Springfield, OR Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)

Springfield Municipal Code Section 5.132 responds to what the ordinance itself calls the present density and volume of pedestrian and vehicle traffic in the historic downtown core, finding that skateboard and skate riding there endangers pedestrians and motorists and damages the wood and concrete surfaces of public and private improvements. The section defines all three prohibited devices broadly: a skateboard is any board with wheels affixed underneath and propelled by human power, an in-line skate is a shoe with a row of wheels, and a skate is a shoe or shoe attachment with wheels, regardless of the material used.

The ban applies only within a specific rectangle: the west sidewalk along North 7th Street, the south sidewalk along B Street, the east sidewalk along North 5th Street, and the north sidewalk along Main Street, the blocks that make up downtown Springfield's Main Street commercial core. Springfield police officers may issue a citation for riding within that zone, with a first violation carrying a $50 fine. A willful violation, defined as one occurring within 12 months of a previous violation by the same person, raises the fine to $100.

Adults 18 and older are cited to Springfield Municipal Court, while anyone under 18 is instead referred to the Lane County Juvenile Court, splitting enforcement between the two systems described in subsections (7) and (8). On top of either fine, subsection (9) lets the city assess the rider for the actual cost of repairing any damage the skateboard, skate, or in-line skate riding caused to public or private improvements, so a citation can carry liability well beyond the base fine.