Jackson, MS Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited items
- Goods, boxes, barrels, containers, signs, basketball goals
- Covered areas
- Streets, avenues, alleys, sidewalks citywide
- Occupant duty
- Must remove obstructions others placed
- First offense fine
- Not less than $100.00
- Second offense fine
- Not less than $250.00
- Subsequent offense fine
- Not less than $500.00
- Awning rule
- Cannot obstruct sidewalk, § 110-62
Summary
Jackson makes it unlawful to place goods, merchandise, boxes, barrels, containers, signs or basketball goals on any street, avenue, alley or sidewalk, and property occupants must clear such obstructions even if someone else put them there. Awnings that block a sidewalk or endanger passersby are separately banned. City Code §§ 110-61, 110-62.
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to place goods, wares, merchandise, fruits, vegetables, boxes, barrels, containers, dispensers, signs, basketball goals or any obstruction of any kind in or upon any street, avenue, alley or sidewalk within the city.(b)It shall likewise be unlawful for any person in charge of or occupying any property to permit goods, wares, merchandise, boxes, barrels, containers, dispenser, signs, basketball goals or other obstructions to remain on the street, alley, avenue or sidewalk adjoining the property or building in his charges or control, whether the same was placed thereon by such person or not... (d)Penalties: Any person guilty of committing any of the above acts shall face a penalty of:(1)A fine not less than $100.00 for a first offense;(2)A fine not less than $250.00 for a second offense; and(3)A fine of not less than $500.00 for any subsequent offenses.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 110, Article II, Division 1 of the Jackson Code of Ordinances lays out the obstruction rules. Section 110-61(a) makes it unlawful for any person to place goods, wares, merchandise, fruits, vegetables, boxes, barrels, containers, dispensers, signs, basketball goals, or any obstruction of any kind in or upon any street, avenue, alley or sidewalk. Subsection (b) extends liability to whoever is in charge of or occupies the adjoining property: that person cannot permit such obstructions to remain against their building whether they placed the items or not, and the prohibition specifically reaches exposing goods for sale, display or advertisement in a way that rests upon or projects over the sidewalk, or suspending merchandise between awning posts on wires, ropes or frameworks.
Subsection (c) separately bars playing basketball or engaging in any activity that obstructs free use of a street, avenue, alley or sidewalk. 00 for any subsequent offense. A companion provision, § 110-62, targets awnings specifically: no awning may be erected fronting a street so as to obstruct the sidewalk, or that, through insecurity or faulty construction, endangers people passing beneath it. 00 in fines, imprisonment, or both, with each day of the condition treated as a new offense. Both provisions trace to the 1971 Code (§§ 26-3 and 26-4), with § 110-61 last amended by Ordinance No. 2001-39(2) in November 2001.
Violations & Fines
Section 110-61(d) sets escalating fines: not less than $100.00 for a first obstruction offense, not less than $250.00 for a second, and not less than $500.00 for any subsequent offense, applied to whoever placed the obstruction or the property occupant who let it remain. Awning violations under § 110-62 carry no set fine, so the city's general penalty at § 1-10 applies instead, up to $1,000.00 per offense with each day counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Jackson business display merchandise on the sidewalk outside its store?
What is the fine for blocking a Jackson sidewalk with boxes or barrels?
Does Jackson regulate awnings that hang over the sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jackson
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