Lawrence, KS Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned zone
- downtown area, Kansas River to 11th Street
- Campus zone
- Jayhawk Blvd, 1,000 ft either side
- Devices covered
- skateboards, roller skates, roller blades, coasters
- Penalty
- fine up to $30.00 (§ 17-704)
- Cited reason
- pedestrian density, narrow sidewalk setbacks
Summary
In the City of Lawrence, riding a skateboard, roller skates, roller blades or similar device is unlawful on the sidewalks and public parking lots of a defined downtown zone bounded roughly by the Kansas River, Kentucky Street, New Hampshire Street and 11th Street, under City Code § 17-702(b). The city commission found such devices a public safety hazard on the district's narrow, crowded sidewalks.
(a)The governing body of the city hereby finds that the use of coasters, roller skates, skateboards, roller blades and other similar devices (hereafter device) is a public nuisance on the sidewalks and public parking lots in the downtown area as set forth in subsection (b)(1) of this section. ... (b)Skateboarding prohibited.(1)It shall be unlawful for any person to ride, skate or use a coaster, roller skates, skateboard, roller blades, or other similar device on sidewalks and public parking lots and facilities in the area which is defined as the following boundary area: the area bounded by the Kansas River, including the Riverfront Plaza parking garage, on the north; the centerline of the right-of-way on Kentucky Street on the west; the center of the right-of-way on New Hampshire Street on the east; the centerline of the right-of-way on north Park Street to Massachusetts and the centerline of the right-of-way of 11th Street east of Massachusetts on the south.
Full Breakdown
Section 17-702 of the Lawrence bicycle and skateboard article declares that coasters, roller skates, skateboards, roller blades and similar devices are a public nuisance on downtown sidewalks and public parking lots, citing the limited setback between sidewalks and downtown storefronts, the hazard of the devices near pedestrians in tight sidewalk space, and heavy pedestrian density. Subsection (b)(1) then bans riding, skating or otherwise using any of those devices on sidewalks and public parking lots and facilities within a specific boundary: the area bounded by the Kansas River (including the Riverfront Plaza parking garage) on the north, the centerline of the Kentucky Street right-of-way on the west, the centerline of the New Hampshire Street right-of-way on the east, and the centerline of North Park Street to Massachusetts Street and of 11th Street east of Massachusetts on the south.
A second, separate ban in subsection (b)(2) covers sidewalks on Jayhawk Boulevard from West Campus Road to 13th Street, including 1,000 feet on either side of that corridor on the University of Kansas campus; the same University corridor ban is repeated for KU's own traffic article at § 17-802. Riding a bicycle on a downtown sidewalk is separately banned by § 17-702's opening paragraph, with an exception for police officers on bicycle patrol. 00 under § 17-704.
Violations & Fines
Riding, skating, or using a coaster, roller skates, skateboard or roller blades on a sidewalk or public parking lot inside the mapped downtown boundary, or on Jayhawk Boulevard sidewalks and the surrounding 1,000-foot corridor on the University of Kansas campus, violates § 17-702(b). A conviction under the bicycle and skateboard article, § 17-704, carries a fine of up to $30.00 per offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is skateboarding illegal in downtown Lawrence?
Can I skateboard on the KU campus in Lawrence?
What's the penalty for skateboarding where it's banned in Lawrence?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lawrence
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