St. Louis County, MO Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SLCRO § 1209.060
- Applies to
- Blocks between two signalized intersections
- Exception
- Marked crosswalks always permitted
- Maximum penalty
- $1,000 fine or 1 year jail
- Penalty section
- SLCRO § 1215.010
- Court
- St. Louis County Municipal Court
Summary
In unincorporated St. Louis County, pedestrians cannot cross a street anywhere between two intersections that have working traffic signals unless they use a marked crosswalk. County Code Section 1209.060 bans this kind of mid-block jaywalking outright, and a violation is prosecuted as a Traffic Code misdemeanor under Section 1215.010, carrying up to a $1,000 fine or a year in jail.
Pedestrians shall not cross at any place between adjacent intersections at which traffic control signals are in operation, except when crossing in a marked crosswalk.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Traffic: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
St. ' The rule targets the classic jaywalking scenario: a pedestrian cutting across a signalized street mid-block instead of walking to the corner. 040 instead requires pedestrians to cross 'at right angles to the curb, or by the shortest path to the opposite curb,' unless a marked crosswalk exists. 020 gives crosswalk pedestrians the right-of-way only when a signal is not in place or not operating. 010, which covers every misdemeanor conviction 'under the provisions of the Traffic Code' with up to one year in the County Jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both, since Chapter 1209 sets no separate penalty of its own.
St. Louis County Police write these as ordinance violations returnable to the St. Louis County Municipal Court in Clayton. Because the rule reaches only unincorporated county territory, jaywalking inside any of the county's roughly 88 cities, such as Florissant, Chesterfield or University City, is governed by that municipality's own traffic code, not this section.
Violations & Fines
A citation issued for violating Section 1209.060 is a Traffic Code misdemeanor charge heard in St. Louis County Municipal Court, not a mere infraction. Because Chapter 1209 has no dedicated penalty section, sentencing follows Section 1215.010: up to one year in the County Jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Officers also cite the related crossing rules, Sections 1209.040 and 1209.050, when a pedestrian is struck or nearly struck outside a marked crosswalk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jaywalking illegal in unincorporated St. Louis County?
What happens if I'm cited for jaywalking?
Does this rule apply inside Florissant, Chesterfield or Kirkwood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
Compare St. Louis County to another location·View the Missouri public conduct overview
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