Georgetown, TX Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Path-of-travel standard
- ADA-defined path of travel
- Covers
- Sidewalks citywide, not just downtown
- Current version adopted
- Ord. No. 2025-30, June 24, 2025
- Maximum fine
- $500, or $2,000 for safety matters
Summary
Georgetown bars obstructing the ADA-defined path of travel on any City sidewalk, intentionally blocking pedestrians, or intentionally blocking entrances to property along the sidewalk, under Code of Ordinances Section 12.03.040. The rule was rewritten in full by Ordinance No. 2025-30 in June 2025 and applies citywide, not only downtown.
A.No person shall obstruct or cause the obstruction on a City sidewalk of the path of travel, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended.B.No person with the intent to interfere with the free passage of pedestrians shall block or attempt to block or interfere with any person(s) on the public sidewalk by any means, including, but not limited to standing on that part of the sidewalk used for pedestrian travel or by placing any object or vehicle in such area.C.No person with the intent to interfere with the free ingress to or egress from shall block or attempt to interfere with or block pedestrian or vehicular entrances to public or private property abutting the public sidewalk.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 15).
Full Breakdown
040 has three parts. Subsection A bars any person from obstructing, or causing the obstruction of, the path of travel on a City sidewalk as that path is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. Subsection B targets intentional interference: no person acting with intent to interfere with pedestrians' free passage may block or attempt to block anyone on the public sidewalk, including by standing on the part of the sidewalk used for pedestrian travel or by placing an object or vehicle there.
Subsection C separately bars intentionally blocking or attempting to block pedestrian or vehicular ingress or egress to public or private property that abuts the sidewalk. The current text was adopted by Ordinance No. 2025-30, Section 5, Exhibit C, effective June 24, 2025, which repealed and reenacted the former version in its entirety; the prior version dated to Ordinance No. 2015-24. 03, Sidewalk Use Regulations, alongside related rules on portable signage, sidewalk landscaping, and outdoor displays, and its requirements apply in addition to, not instead of, the Unified Development Code.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Section 12.03.040 is unlawful under Section 12.03.100, the chapter's penalty section, which applies the citywide fine schedule at Section 1.08.010: up to $500 per offense, or up to $2,000 if the violation is treated as a safety or public health matter, with each day of a continuing obstruction charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business put a sign or display in the middle of a Georgetown sidewalk?
Is it illegal to intentionally block someone on the sidewalk in Georgetown?
When did Georgetown last update its sidewalk obstruction rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Georgetown
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Georgetown to another location·View the Texas sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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Obstruction Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Williamson County handle obstruction rules.