Philadelphia, PA Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)

Section 10-611(1) splits its rules into provisions that apply citywide and provisions that apply only inside zones designated by City Council. Subsection (1)(b) lists the sidewalk skateboard ban, along with the bicycle-on-sidewalk, sitting-over-an-hour, lying, and aggressive-solicitation rules, among the zone-only provisions, meaning outside those zones none of them apply. Subsection (1)(c) then names thirteen designated zones, including the area bounded by Vine, Broad, Lombard and the Schuylkill River, Broad Street south of City Hall to the Naval Business Center, South Street, Washington Avenue, Grays Ferry Avenue, Woodland Avenue, Passyunk Avenue, Essington Avenue, and the First, Sixth, Seventh and Fourth Councilmanic Districts. Within a designated zone, subsection (2)(d) states flatly: "Ride a scooter, roller skates or skateboard on any public sidewalk" is prohibited.

Subsection (9) carves out the Third Councilmanic District entirely from the zone-only rules, except for one specific area running along the Schuylkill River through Spring Garden, Fortieth, Market, Fifty-second and Woodland to University Avenue, which is treated as if it were a designated zone. The penalty for a violation of subsection (2)(d), grouped with vehicle sidewalk-parking, sidewalk gambling, lying, sitting over an hour, and unreasonable obstruction, is a flat fine of twenty dollars under subsection (8)(a). Subsection (8)(g) gives the court discretion to suspend the fine if the offender agrees to community service or a social-service program, and states outright that "no person shall be imprisoned for violating this Section or for failing to pay a fine."