Hampton, VA Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Sidewalk riding
- Allowed with yield + single file
- Banned near entrances
- E.g. parts of Phoebus, Downtown
- Banned during
- Posted special public events
- Signage exclusion
- Posted no-riding areas apply
- Penalty
- Civil penalty up to $50
Summary
Skateboards may use Hampton sidewalks within public rights-of-way if riders yield to pedestrians and ride single file, but riding is barred outright near building entrances -- including parts of Phoebus and Downtown -- and during posted events.
(a) Whenever any person shall ride a bicycle... motorized skateboard or scooter... on the sidewalk within public rights-of-way, such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian, shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian, and shall ride in single file. ... (b) No person except a police officer while on patrol shall ride [such a device] upon any sidewalk within public rights-of-way ... in any area where the main entrance/exit to a building directly opens onto a sidewalk within public rights-of-way (e.g., certain areas of Phoebus and Downtown)...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31 | Zoning: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 6-29(a) lets motorized skateboards or scooters (along with bicycles and similar devices) use sidewalks within public rights-of-way if the rider yields the right-of-way to pedestrians, gives an audible signal before passing, and rides single file; that permission doesn't apply where a usable bike path exists. Sec. 6-29(b) bars sidewalk riding entirely -- except by an on-patrol police officer -- wherever a building's main entrance opens directly onto the sidewalk (the ordinance names "certain areas of Phoebus and Downtown" as examples), during an active special public event, or wherever prohibition signage is posted.
Violations & Fines
Any violation of Sec. 6-29 -- riding where entrance-adjacent, during a posted event, or where signed off-limits, or failing to yield/signal/ride single file -- is punishable by a civil penalty of up to $50 (Sec. 6-29(c)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skateboard on sidewalks in Hampton?
Where is sidewalk skateboarding banned in Hampton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hampton
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