Kirkwood, MO Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit authority
- City Council
- Minimum clearance
- 8 feet above sidewalk
- Extent limit
- May not extend beyond sidewalk line
- Revocation notice
- 3 months
- Removal cost
- Charged to owner or permittee
- General default rule
- Encroachments barred absent ordinance authorization
Summary
Kirkwood bars anyone from placing a fence, porch, stairway, awning or other stationary object in a street, alley or sidewalk unless an ordinance specifically authorizes it. For canopies and awnings, § 20-90 requires Council permission, minimum eight-foot clearance above the sidewalk, and compliance with City Engineer specifications.
§ 20-89. Encroachments prohibited. ... No person shall place or keep in, across, or upon any street, alley or sidewalk any fence, building, porch, stairway, cellar steps, stationary awning or other stationary object which may interfere with the full and free use by the public of such streets, alleys, or sidewalks, unless specifically authorized by ordinance so to do. ... § 20-90. Canopies and awnings; permit required. ... No person shall place or maintain or cause to be placed or maintained any awning, canopy, shade or frame for the same in any street without the permission of the Council, nor unless the canopy, awning or frame shall be safely and securely fastened and so located and constructed as not to interfere with pedestrians, and so that the lowest part thereof shall not be less than eight feet above the sidewalk nor extend beyond the line of the sidewalk.
Full Breakdown
Kirkwood Code of Ordinances § 20-89, Encroachments prohibited, bars anyone from placing or keeping a fence, building, porch, stairway, cellar steps, stationary awning or other stationary object in, across or upon a street, alley or sidewalk that would interfere with the public's full and free use, unless an ordinance specifically authorizes it. Section 20-90 is that authorization for canopies and awnings: no person may place or maintain an awning, canopy, shade or supporting frame in a street without the permission of the Council. The structure must be safely and securely fastened, located and built so it does not interfere with pedestrians, and its lowest point must be at least eight feet above the sidewalk and must not extend beyond the sidewalk line.
The permit holder must follow the City Engineer's directions on materials, construction and maintenance. Every such permit is subject to revocation by the City on three months' notice, and if the owner or person in charge does not remove the structure once that period runs, the Director of Public Services will have it removed at the owner's or permittee's expense, as provided in the City's building code (Chapter 5). Both sections sit in Chapter 20, Article III, Encroachments, which traces to Gen. Ords. 37 and to Ord.
No. 5197 (1968); neither section names a separate fine, so an unauthorized encroachment or an awning maintained without Council permission is enforced under the City's general penalty at § 1-14.
Violations & Fines
Neither § 20-89 nor § 20-90 sets its own fine, so an unpermitted encroachment or an awning kept without Council permission is punished under Kirkwood's general penalty, § 1-14: $5 to $1,000, up to three months in jail, or both. The Council can also revoke an awning permit on three months' notice, after which the City removes the structure at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up an awning over the sidewalk outside my Kirkwood business?
Can Kirkwood revoke my awning permit later?
What counts as an illegal encroachment on a Kirkwood sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkwood
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Encroachment Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in St. Louis County handle encroachment permits.