Scranton, PA Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)

Chapter 394 of the Scranton City Code, adopted by Ordinance No. 110-1988 and amended by Ordinance No. 120-1994, prohibits skateboarding and rollerblading within a specific downtown zone the code calls the 'designated area': the area bounded within Hickory Street, Vine Street, Mifflin Avenue, Jefferson Avenue, its surrounding pavement and public street, roadways, berms and adjacent sidewalks. Section 394-2 states flatly that no person shall skateboard or rollerblade within that designated area, and adds that the ban runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so there is no daytime or off-peak carve-out.

The chapter defines both activities broadly: skateboarding covers anyone riding, pedaling or propelling themselves on a single board mounted on two or more wheels without handlebars, and rollerblading covers boot-like devices fitted with a row of wheels, so inline skates fall under the same rule as skateboards. Enforcement runs through the City's summary court process under Section 394-3. A first offense before a District Justice draws only a written warning plus court costs. A second conviction carries a fine of not more than $25 plus costs.

A third or any later conviction escalates sharply: a fine of not more than $300 plus costs, and/or imprisonment in the county jail for up to 90 days. The chapter treats each day a person continues to violate the ban as a separate offense, so repeated skating in the designated area on different days can stack convictions quickly toward the higher penalty tier. The Scranton Police Department enforces the chapter alongside cross-referenced rules on bicycles (Chapter 175) and streets and sidewalks (Chapter 412).