Lynnwood, WA Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Devices covered
- Skateboards, go-carts, scooters, sleds, roller skates
- Street riding
- Banned on any roadway or driveway
- Sidewalk rule
- Must yield to pedestrians, one foot down
- Fine
- $20.00 traffic infraction
- Device seizure
- Court may confiscate the device
Summary
Lynnwood Municipal Code Section 11.58.020 bans skateboards, go-carts and similar unbraked devices like sleds and roller skates from every street, highway, roadway or driveway open to vehicular traffic. Riders on sidewalks must yield to pedestrians, keep at least one foot on the board, and cannot ride past building doors that open onto the sidewalk.
It is unlawful for any person to operate a skateboard, go-cart or other locomotive device: A. Upon any street, highway, roadway or driveway open to vehicular traffic; B. Upon any public sidewalk without yielding to any pedestrian; C. While operating on a sidewalk, sitting, lying or otherwise being positioned such that at least one foot is not on the flat surface of the skateboard at any time; D. Upon any public sidewalk in front of any building which has doors which open onto or from said sidewalk; E. Upon any public or private property where signs prohibit the activity; F. In a manner endangering or likely to endanger the safety of persons or property; G. While being pushed or pulled by any motorized vehicle.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3512, passed May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010 defines the covered devices broadly. A skateboard is a flat or curved board on two or more wheels; a go-cart is a framework on wheels, drawn, pushed or motorized, usually built from household materials; and other locomotive devices covers scooters, sleds, toboggans, inner tubes, skis and roller skates used to carry a rider, manually propelled and lacking a braking mechanism. 020 lists seven separate prohibitions: riding on any street, highway, roadway or driveway open to vehicular traffic; riding on a public sidewalk without yielding to pedestrians; riding on a sidewalk with any part of the body other than one foot off the flat surface of the board; riding on a sidewalk in front of a building whose doors open onto that sidewalk; riding on public or private property posted against the activity; riding in a manner endangering or likely to endanger people or property; and being towed by a motor vehicle. 50 RCW, the state controlled substances forfeiture law borrowed here for procedure only.
Violations & Fines
A violation is a traffic infraction processed under Chapter 46.63 RCW, carrying a $20.00 penalty under LMC 11.58.040. The same section lets the court confiscate the offender's skateboard, go-cart or other device on top of the fine, and LMC 11.58.030 separately authorizes seizure the moment an officer has probable cause of a violation, before any court hearing takes place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skateboard on a street in Lynnwood?
What is the fine for illegal skateboarding in Lynnwood?
Can Lynnwood police take my skateboard?
Sources & Official References
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Skateboarding Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle skateboarding rules.