Lakewood, CA Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- General rule
- Crosswalk-only in business districts
- Named street rule
- Candlewood St, Graywood Ave to Lakewood Blvd
- Chapter penalty clause
- §3223.3 makes violation a misdemeanor
- Default penalty
- Up to 6 months jail or state max fine (§1200)
- Enforcing agency
- LA County Sheriff (contract traffic agency)
- Business district definition
- Borrowed from state Motor Vehicle Code
Summary
In Lakewood's business districts, pedestrians must cross by crosswalk only, and one stretch of Candlewood Street is designated crosswalk-only citywide by name. Crossing mid-block outside a marked crosswalk in these areas is a chargeable violation of the traffic chapter, a misdemeanor by its own terms.
No pedestrian shall cross a roadway other than by a crosswalk in any business district. ... No pedestrian shall cross the following roadways except within a marked crosswalk. Candlewood Street between its intersection with Graywood Avenue and its intersection with Lakewood Boulevard.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4901715; v5 updated 2026-04-28; through 04-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
2). 1 goes further for one specific corridor: Candlewood Street between its intersections with Graywood Avenue and Lakewood Boulevard is designated crosswalk-only for pedestrians regardless of business-district status, a street-specific rule the City Council adopted by name rather than leaving to the general business-district standard. Both sections sit in Chapter 2, Part 7 (Pedestrian Regulations), inside the same chapter that also requires pedestrians to obey a directing officer's signals (§3271) and bars standing in a roadway outside a safety zone or crosswalk (§3272). " Because Lakewood contracts with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for traffic enforcement under §3222, it is Sheriff's deputies acting as the City's designated law enforcement agency, not a separate municipal police force, who cite pedestrians for crossing outside a marked crosswalk on Candlewood Street or in a business district.
Violations & Fines
Crossing outside a marked crosswalk in a business district, or anywhere along the designated Candlewood Street segment, violates §3270 or §3270.1 and is a misdemeanor under §3223.3, the chapter's own obedience clause, not simply an infraction. As with other Code misdemeanors, §1200 sets the default penalty at a fine up to the state misdemeanor maximum, up to six months in the City or County Jail, or both, with Sheriff's deputies handling enforcement as Lakewood's contracted traffic agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jaywalking illegal in Lakewood?
Is there a specific street in Lakewood where jaywalking is banned?
Is jaywalking a misdemeanor or just a ticket in Lakewood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
California rules heatmap·Compare Lakewood to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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Jaywalking in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle jaywalking.