San Clemente, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Blocking with your body
- Prohibited under § 9.04.010(B)(6)
- Blocking with an object
- Prohibited under § 9.04.010(B)(7)
- Last amended
- Ord. No. 1651 and 1664, 2018
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000/6 months
- Infraction alternative
- $100 to $500 for repeat offenses
Summary
San Clemente's disorderly conduct ordinance bars anyone from sitting, lying, or otherwise blocking a public sidewalk, and separately bars leaving a bicycle, vehicle, or similar object across one, under Municipal Code Section 9.04.010(B)(6) and (B)(7). Both apply citywide regardless of the reason for the obstruction.
6.Sit, lie, recline, kneel or otherwise unreasonably restrict or obstruct the free use of any public sidewalk, walkway, passageway, or any public place, or for any number of persons to congregate in such a manner as to willfully and unnecessarily obstruct or interfere with the free movement and passage of persons or vehicles in any public street or any other public place within the City;7.Park, leave or cause the parking or leaving of any bicycle, vehicle or other like object or thing on any public sidewalk, walkway or public place so as to obstruct or interfere with the reasonable movement of any person.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Traffic: Supplement 30 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
04, Offenses Against Public Peace and Decency, folds sidewalk blocking into its disorderly conduct list. Paragraph (B)(6) prohibits any person from sitting, lying, reclining, or kneeling so as to unreasonably restrict or obstruct the free use of a public sidewalk, walkway, passageway, or public place, and separately bars groups from congregating in a way that willfully and unnecessarily obstructs the free movement of persons or vehicles on a street or other public place. Paragraph (B)(7) targets objects rather than people: no one may park, leave, or cause the parking or leaving of any bicycle, vehicle, or other like object on a public sidewalk, walkway, or public place so it obstructs or interferes with the reasonable movement of pedestrians.
The section derives from Prior Code Section 16-3 and was last amended by Ordinance No. 1651 (2018) and Ordinance No. 1664 (2018). 18 Public Storage of Personal Property, separately protects any part of a sidewalk that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires to stay clear for pedestrian and disabled-pedestrian traffic, giving code enforcement a second, overlapping tool for sidewalk-clearance cases involving stored belongings rather than people or bicycles.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the disorderly conduct chapter defaults to a misdemeanor under Section 1.16.010, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in county jail. The City Attorney, City Prosecutor, or District Attorney may instead prosecute it as an infraction, capping fines at $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense of the same provision within a year, and $500 for each further offense within that year, with each day of a continuing obstruction charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be cited for sitting on a San Clemente sidewalk?
Is it illegal to leave a bike blocking a sidewalk in San Clemente?
What is the penalty for obstructing a sidewalk in San Clemente?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Clemente
California rules heatmap·Compare San Clemente to another location·View the California sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Obstruction Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle obstruction rules.