Revere, MA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Removal window
- 1 hour after police notice
- Enforcing officer
- Any Revere police officer
- Max fine
- $300 per offense (§ 1.16.010)
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
- Permit exception
- Building-use permit, § 12.04.050
- Adopted
- Prior Rev. § 17-3; amended C.O. 86-70 § 4
Summary
Revere bars placing lumber, coal, boxes, crates, signs, advertisements, or anything else on a public way or sidewalk if it blocks travelers' passage. A police officer can order the item removed, and the owner gets exactly one hour to comply. Contractors may use the sidewalk for building work only with a Section 12.04.050 permit.
No person shall place or cause to be placed in any public way or upon any sidewalk of the city any lumber, coal, iron, trunk, bale, box, crate, cask, package, article, political sign or advertisement of any kind or anything whatsoever so as to obstruct a free passage for travelers, nor allow any of the same to remain more than one hour after being notified by a police officer to remove it; except, that nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prevent the use of streets and sidewalks for building purposes upon obtaining a permit as provided in Section 12.04.050.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4804778; v14 updated 2026-05-04).
Full Breakdown
O. 86-70 Section 4, prohibits placing 'lumber, coal, iron, trunk, bale, box, crate, cask, package, article, political sign or advertisement of any kind or anything whatsoever' in a public way or on a sidewalk so that it obstructs free passage for travelers. The rule is not a blanket ban on the front end; it is triggered when a police officer notices the obstruction and orders it removed. The property owner or whoever placed the item then has exactly one hour to clear it, and anything left past that window becomes a violation even if it sat there lawfully beforehand.
050, the city's 'Leaving materials' permit issued by the chief of police for city ways or by the state department of public works for state highways. 010: up to $300 for each offense, with every day the obstruction continues counted as a separate offense. 070 lets the city or an officer physically move an illegally placed item at the owner's expense once it is confirmed illegal. 110 is the current governing provision for political and campaign signage generally.
Violations & Fines
Leaving a listed item, or anything else, on a sidewalk or public way after a police officer has ordered its removal is a violation once one hour passes. The city can then remove the obstruction at the owner's expense under Section 12.04.070. Fines run under the citywide general penalty, Section 1.16.010: up to $300 per offense, and each day the obstruction remains is a separate offense, so a multi-day encroachment can compound quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What items does Revere's sidewalk obstruction rule cover?
How long do I have to move something after police tell me to?
Can I ever legally block the sidewalk for construction?
What's the fine for an illegal sidewalk obstruction in Revere?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Revere
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Obstruction Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle obstruction rules.