Norfolk, VA Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Norfolk Code § 25-626
- Crossing fine
- $25 to $100 per offense
- Crosswalk right-of-way speed cutoff
- 35 mph or less (§ 25-627)
- Signal-violation fine
- Up to $200 (§ 25-635)
- Signal prepayment option
- $50 within 24 hours
Summary
Norfolk pedestrians must cross streets at intersections or marked crosswalks whenever possible under City Code § 25-626. Crossing between intersections when a crosswalk exists is not automatically excused, and diagonal crossing is allowed only when all traffic has been halted by signals or an officer. Violators face a $25 to $100 fine per offense under § 25-633.
(1)When crossing highways or streets, pedestrians shall not carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles. They shall cross, wherever possible, only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Where intersections of streets 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.(2)Pedestrians may cross an intersection diagonally when all traffic entering the intersection has been halted by lights or semaphores or signals by a peace or police officer. (Code 1958, § 29-584)
State Law reference— Provisions similar to subsection (1) and authority for subsection (2), Code of Virginia, § 46.1-230.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 166).
Full Breakdown
" Where an intersection has no marked crosswalk, a pedestrian crossing there or between intersections by the most direct route is not automatically negligent as a matter of law, but that protection disappears where a crosswalk is available and unused. Diagonal crossing of an intersection is permitted only once all traffic entering it has been stopped by lights, semaphores or an officer's signal (§ 25-626(2)). The rule works alongside § 25-627, which gives pedestrians the right-of-way in any clearly marked crosswalk, midblock or at a block's end, and at intersections where the posted speed limit is 35 mph or less, provided a traffic officer or signal is not already directing movement.
Section 25-628 separately bars stepping into a travel lane between intersections where an obstruction, such as a parked vehicle, would hide the pedestrian from an approaching driver's view, except to board a bus or reach a safety zone. 1 makes it unlawful to stand at a roadway's edge in a manner that would lead a reasonable driver to believe the person is about to step into traffic. Norfolk Police officers cite pedestrians directly under this article; there is no separate permit or registration scheme, just a conduct rule tied to the location of marked crossings.
Violations & Fines
A conviction under §§ 25-626 through 25-632 carries a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $100 per offense under § 25-633. Obedience to pedestrian signals is enforced separately under § 25-635, which allows prepayment of $50 to the general district court traffic clerk within 24 hours of a summons, escalating to a $200 maximum fine if unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jaywalking illegal in Norfolk?
What if there's no crosswalk at my intersection?
Can I cross diagonally at an intersection?
Who enforces Norfolk's pedestrian crossing rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk
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