Edmonds, WA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- ECC 9.25, Street Obstruction
- Sidewalk clearance rule
- No encroachment within 5 ft of roadway, 10 ft high
- Also barred
- Obstructions blocking traffic signs or intersection sightlines
- Notice before removal
- 5 days' written notice from public works
- Cost recovery
- Owner billed for city's removal cost
- Penalty
- Fine and/or jail per ECC 5.50.020
Summary
Edmonds bars abutting property owners from erecting or maintaining signs, structures or vegetation that block sight lines or intrude on a sidewalk or roadway under ECC 9.25.010. An encroachment onto a sidewalk, or within five feet of a roadway and rising ten feet high, is a specific violation. Unremoved obstructions can be removed by the city and billed to the owner.
A. It is unlawful for any person who either owns or has the right to possession, or both, of abutting real property to permit the erection or maintenance of any sign, device, structure or vegetation in the following circumstances herein set forth, ... ... 3. In such manner that it encroaches upon any part of a sidewalk, or within five feet of the improved or traveled portion of a public roadway, for a vertical distance of 10 feet above said sidewalk or public roadway; ... ... B. In the event any sign, device, structure or vegetation prohibited by this section is not removed by the person who either owns or has the right to possession, or both, of the abutting real property, the director of public works may cause the same to be removed. ... Any person or persons who violate or fail to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter, hereafter referred to as “Street and Sidewalk Obstruction”, or any part thereof, shall upon conviction be punished by a fine or by imprisonment in jail, or by both fine and imprisonment as set forth in ECC 5.50.020.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010(A)). The rules cover obstructions that block the visibility of a traffic control sign or signal, obstructions within 50 feet of an intersection that block a motorist's or pedestrian's view as they approach, and, most directly relevant to sidewalks, any sign, device, structure or vegetation that encroaches upon any part of a sidewalk, or comes within five feet of the traveled portion of a public roadway, for a vertical distance of ten feet above the sidewalk or roadway. The fourth listed circumstance bars anything that causes a sidewalk to break or crack.
Where an existing sign, device, structure or vegetation already violates the section, the code requires the owner or possessor to remove it immediately. 010(B) lets the director of public works remove it. The director must first give the owner or person in possession five days' written notice to remove the obstruction; if the property owner still fails to act within that five-day window, the director may charge that person for the cost of the removal. 020.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 9.25 is punishable upon conviction by a fine, by jail time, or by both, under the penalty terms set out in ECC 5.50.020. Short of a criminal citation, the public works director can force the issue directly: after five days' written notice to the owner or possessor that goes unheeded, the director may remove the obstructing sign, structure or vegetation and charge the property owner for the cost of that removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a sign or planting near the sidewalk in front of my Edmonds property?
What happens if I do not remove an obstruction the city tells me about?
What is the penalty for a street obstruction violation in Edmonds?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
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Obstruction Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle obstruction rules.