Chicago restricts skateboarding on sidewalks and streets in the central business district under Municipal Code 9-100-040. Chicago Park District rules govern park skateparks and ban skating on monuments and benches, with administrative fines and equipment confiscation as penalties.
Municipal Code section 9-100-040 prohibits riding skateboards, roller skates, and similar coasters on sidewalks within the Central Business District (Loop) and on any street where signs are posted. Outside the CBD, sidewalk riding is generally allowed if pedestrians are not endangered, but skaters must yield to walkers and dismount on crosswalks. The Chicago Park District has its own ordinance covering park property: skating on benches, ledges, monuments, fountains, and stairways is banned, with use limited to designated skateparks like Grant Park and Wilson. Helmets are recommended but not mandated for adults. Fines target both the rider and parents of minor offenders.
MCC 9-100-040 violations carry fines of twenty-five to two hundred dollars; Park District infractions add up to five hundred dollars plus possible equipment impoundment under Chicago Park District Code chapter VII.
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