citable violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jaywalking illegal everywhere in Edmonds?
What's the fine for crossing mid-block downtown?
Can the city add new business districts later?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
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How other cities in Snohomish County handle jaywalking.