Fresno, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- FMC § 13-109, added Ord. 67-138 (1968)
- Prohibited conduct
- Standing/sitting to block or annoy passersby
- Also covers
- Blocking entrances to churches, halls, theatres
- Default penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine / 1 year jail (§ 1-304)
- Related nuisance rule
- § 13-223 public right-of-way obstructions
Summary
Fresno bans standing or sitting in any street in a way that blocks or annoys people passing by, and bans blocking the entrance to a church, hall, theatre, or other place of public assembly. FMC § 13-109 covers streets generally, including sidewalks within the public right-of-way, and violators face the Code's general misdemeanor penalty.
No person shall stand or sit in or upon any street so as in any manner to hinder or obstruct the passage therein of persons passing along the same, or so as in any manner to annoy or molest persons passing along the same, or stand in or at the entrance of any church, hall, theatre, or place of public assemblage so as in any manner to obstruct such entrance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
FMC § 13-109, Obstructing Public Passageways, has stood unchanged since it was added by Ord. ' The section sits in Chapter 13, Article 1, General Provisions, alongside companion bans on painting streets or curbs (§ 13-108) and dumping debris in the street (§ 13-102), and it works together with § 13-223, which declares any subsurface, surface, or above-surface obstruction in a public right-of-way that interferes with a public improvement to be a public nuisance the Director may summarily abate. Because Chapter 13 does not set a special penalty for § 13-109, an obstruction violation falls under the Code's general misdemeanor provision, § 1-304: a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in the Fresno County jail, or both, with the City Attorney able to charge the same conduct as an infraction instead, and each day a person continues to obstruct the passageway counted as a separate offense under § 1-304(d).
Violations & Fines
Standing, sitting, or otherwise blocking a street or sidewalk so pedestrians cannot pass, or blocking the entrance to a church, hall, theatre, or assembly hall, violates § 13-109. Because no chapter-specific penalty applies, the general Code misdemeanor penalty in § 1-304 governs: up to a $1,000 fine, up to one year in county jail, or both, with the City Attorney able to charge it as a lesser infraction and each day of continued obstruction billed as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to block a Fresno sidewalk with a table or cart?
What is the penalty for obstructing a public passageway in Fresno?
Does the obstruction ban apply to street performers or panhandlers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fresno
California rules heatmap·Compare Fresno to another location·View the California sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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Obstruction Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fresno County handle obstruction rules.