Clearwater, FL Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned locations
- Parking garages, handicap ramps, benches, planters, steps
- Signage rule
- Owners can post 'No Skating' signs, 2-inch letters min.
- Citywide duty
- Must yield to pedestrians on any street/sidewalk
- Citation
- City Code § 28.11 (Ord. No. 6301-98)
- Penalty
- Civil infraction, up to $500 (§ 1.12)
- Default class
- Class V, $35 total for first offense
Summary
Clearwater bans skateboarding, roller skating and in-line skating in specific public locations under City Code § 28.11, including parking garages, handicap access ramps, and any publicly owned benches, railings, planters or steps. Property owners can extend the ban to their own site by posting a qualifying sign.
(1)It is unlawful for any person to operate or ride a skateboard, roller skates or in-line skates in or upon any of the following locations:(a)In any public parking garage, including the access/egress ramp;(b)In any public access ramps or access ramps for handicapped persons providing pedestrian access to a building;(c)On any publicly owned benches, railings, planters, ceramic-tiled walkways, steps, and curbs; and(d)On any public or private property where prohibited by conspicuously located signs having lettering at least two inches high and containing as a minimum the words "No Skating," "No Skateboarding," or a substantially similar message.(2)It is unlawful for operators or riders of skateboards, roller skates or in-line skates to fail to yield the right-of-way to any other pedestrians or to otherwise endanger or interfere with pedestrian traffic on any street or sidewalk within the city.
Full Breakdown
Section 28.11(1) lists four banned locations: public parking garages, including access and egress ramps; public access ramps, including handicapped-accessible ramps to buildings; publicly owned benches, railings, planters, ceramic-tiled walkways, steps and curbs; and any public or private property posted with a conspicuous sign at least two inches in lettering height reading 'No Skating,' 'No Skateboarding,' or a substantially similar message. Separately, § 28.11(2) imposes a citywide duty: skaters and skateboarders must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and may not endanger or interfere with pedestrian traffic on any street or sidewalk in the city, regardless of whether the specific location appears on the banned list. The ordinance was adopted by Ord. No. 6301-98, § 1, on June 4, 1998, and sits in Chapter 28's Article I among Clearwater's other general public-places rules.
Violations & Fines
Skateboarding or skating in a banned location, or failing to yield to pedestrians and endangering foot traffic anywhere in the city, is a civil infraction under the Code's general penalty section, § 1.12. It carries a fine of up to $500, defaults to a Class V violation ($25 fine plus $10 court costs) absent a different classification, and doubles for a second offense by the same person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where in Clearwater is skateboarding illegal?
Can a private business ban skateboarding on its property?
Is skateboarding on a regular city sidewalk illegal in Clearwater?
What's the penalty for violating the skateboard ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clearwater
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Clearwater to another location·View the Florida public conduct overview
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Skateboarding Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pinellas County handle skateboarding rules.