Independence, MO Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Roadway use
- Banned citywide except crosswalk crossings
- Crosswalk riders
- Treated as pedestrians
- Sidewalk ban districts
- Englewood, Fairmount, Maywood, Noland Rd, Central Traffic
- Posted private property
- Ban extends wherever signage prohibits use
- Related device rule
- Motor scooters restricted under § 18.03.006
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 60 days jail
Summary
Independence bans skateboards, roller skates, sleds, and similar devices from any roadway except in a marked crosswalk, and bars them from sidewalks in five named business districts under City Code §§ 18.03.004-.005. Riders crossing on a crosswalk get the same rights and duties as pedestrians.
No person upon roller skates, skateboard, sled, or riding in or by means of any coaster, toy vehicle, or similar device shall go upon any roadway, except while crossing a street on a crosswalk, and when so crossing such person shall be granted all the rights and shall be subject to all the duties applicable to pedestrians. ... No person upon roller skates, skateboard, sled, or by riding in or by means of any coaster, toy vehicle or similar device shall go upon any sidewalk in the Englewood Business District, the Fairmount Business District, the Maywood Business District, the Noland Road Business District, the Central Traffic District, or upon any public or private property posted so as to indicate that such use is prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13).
Full Breakdown
005 extends the restriction to sidewalks, but only inside five named commercial areas: the Englewood Business District, the Fairmount Business District, the Maywood Business District, the Noland Road Business District, and the Central Traffic District. The ban also reaches any other public or private property elsewhere in the city if it is 'posted so as to indicate that such use is prohibited,' meaning a property owner or the City can extend the ban to a specific sidewalk or lot with signage. The two sections work together: outside the five named business districts and unposted private property, sidewalk skateboarding is not directly restricted by this article, but roadway use is banned citywide except for crosswalk crossings.
006, applies the same street-and-posted-property restriction to motor scooters, and both sections sit in Article 3, 'Enforcement and Obedience to Traffic Regulations,' alongside the City's rules on obeying police traffic direction and fleeing an officer.
Violations & Fines
Riding a skateboard, roller skates, sled, or similar device on a City street, or on a sidewalk within the Englewood, Fairmount, Maywood, Noland Road, or Central Traffic business districts, is a municipal ordinance violation. Because Article 3 does not set its own fine, it falls under the general penalty, City Code § 10.04.001: up to a $500.00 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation charged separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skateboard on the street in Independence?
Where downtown is skateboarding banned on the sidewalk?
Can a business post a 'no skateboarding' sign outside the listed districts?
What's the penalty for skateboarding where it's banned?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Independence
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