Carrollton, TX Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- General obstruction rule
- Code § 53.01
- Group obstruction rule
- Code § 53.02
- Max fine
- Up to $500 per violation
- Original adoption
- Ordinance 37, Aug. 3, 1936
- Assemblage rule adopted
- Ordinance 220, May 1, 1961
- Enforcement trigger
- Refusing a Police/Peace Officer dispersal order
Summary
Carrollton's Code of Ordinances Section 53.01 makes it unlawful to willfully obstruct or injure any public street, alley, sidewalk, bridge, or causeway in the city. Section 53.02 adds a separate offense for a group blocking a sidewalk or entrance who refuses to disperse when a police or peace officer orders them to move on.
§ 53.01. Obstructing or injuring generally. It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully obstruct or injure or cause to be obstructed or injured in any manner whatsoever any public road, highway, street, alley, sidewalk, bridge or causeway within the city. ... § 53.02. Obstruction by assemblage of persons. It shall be unlawful for any grouping or assemblage of persons, whose standing, remaining or congregating upon any public street or sidewalk in the city shall obstruct, prevent or interfere with the free or unobstructed use of such street or sidewalk by other persons, to fail or refuse to move on or to disperse upon being ordered to do so by any Police Officer of the city or other Peace Officer.
Full Breakdown
Section 53.01, titled 'Obstructing or injuring generally,' traces back to the 1965 Code and Ordinance 37, adopted August 3, 1936, and remains the city's general prohibition on physical obstruction of the public right-of-way. It states: 'It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully obstruct or injure or cause to be obstructed or injured in any manner whatsoever any public road, highway, street, alley, sidewalk, bridge or causeway within the city.' The section is not limited to construction debris or merchandise; it covers any willful blocking or damage to the listed public ways.
Section 53.02 addresses a different kind of obstruction: people rather than objects. It makes it unlawful for 'any grouping or assemblage of persons, whose standing, remaining or congregating upon any public street or sidewalk in the city shall obstruct, prevent or interfere with the free or unobstructed use of such street or sidewalk by other persons, to fail or refuse to move on or to disperse upon being ordered to do so by any Police Officer of the city or other Peace Officer.' The same rule extends to a group blocking the entrance, alcove, or steps of a public or private building. This section dates to Ordinance 220, adopted May 1, 1961.
Both sections sit in Chapter 53 (Streets and Sidewalks), Subchapter I, General Provisions, alongside the city's appeal procedure at Section 53.03 for traffic-related obstruction decisions issued by the Traffic Engineer.
Violations & Fines
Obstruction offenses under Chapter 53 are punishable by a fine of up to $500.00 per violation under the general penalty schedule at Section 10.99(A)(1)(c), which lists Chapter 53 (Streets and Sidewalks) among the code chapters capped at that amount. For the assemblage offense in Section 53.02, refusing a lawful order from a Police Officer or other Peace Officer to disperse is itself the violation, separate from the underlying obstruction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to block a sidewalk in Carrollton?
What happens if a group of people won't clear a sidewalk?
What's the fine for obstructing a Carrollton street or sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carrollton
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Obstruction Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle obstruction rules.