Pasadena, CA Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing authority
- Chief of police designates and posts prohibited areas
- Violation class
- Infraction, no imprisonment
- First-offense fine cap
- $100
- Repeat-offense fine cap
- $500 (3rd+ within 12 months)
- Absolute bans
- Handicap ramps; public-building stairways/corridors/plazas
- Disabled exception
- EPAMD users with state placard exempted from ramp/stairway bans
Summary
Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 10.61 lets the police chief regulate or ban skateboards, roller skates, scooters and electric personal assistive mobility devices on any roadway, sidewalk, business district, pedestrian mall or public building by posting signs. Riders must yield to pedestrians and obey traffic signals; violations are infractions, not misdemeanors.
Based on demonstrated pedestrian traffic safety needs, the chief of police may regulate and/or prohibit the use of skateboards, roller skates, scooters and /or EPAMD upon the roadways, sidewalks, business districts, pedestrian malls, or public buildings in any part of the city and shall so designate by posting such area wherein their use is regulated and/or prohibited. Exception—The regulation and/or prohibition on the use of EPAMD authorized in this section shall not apply to the use of EPAMD by any governmental agency, public utility on the U.S. Postal Service or to any disabled person (as that term is defined in Vehicle Code Section 295.5(a)(c)) who displays a state-issued disabled placard.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
040 gives the chief of police discretion, based on demonstrated pedestrian safety needs, to regulate or prohibit skateboards, roller skates, scooters and EPAMD anywhere in the city, from roadways and sidewalks to "business districts" (defined by cross-reference to California Vehicle Code Sections 235 and 240, plus pedestrian-mall sidewalks) and pedestrian malls. The restriction only takes legal effect once the area is posted with signage. 030). 060 forbids riding on any stairway, corridor, or plaza leading to or within a public building. 5(a)(c), who displays a state-issued disabled placard may still use an EPAMD in these areas. S. Postal Service. 010 as a human-powered device with two to four wheels, a deck, and handlebars, distinct from a motorized or dockless device.
Violations & Fines
Every violation of Chapter 10.61 is an infraction under Section 10.61.070, enforced through Section 1.24.025: no jail time, a maximum $100 fine for a first offense within a chapter in a year, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third or later offense in the same 12 months. Riding on a posted-prohibited handicap ramp or public-building stairway is a strict-liability violation with no notice requirement beyond the placard exception.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Pasadena ban skateboarding in a specific business district?
Is it legal to ride a scooter on a Pasadena sidewalk?
What is the penalty for skating on a public building's wheelchair ramp?
Do EPAMD riders with disability placards get an exception?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
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