Butte County, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Section 15-15, adopted by Ord. No. 1075 in 1970 and amended by Ord. No. 2058 in 1979, is titled 'Littering' but its first unlawful act is squarely about physical obstruction: it bars leaving or permitting to remain on any public highway, alley, sidewalk, crosswalk or other public way open for pedestrian travel any merchandise, baggage or article of personal property. The section carves out one specific exception, for a temporary rack or stand used to display newspapers for sale, provided the rack does not occupy any portion of the highway set aside for vehicular use and does not cover an area exceeding ten square feet.

The remainder of Sec. 15-15 addresses the classic litter offenses: depositing or throwing litter on any highway, sidewalk or private property without the owner's consent, and transporting loose cargo by truck without covering and securing it to prevent litter from escaping onto public or private property. Because Sec. 15-15 sits in Chapter 15's general offenses article, it applies only within the unincorporated area of the county; it does not govern sidewalks inside Chico, Paradise, Gridley or Biggs. No independent penalty is written into the section itself.