Independence, MO Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Mid-block crossing
- Allowed only at right angle, shortest route
- Crosswalk crossing
- Pedestrian has right-of-way if signal green
- Outside a crosswalk
- Pedestrian must yield to all vehicles
- Pedestrian tunnels/overpasses
- Yield to vehicles required, § 18.08.005(B)
- Driver duty
- Must use 'highest degree of care,' § 18.08.008
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 60 days jail
Summary
Independence requires pedestrians to cross a roadway at right angles to the curb or by the shortest route to the opposite curb unless using a marked crosswalk, under City Code § 18.08.004. Anyone who crosses outside a crosswalk must yield the right-of-way to all vehicles on the roadway under § 18.08.005.
No pedestrian shall cross a roadway at any place other than by a route at right angles to the curb or by the shortest route to the opposite curb, except in a marked crosswalk, or as provided in Article 4. ... A. Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than a crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway. B. Any pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway. C. A pedestrian crossing or starting across a roadway upon the immediate approach of an emergency vehicle making use of audible and visual signals meeting the requirements of Section 18.03.009 of this chapter, shall yield the right-of-way.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13).
Full Breakdown
' In plain terms, a pedestrian may cross mid-block only by walking the shortest, most direct line straight across, not at an angle, unless there is a marked crosswalk to use instead. 005 layers a right-of-way duty onto that mid-block crossing: 'every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than a crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway,' and the same yield duty applies to anyone using a pedestrian tunnel or overhead crossing. 009 must also yield. 008, which requires every driver to 'exercise the highest degree of care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian' regardless of who has the right-of-way.
Read together, the code does not flatly ban mid-block crossing the way some jaywalking statutes do: it permits it at a right angle by the shortest route, but shifts all right-of-way duty onto the pedestrian instead of the driver.
Violations & Fines
Crossing at an angle instead of a right angle, or failing to yield to traffic while crossing outside a crosswalk, is a municipal ordinance violation. Neither § 18.08.004 nor § 18.08.005 sets its own fine, so Independence Police cite the violation under the general penalty, City Code § 10.04.001, which carries a fine of up to $500.00, up to 60 days in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jaywalking illegal in Independence, Missouri?
Who has the right-of-way if I cross outside a crosswalk?
Can I cross diagonally between two intersections?
What's the fine for an illegal crossing in Independence?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Independence
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