Detroit, MI Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Citywide parks rule
- Banned if likely to harm person/property
- Hart Plaza
- Banned outright, no exceptions permit
- Campus Martius Park
- Banned outright except scheduled events
- Max penalty
- $500 fine, 90 days jail
- Enforcing agency
- Recreation Department
Summary
Detroit bans riding skateboards, roller blades, roller skates, or scooters in any city park, public place, or boulevard when done in a way that could harm a person or property, with an outright ban at Hart Plaza and Campus Martius Park.
No person shall operate or ride upon any roller blades, roller skates, scooters, or skateboards upon parks, public places, or boulevards in such a manner as to harm, or be likely to harm, any person or property. (Code 1964, § 42-1-22; Code 1984, §§ 40-1-21, 40-1-26; Ord. No. 22-12, § 1(40-1-21), eff. 11-29-2012; Ord. No. 28-15, § 1(40-1-26), eff. 12-2-2015)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 33-1-27(c) prohibits operating or riding roller blades, roller skates, scooters, or skateboards in any Detroit park, public place, or boulevard 'in such a manner as to harm, or be likely to harm, any person or property,' enforced by the Recreation Department. Downtown, the rule is stricter: § 33-2-9 bans skateboards, roller blades, roller skates, and scooters outright on Hart Plaza, and § 33-2-29 does the same for Campus Martius Park, lifting the ban only when the Recreation Department schedules an event that permits it.
Violations & Fines
General park violations are misdemeanors: up to a $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, under §§ 33-1-3(a) and 1-1-9(a)(1). Hart Plaza and Campus Martius violations carry the same misdemeanor penalty under §§ 33-2-3 and 33-2-23.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skateboard in a Detroit park?
Is skateboarding banned at Campus Martius Park downtown?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Detroit
Compare Detroit to another location·View the Michigan public conduct overview
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Skateboarding Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle skateboarding rules.