Surprise, AZ Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Crossing rule
- Right-angle, shortest route outside a crosswalk
- Roadway standing
- Barred except waiting for pedestrian signal
- First violation
- Warning required before any citation
- Repeat violation
- Class 1 misdemeanor
- Effective date
- July 1, 2015 (Ord. No. 2015-08)
Summary
Outside a marked crosswalk, Surprise requires pedestrians to cross a roadway by the shortest route straight across, at right angles to the curb, under Code § 54-6. Standing or stopping in a travel lane or an unmarked median is also barred except while waiting to cross at the next signal once traffic has stopped. Police must give a first-time warning; only a second or later violation becomes a class 1 misdemeanor.
A.Except in a crosswalk, no pedestrian may cross a roadway at any place other than by a route at right angles to the curb or by the shortest route to the opposite curb. A pedestrian may not cross a roadway where prohibited by appropriate signs, markings, devices or by law.B.No pedestrian may stop or remain in the portion of the roadway designed for vehicular use or in a painted or raised traffic island or median not designated for use by pedestrians except to wait to cross the roadway at the next pedestrian signal, when traffic has stopped, cleared or yielded.C.Before any pedestrian is cited for a civil violation of this section, the pedestrian must be given a warning by law enforcement. The first violation of this section after the warning is given is a civil, traffic offense and a second and any subsequent violation of this section is a class 1 misdemeanor.
Full Breakdown
Code § 54-6 governs where and how pedestrians may cross a Surprise street outside of a marked crosswalk. Subsection A requires that, except in a crosswalk, a pedestrian cross only by a route at right angles to the curb or by the shortest route to the opposite curb, and bars crossing anywhere prohibited by signs, markings, devices, or law. Subsection B separately bars a pedestrian from stopping or remaining in the portion of the roadway designed for vehicles or in a painted or raised traffic island or median not designated for pedestrian use, with a narrow exception to wait for the next pedestrian signal once traffic has stopped, cleared, or yielded.
Enforcement is graduated: Subsection C requires that a pedestrian receive a warning from law enforcement before any citation issues; the first violation after that warning is a civil traffic offense, and a second or any later violation is a class 1 misdemeanor, the most serious misdemeanor class under Arizona law. The section was adopted by Ordinance No. 2015-08 and took effect July 1, 2015. Because the rule turns on the presence of a marked crosswalk and a documented prior warning, an officer responding to a mid-block crossing complaint must be able to show that warning before any citation, civil or criminal, can be issued.
Violations & Fines
A first offense under Section 54-6, and only after police have given the pedestrian a warning, is a civil traffic offense rather than a crime. Any second or subsequent violation of the section is a class 1 misdemeanor, Arizona's most serious misdemeanor classification. Because the warning-first rule is written directly into the ordinance, an officer must be able to show that a warning was already given before any citation, civil or criminal, can be issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be ticketed for crossing a Surprise street outside a crosswalk?
Is standing in the middle of the road illegal in Surprise?
Does a police officer have to warn me before writing a jaywalking ticket?
What happens if I'm cited a second time for jaywalking in Surprise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Surprise
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