Bowie, MD Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)

Section 17-2DD of the City of Bowie Code, part of Chapter 17's Park Rules and Regulations, restricts skateboards, in-line skates, bicycles, scooters, and similar equipment on park benches, retaining walls, curbs, stairs, and the amphitheater stage, with a carve-out only for the City Skate Park under Subsection DD(2) and (3). Applying skateboard wax or grind wax anywhere on City property is separately prohibited. Subsection DD(2) also bars this equipment from park parking lots and roadways whenever it interferes with vehicular traffic or creates unsafe conditions for pedestrians.

At the Skate Park itself, § 17-2DD(3) requires every user to wear a helmet meeting U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission standards, and the City strongly encourages elbow pads, kneepads, and wrist guards. No one may enter the Skate Park while it is closed; the City Manager or designee sets specific hours, and users must check at City Hall if they are unsure whether the facility is open. Unauthorized ramps, grind rails, or other structures placed in the Skate Park or elsewhere in City parks are deemed abandoned and can be removed and discarded by the City, and only nonmotorized equipment is allowed inside the Skate Park.

Because Subsection DD is not among the misdemeanor exceptions listed in § 17-5, a violation of any of these skateboard, skate, or bicycle restrictions is a municipal infraction, enforced under the general penalty provisions of Chapter 1, §§ 1-6 and 1-6A, rather than a criminal misdemeanor.