Lakewood, CO Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 10.48.050
- Duty outside a crosswalk
- yield to all vehicles
- Between signaled intersections
- crosswalk crossing only
- Diagonal crossing
- needs traffic-control device authorization
- Related rule
- right-angle crossing required, § 10.48.030
- Penalty
- Class 4 traffic offense, up to $200
Summary
Lakewood doesn't ban mid-block crossing outright, but a pedestrian who crosses outside a marked or intersection crosswalk must yield to every vehicle on the roadway under Municipal Code Section 10.48.050(A). Between signaled intersections, crossing anywhere but a marked crosswalk is prohibited entirely, and diagonal crossing needs an official traffic-control device's authorization. It's a Class 4 traffic offense.
A.Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.B.Between adjacent intersections at which traffic-control signals are in operation, pedestrians shall not cross at any place except in a marked crosswalk.C.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.D.Any person who violates any provision of this section commits a Class 4 traffic offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 14 | Zoning Ordinance: ?).
Full Breakdown
48, Lakewood's pedestrian traffic rules. 050(A) flips that priority for anyone crossing anywhere else: that pedestrian must yield to all vehicles on the roadway, rather than the other way around. Subsection (B) goes further between two adjacent intersections that both have working traffic-control signals: in that stretch, crossing anywhere except a marked crosswalk is simply prohibited, which functions as Lakewood's mid-block jaywalking ban on signaled blocks. Subsection (C) separately bars crossing an intersection diagonally unless an official traffic-control device authorizes it, and even then the crossing must follow whatever markings or signals govern that diagonal movement.
010's general duty to obey posted traffic-control devices. Together, the sections mean a pedestrian's legal options for crossing narrow considerably once they step off a marked or intersection crosswalk, and the burden of avoiding a collision shifts onto the pedestrian rather than the driver.
Violations & Fines
Violating Section 10.48.050 is a Class 4 traffic offense under Section 1.16.020(C), carrying a fine of up to $200 with no jail time. A citation can issue whether the pedestrian was crossing mid-block against traffic, crossing diagonally without authorization, or simply failing to yield to an approaching vehicle after leaving the crosswalk, and an officer can also cite the related right-angle crossing requirement in Section 10.48.030 for the same incident.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jaywalking illegal in Lakewood, CO?
Can I cross the street diagonally in Lakewood?
Who has the right-of-way if I cross mid-block in Lakewood?
What's the fine for jaywalking in Lakewood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
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Jaywalking in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle jaywalking.