Lynchburg, VA Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Where to cross
- Intersection or marked crosswalk when possible
- No-crosswalk exception
- Not automatically negligent absent a crosswalk
- No-stop rule added
- 2020/2021, Ord. O-20-024, O-21-051
- Diagonal crossing
- Allowed once all traffic is halted
- Sign violation fine
- Up to $5.00, Sec. 25-385
Summary
Lynchburg pedestrians must cross at an intersection or marked crosswalk whenever possible, but the code does not automatically brand a mid-block crossing negligent when no crosswalk exists nearby. A 2021 amendment also bars police from stopping a pedestrian for this violation alone, sharply limiting how jaywalking gets enforced.
When crossing highways or streets, pedestrians shall not carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles. They shall cross whenever possible only at intersections or marked crosswalks, but where intersections contain no marked crosswalks, pedestrians shall not be guilty of negligence as a matter of law for crossing at any such intersection or between intersections when crossing by the most direct route. ... No law-enforcement officer shall stop a pedestrian for a violation of this section. No evidence discovered or obtained as the result of a stop in violation of this subsection, including evidence discovered or obtained with the person's consent, shall be admissible in any trial, hearing, or other proceeding.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
Section 25-386 governs how pedestrians may cross a Lynchburg street. Subsection (a) directs pedestrians to cross only at intersections or marked crosswalks whenever possible and to never carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles, but it builds in an important carve-out: where an intersection has no marked crosswalk, a pedestrian is not negligent as a matter of law for crossing there, or between intersections, as long as the crossing follows the most direct route. Subsection (b) allows a pedestrian to cross an intersection diagonally once all traffic entering it has been halted by a light, another traffic-control device, or an officer.
The most consequential piece is subsection (c), added by Ordinance O-20-024 in 2020 and amended by Ordinance O-21-051 in 2021: no law-enforcement officer can stop a pedestrian for a Section 25-386 violation, and any evidence discovered during a stop that breaks this rule, even evidence obtained with the pedestrian's consent, is inadmissible in any trial or hearing. A related section, Section 25-388, separately bars pedestrians from stepping into moving traffic at a point between intersections where a parked vehicle or other obstruction would hide them from an approaching driver's view, and it carries the identical no-stop, no-admissible-evidence limit.
Section 25-387 flips the obligation onto drivers at marked crosswalks, requiring them to stop and stay stopped for a crossing pedestrian until the pedestrian clears the lane.
Violations & Fines
Because Section 25-386(c) and Section 25-388 bar police from stopping a pedestrian solely for a jaywalking violation, and make any evidence from such a stop inadmissible, mid-block crossing in Lynchburg carries little practical enforcement exposure on its own. The city's older sign-and-signal provision, Section 25-385, still allows a fine of up to $5.00 per offense for disobeying a posted pedestrian sign or a police officer's traffic order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jaywalking illegal in Lynchburg?
Can Lynchburg police stop me just for crossing mid-block?
Can I cross diagonally at a Lynchburg intersection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynchburg
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