Salt Lake City, UT Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 14.20.010
- Delivery-goods passage width
- 10 feet minimum
- Delivery-goods time limit
- 1 hour maximum
- Default penalty
- Class B misdemeanor, up to $1,000
- Override
- Mayor's designee may permit
Summary
Salt Lake City bans placing lumber, boxes, merchandise, trash, or other material on a sidewalk if it blocks free passage, unless the mayor's designee grants permission.
It is unlawful for any person owning, occupying or having control of any premises, to place or permit upon the sidewalk or the half of the street next to such premises:
A. Any broken ware, glass, filth, rubbish, refuse, ice, water, mud, garbage, cans, or other like substances;
B. Any lumber, wood, boxes, fencing, building material, dead trees, tree stumps, merchandise or other thing which shall obstruct such public street or sidewalk or any part thereof, or the free use and enjoyment thereof, or the free passage over and upon the same, or any part thereof, without the permission of the mayor or his/her designee. (Ord. 88-86 § 62, 1986: prior code
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 14.20.010 makes it unlawful for anyone owning, occupying, or controlling a property to place or allow trash, ice, mud, lumber, boxes, fencing, building material, dead trees, or merchandise on the abutting sidewalk or street half where it obstructs public passage. Businesses receiving deliveries get a narrow exception under § 14.20.030: goods can sit on the sidewalk only if a 10-foot passageway stays clear, and only for up to one hour. Permission from the mayor's designee can authorize an otherwise-blocking placement.
Violations & Fines
Violating any Salt Lake City ordinance defaults to a class B misdemeanor under § 1.12.050: up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both, unless the ordinance sets its own penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business leave delivery boxes on the sidewalk overnight?
Who enforces sidewalk obstruction rules in Salt Lake City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
Compare Salt Lake City to another location·View the Utah sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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Obstruction Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle obstruction rules.