Ventura, CA Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 16.150.020
- Where crosswalk required
- Central traffic district and any business district
- Crosswalk siting
- City traffic engineer designates crosswalks (§16.150.010)
- Mid-block crosswalk limit
- None on blocks under 400 feet
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000/6 months
Summary
In the City of Ventura's central traffic district and in any business district, pedestrians may cross a roadway only at a crosswalk; Municipal Code § 16.150.020 makes mid-block crossing elsewhere in those areas unlawful. The city traffic engineer designates and marks those crosswalks under § 16.150.010, and can post signs at a crosswalk telling pedestrians not to cross there, or refuse to create a mid-block crosswalk on any block shorter than 400 feet.
16.150.020 When pedestrians must use crosswalks. No pedestrian shall cross a roadway other than by a crosswalk in the central traffic district or in any business district.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
020 is a short, one-sentence rule: no pedestrian shall cross a roadway other than by a crosswalk in the central traffic district or in any business district. 010 by a metes-and-bounds description running along Poli Street, Valdez Alley, Main Street, Ventura Avenue, and Santa Clara Street in the downtown core; a business district is not separately defined in this chapter, so it takes on its ordinary meaning of a commercially zoned area. Outside those two kinds of areas, jaywalking is not restricted by this particular section, though drivers and pedestrians remain subject to the California Vehicle Code's own crossing rules wherever they apply.
010, gives the city traffic engineer authority, with the city manager's approval, to establish and mark crosswalks at intersections and other hazardous locations, but bars creating a new mid-block crosswalk on any block under 400 feet long, and lets the traffic engineer post signs at a specific crosswalk directing pedestrians not to use it. 150, Pedestrians, within Division 1 of Title 16, Vehicle and Traffic Regulations.
Violations & Fines
Section 16.150.020 is not on the list of infractions in Municipal Code § 1.150.030(B), so a violation defaults to a misdemeanor under § 1.150.020, carrying a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, though the city attorney may elect to charge it as an infraction under § 1.150.030(C) instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get cited for jaywalking in downtown Ventura?
Does the jaywalking rule apply in residential neighborhoods outside downtown?
What's the penalty for jaywalking under city law in Ventura?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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Jaywalking in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle jaywalking.