Yakima, WA Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered zones
- CBD, business districts, arterials, signal-protected blocks
- Not covered
- Unmarked residential blocks, no signals/stops
- Legal crossing
- Marked crosswalks or specially provided points
- Companion rule
- § 9.50.330 railroad crossing stop duty
- Charge type
- Traffic infraction, general Title 9 penalty
Summary
Pedestrians in Yakima can't step off the curb into traffic between intersections in the central business district, any business district, on an arterial, or between signal- or stop-sign-protected intersections, unless they're in a marked crosswalk or another specially provided spot, under YMC § 9.50.320.
§ 9.50.320. Pedestrians' duties. Pedestrians shall not step into that portion of the street open to moving traffic at any point between intersections in the central business district, in any business district, on any arterial highway, or between adjacent intersections of streets protected by traffic signal devices or stop signs, except as marked crosswalks or other places specially provided.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4980636; v1 updated 2026-08-03; through 08-03-2026).
Full Breakdown
" The rule is narrower than a blanket jaywalking ban: it targets four specific settings, downtown, any business district, arterial highways, and blocks between signal- or stop-sign-protected intersections, rather than every street in the city, so a mid-block crossing on a quiet residential street with no stop signs at either end isn't covered by this section. 330, which separately requires pedestrians to stop and wait at railroad crossings whenever a signal, gate, flagman, visible train, or audible train warning shows a train is approaching. Both sections rest on the same policy: pedestrians must use the crossing points the city has built and marked rather than picking their own path through moving traffic. 320 does so under the general traffic-infraction and Title 9 penalty framework rather than a listed flat fee.
Violations & Fines
A § 9.50.320 violation is a traffic infraction rather than a parking ticket, so it falls under YMC § 9.60.030's general Title 9 penalty scheme: absent a specifically listed fine, a conviction for violating any traffic-title provision carries up to a $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, though most pedestrian infractions in practice are processed as monetary traffic infractions rather than criminal charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to cross mid-block anywhere in Yakima?
What counts as a legal place to cross outside a marked crosswalk in Yakima?
What happens if I get cited for jaywalking in Yakima?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yakima
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