Boston, MA Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- Boston Code § 16-12.37
- First offense fine
- $100
- Repeat offense fine
- $200
- Covers
- skateboards, roller blades/skates, stunt bicycles
- Excludes
- ordinary streets and sidewalks
Summary
Boston Code § 16-12.37 bans riding skateboards, roller blades, roller skates or stunt-type bicycles on defined 'public property', stairs, fountain areas, plazas and similar city-controlled spaces, but expressly excludes streets and sidewalks, which the Transportation Commission can separately restrict by regulation.
(A) Operation of skateboards, roller blades, roller skates and stunt-type bicycles on public property prohibited. (1) Unless otherwise permitted by city rule or regulation, it shall be unlawful for any person to ride or operate roller blades, roller skates, a skateboard or stunt-type bicycle upon public property in the city. Public property includes, but is not limited to, stairs, fountain areas, plazas or any area under the care, custody and control of the city but, for the purpose of this Subsection, shall not include streets or sidewalks. (2) The Transportation Commission may by regulation declare it unlawful for any person to ride or operate roller blades, roller skates, a skateboard or stunt-type bicycle upon specific streets or sidewalks within the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Current through Ordinance 2025 C. 14, passed 11-5-2025).
Full Breakdown
37 violation. 37(A)(2); absent such a regulation, streets and sidewalks stay outside this ordinance's reach. 37(B) lets a court substitute community service for all or part of the fine. L. Chapter 40, Section 21D, and the Section is expressly severable, so a court striking one part leaves the rest of the ban in force. 38, imposes its own sidewalk and street bans on gas-powered scooters, powerboards and mini-motorbikes, with lighter $25/$50 fines and exceptions for registered mopeds, registered motorized bicycles and mobility devices for disabled riders, a reminder that Boston regulates wheeled recreational devices space-by-space rather than under one blanket rule.
Violations & Fines
A first offense under § 16-12.37 is fined $100; a second or later offense is $200, though a court may substitute community service for some or all of the fine under § 16-12.37(B). The ban applies only to defined 'public property' such as stairs, fountains and plazas, not to ordinary streets or sidewalks, which require a separate Transportation Commission regulation to restrict.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you skateboard on Boston sidewalks?
What's the fine for skateboarding somewhere banned in Boston?
Where exactly can't you skateboard in Boston?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boston
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Skateboarding Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle skateboarding rules.