Monterey County, CA Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned roads
- Mercurio Road drainage ditch, Olmstead Rd/Jacks Peak Dr
- Private property
- Illegal once owner posts a Sheriff-approved sign
- County property
- Banned only where CAO posts qualifying signage
- Covered devices
- Skateboards, roller skates, and roller blades
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor: up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Enforcement
- Monterey County Sheriff's Office
Summary
In unincorporated Monterey County, riding a skateboard is banned outright on the east side of Mercurio Road's drainage ditch and on Olmstead Road and Jacks Peak Drive, and it becomes illegal wherever a County-owned or private property owner posts a Sheriff-approved sign, under Monterey County Code Chapter 12.56. The rule also covers roller skates and roller blades.
A.No person shall ride or propel a skateboard upon property owned by the County of Monterey when such property displays a sign prohibiting such use. The County Administrative Officer shall determine which County owned property, or portion thereof shall be subject to this ordinance.B.Signs so limiting the use of public property shall be placed at entrances to such public property, as determined by the County Administrative Officer or the County Administrative Officer's designee, and which are accessible to pedestrians. The signs shall be substantially similar to the signs approved by the Sheriff pursuant to Section 12.56.015 of this code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
000 to include any board or flat object with wheels intended to be propelled by pushing, pulling, or gravity, plus roller skates and roller blades. Three separate sections layer the ban. 010 flatly prohibits riding or propelling a skateboard on the roadway of two specific unincorporated stretches at any time: the east side of Mercurio Road, along the adjacent concrete drainage ditch, from 496 feet to 901 feet north of Carmel Valley Road, and the entirety of Olmstead Road/Jacks Peak Drive. 015 makes it unlawful to ride a skateboard on private property once the owner posts a notice, but the sign's wording and placement must first be approved by the Sheriff.
015. Because the ban is sign-triggered rather than county-wide, a rider is in violation only after a qualifying sign has actually gone up on that particular roadway segment or parcel. 040, which treats an unclassified Code violation as a misdemeanor unless a citing officer or the District Attorney charges it as an infraction.
Violations & Fines
A skateboarding violation under Chapter 12.56 is enforced by the Sheriff's Office and, absent a specific penalty in the chapter, defaults to Monterey County Code § 1.20.040: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in county jail, or both, unless the citing deputy or the District Attorney charges it as an infraction, which carries escalating fines of $250, $500, then $1,000 for repeat convictions within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skateboard on County-owned property in unincorporated Monterey County?
Is skateboarding banned on Mercurio Road?
Can a private landowner ban skateboarding on their property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey County to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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