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Portsmouth, VA Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Crossing directive
Cross at intersections/crosswalks when possible
Mid-block protection
Not automatically negligent if no crosswalk exists
Default penalty
Up to $2,500 / 12 months (Sec. 1-11(b))
Sign/officer disobedience fine
Up to $50.00 (Sec. 22-701)
Diagonal crossing
Allowed once traffic is fully halted

Summary

Portsmouth directs pedestrians to cross wherever possible only at intersections or marked crosswalks. City Code § 22-702(a) still shields a pedestrian from being found negligent as a matter of law for crossing mid-block or at an unmarked intersection by the most direct route, when done carefully.

(a)When crossing highways or streets, pedestrians shall not carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles. Pedestrians shall cross wherever possible only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Where any intersection of highways or streets contains 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.(b)Pedestrians may cross an intersection diagonally when all traffic entering the intersection has been halted by lights or signals by a peace or police officer.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).

Full Breakdown

' That is the operative mid-block crossing rule, but the same subsection tempers it: where an intersection has no marked crosswalk, a pedestrian is not automatically negligent for crossing there, or between intersections, provided they take the most direct route. Subsection (b) separately allows pedestrians to cross an intersection diagonally once all traffic entering it has been halted by a signal or a police officer. 00 fine, though pedestrian citations in Portsmouth are issued far below that ceiling in practice. 00 per offense, and § 22-703 puts the burden on drivers to yield to a pedestrian in any marked crosswalk. Read together, Portsmouth's code steers pedestrians toward intersections and crosswalks without criminalizing every mid-block crossing outright.

Violations & Fines

§ 22-702 carries no stand-alone fine, so a violation defaults to the general penalty clause in § 1-11(b): up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500.00 fine, the ceiling used for any Code violation without its own specified punishment. By contrast, disobeying a pedestrian sign or a police officer's traffic direction under § 22-701 carries an explicit fine of up to $50.00 per offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is jaywalking illegal in Portsmouth, Virginia?
Portsmouth's code tells pedestrians to cross 'wherever possible only at intersections or marked crosswalks' under § 22-702(a), but the same section says a pedestrian isn't automatically negligent for crossing mid-block or at an unmarked intersection by the most direct route. There's no stand-alone jaywalking fine; a violation falls under the general penalty clause, § 1-11(b).
Can I cross diagonally at a Portsmouth intersection?
Yes, once all traffic entering the intersection has been halted by a signal or by a police officer, § 22-702(b) allows pedestrians to cross diagonally. Outside that condition, cross with the flow of the controlling signal instead.
What happens if I ignore a police officer directing foot traffic in Portsmouth?
§ 22-701 requires pedestrians to obey traffic signs and the orders of police officers directing traffic, and violating it carries a fine of up to $50.00 for each offense. That's separate from the general crossing directive in § 22-702, which has no fixed dollar fine of its own.

Sources & Official References

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All Portsmouth rules

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