Seattle, WA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Seattle Dept. of Transportation Director
- Removal charge
- Cost of removal plus 15% admin fee
- Base civil penalty
- Up to $500 per day per violation
- Peak period add-on
- Additional $1,000 per day
- Criminal alternative
- Gross misdemeanor, each day separate
- Appeal deadline
- 15 days to Hearing Examiner
Summary
SMC 15.46.010 lets SDOT's Director of Transportation remove any obstruction, hazard, or nuisance from a sidewalk or other public place whenever it serves public safety or convenience, then bill whoever caused it for the removal cost plus a 15 percent administrative surcharge. Occupying a public place without a Street Use permit is a separate Title 15 violation with its own citation and civil-penalty exposure.
Whenever it furthers the safety or convenience of the public, the Director of Transportation, and, as to park drives and boulevards, the Superintendent of Parks and Recreation, may remove obstructions, hazards or nuisances from public places, and anyone causing the obstruction, hazard or nuisance shall be responsible for reimbursing the City for the expense of removing the same and cleaning the public place together with a charge equal to fifteen percent (15%) of the City's costs to cover administrative expenses.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
048, "use" of a public place includes storing, placing, or maintaining any material, equipment, or object in, upon, or over a sidewalk, planting strip, or roadway: the definition that drives Seattle's obstruction enforcement. 015," issued by the Director of Transportation, the Director of the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, or the Superintendent of Parks and Recreation. 010 authorizes the Director of Transportation (or the Superintendent of Parks and Recreation for park drives and boulevards) to remove it whenever doing so "furthers the safety or convenience of the public," and to bill "anyone causing the obstruction, hazard or nuisance" for the City's removal and cleanup expense plus a 15 percent administrative charge.
006 requires a notice of violation stating the standard violated and a compliance deadline before most enforcement proceeds. G. 91 separately authorizes a citation and escalating fee-schedule process for repeat Street Use violations, with mitigation or contested hearings before the Hearing Examiner.
Violations & Fines
An unpermitted obstruction draws a cumulative civil penalty of up to $500 per day per violation under SMC 15.90.018.A, plus the City's enforcement costs and attorney's fees; obstructions during a Peak Period (as defined in the Traffic Control Manual) add another $1,000 per day under SMC 15.90.018.D. The Director may instead pursue prosecution as a gross misdemeanor under SMC 15.90.020, with each day of noncompliance treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Seattle require a permit to place anything on a sidewalk?
Who removes an illegal obstruction from a Seattle sidewalk?
What's the maximum daily fine for an unpermitted sidewalk obstruction?
Can I appeal a sidewalk obstruction notice of violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seattle
Compare Seattle to another location·View the Washington sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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Obstruction Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle obstruction rules.