Apex, NC Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Sidewalk speed limit
- 10 mph on narrow paths/crossings
- Downtown ban zone
- N. Salem St & Chatham St segments
- Penalty class
- Infraction under G.S. 14-4
- Also covers
- Scooters and bicycles, same rule
Summary
Apex allows skateboarding on sidewalks with due caution and a 10 mph limit, but bans it outright on sidewalks along stretches of North Salem and Chatham Streets downtown.
No person shall ride a bicycle, scooter or skateboard on any public sidewalk without due caution and shall yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians and persons on other permitted devices using said sidewalks. Speed shall be limited to ten miles per hour on sidewalks and paths of five feet or less in width and when crossing the intersection of a public street or driveway along any sidewalk or path. No person shall ride a bicycle, scooter or skateboard on the sidewalks along North Salem Street between Chatham Street and Templeton Street or along Chatham Street between Seaboard Street and Commerce Street. A violation of this section is punishable as an infraction as provided by G.S. 14-4.
(Code 1973, § 11-104; Ord. No. 2011-0802-06, § 1, 8-2-2011; Ord. No. 2015-0317-12, § 22, 3-17-2015; Ord. No. 2018-1106-47, § 1, 11-6-2018; Ord. No. 2021-1123-40, § 167, 11-23-2021)
Cross reference— Similar provisions as to motor vehicles generally, § 20-112.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
Town Code § 20-143 lets skateboarders (and scooter and bicycle riders) use public sidewalks if they ride with due caution, yield to pedestrians, and keep speed to 10 mph or less on sidewalks and paths five feet wide or narrower and at street or driveway crossings. But the same section carves out a flat ban on sidewalks along North Salem Street between Chatham and Templeton Streets, and along Chatham Street between Seaboard and Commerce Streets: the heart of downtown Apex. Riding there, or riding recklessly elsewhere, is an infraction under G.S. 14-4.
Violations & Fines
Infraction punishable under G.S. 14-4; applies to riding without due caution, exceeding 10 mph on narrow sidewalks/crossings, or riding at all on the banned downtown sidewalk segments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you skateboard on sidewalks in downtown Apex?
What's the speed limit for skateboarding on Apex sidewalks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apex
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How other cities in Wake County handle skateboarding rules.