Los Angeles, CA Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Riding position required
- Upright, standing only
- Intersection speed limit
- 10 mph at uncontrolled intersections
- Towing/attachment
- Prohibited: cannot attach to or be towed by motor vehicles
- Penalty
- Infraction; fine set by City Council
- Location bans
- City Council may designate prohibited areas by ordinance
- Hermano Drive (Reseda) fine
- $50 first offense, $100 subsequent
Summary
Skateboarders on LA public property must ride in the upright standing position, obey all traffic controls, and avoid reckless operation that endangers others or obstructs public use. The City Council may designate specific locations where skateboarding is prohibited entirely.
SEC. 56.15.1. USE OF SKATEBOARDS. (Amended by Ord. No. 182,389, Eff. 3/17/13.) (b) Skateboarding prohibited at specified locations. The City Council may, by ordinance, specify certain public roadways, public sidewalks, public parking lots and other public property, or portions thereof, on which skateboarding shall be prohibited. (c) Skateboarding on public property. Persons riding on skateboards on public roadways, public sidewalks, public parking lots and other public property shall comply with the following requirements and restrictions: 1. Skateboarding in the upright position. Persons riding on skateboards shall do so only in the upright, standing position. Using, pushing, propelling or riding on a skateboard in a sitting, prone, kneeling or lying position is prohibited. 2. Traffic controls. Persons riding on skateboards on public roadways shall obey all speed limits, stop signs, signal lights, and other traffic controls that govern right-of-way. 5. Manner of operation. No person shall operate a skateboard recklessly or in such a manner or at such a speed as to cause or threaten to cause injury to themself or to others, to create an obstruction or to present a hazard to the free use of public property by other pedestrians or motorists. (d) Penalty for violations. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an infraction and shall be subject to fines as established by the City Council.
Full Breakdown
LAMC § 56.15.1 applies to public roadways, sidewalks, parking lots, and other public property. Riders must ride close to the far-right edge of roadways and yield to vehicles approaching from the rear. At uncontrolled intersections, skateboarders must yield to nearby vehicles and may not cross faster than 10 mph. Attaching to or being towed by a motor vehicle while on a skateboard is prohibited. Sitting, prone, kneeling, or lying positions are always prohibited.
Violations & Fines
Violations are infractions with fines set by City Council. Under LAMC § 56.15.2 (a specific designated prohibition on Hermano Drive), the first violation is a $50 infraction and subsequent violations are $100 infractions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skateboard on a Los Angeles sidewalk?
Are there places in LA where skateboarding is completely banned?
What is the fine for a skateboarding violation in LA?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles
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Skateboarding Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle skateboarding rules.