Columbia, MO Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Under Columbia, Missouri's (Boone County) Code of Ordinances § 24-2, any person who deposits, places, paints, writes, erects or maintains a structure, material, article, substance, decoration or thing on, in or above a street, curb, gutter, park, parkway, sidewalk or public place, without specific authorization from the city council or another ordinance, is guilty of a misdemeanor. The section carves out narrow exceptions for permitted sidewalk cafes and brief package deliveries that don't block more than a quarter of the sidewalk's width or sit for more than two hours. Absent one of those exceptions, any unauthorized encroachment into the city's right-of-way is chargeable.