Santa Cruz County, CA Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- SCCC Chapter 8.23
- Banned area example
- Soquel Village Zone A streets/sidewalks
- Private-property ban
- Only where required sign is posted
- Penalty
- Infraction under SCCC § 1.12.040
- Sign wording
- "Skating and Skateboarding Prohibited... 8.23.020"
Summary
Santa Cruz County bans skateboards, roller skates, and similar wheeled devices from specific public and posted private areas under SCCC § 8.23.020, including tennis courts, active construction sites, Soquel Village Zone A, and any signed parking lot, driveway, wall, or sidewalk at a shopping center or business. Violations are infractions under § 8.23.060.
It is unlawful for any person(s) riding in or on, or by means of any skateboard, roller skates, roller blades, coaster, or similar device to go in or on the following prohibited areas: (A) Tennis courts on public property; (B) Any portion of construction projects, whether or not completed, located on public or private property; (C) Soquel Village, Zone A, as defined by SCCC § 9.42.030, including the streets and sidewalks within the Soquel Village, Zone A; (D) Walls, steps, driveways, or parking lots on public property, provided the area is clearly and conspicuously posted with signs stating "Skating and Skateboarding Prohibited (Santa Cruz County Code 8.23.020)".
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5004302; v11 updated 2026-05-19; through 05-19-2026).
Full Breakdown
23 SCCC, adopted by Ordinance 4450 in 1997, regulates skateboards, roller skates, roller blades, coasters, and similar devices in the unincorporated county. 030, including its streets and sidewalks. 030 sets sign specifications: no larger than one foot by one foot, spaced roughly every 30 to 60 feet around the periphery and at entrances. 040 applies California Vehicle Code Section 21967 rules of the road, requiring riders to stop at stop signs and red signals, yield at yield signs and crosswalks, not impede traffic, yield to approaching vehicles when entering a roadway, avoid bicycle lanes, and never be towed by a vehicle or an unsafely fast bicycle.
050 requires riders on sidewalks to yield to pedestrians. 060 makes property owners responsible for posting the required signs, for being willing to sign citations against violators, and for assisting in prosecuting those citations.
Violations & Fines
Riding a skateboard, roller skates, roller blades, or similar device in a posted or listed prohibited area, or breaking the roadway or sidewalk rules of §§ 8.23.040-.050, is an infraction punishable under SCCC § 1.12.040. Property owners who want the ban enforced on their lot must post the required sign themselves and must be willing to sign citations and assist in prosecution under § 8.23.060(B).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can't you skateboard in unincorporated Santa Cruz County?
Do skateboard riders have to follow traffic laws?
What's the penalty for skateboarding in a banned area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Cruz County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Cruz County to another location·View the California public conduct overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.