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CityRuleLookup

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Michigan (2026)

46 rules on the books across Michigan, 16 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.

Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions

Sidewalk Repair

Who pays for sidewalk repair, the city or the property owner, including cost-sharing programs, inspection triggers, and timelines for fixing damaged sidewalks.

Ann Arbor

Some Restrictions

Ann Arbor law puts the duty to keep an abutting public sidewalk in good repair on the adjacent property owner, and the…

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Clinton Township

Some Restrictions

Clinton Township puts sidewalk upkeep on the abutting property owner. Ordinance Section 1022.03(a) requires every owner…

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Dearborn

Some Restrictions

Dearborn puts sidewalk and apron upkeep on the abutting property owner, with the city stepping in and billing the owner…

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Detroit

Some Restrictions

Detroit property owners must repair a broken sidewalk or driveway apron within 30 days of a Department of Public Works…

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Farmington Hills

Some Restrictions

Farmington Hills places sidewalk repair squarely on the abutting property owner. Owners may not let a sidewalk fall…

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Flint

Some Restrictions

Every owner, agent or occupant of Flint property must keep the abutting public sidewalk in good repair, and the City…

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Lansing

Some Restrictions

Lansing sidewalk owners, not the City, are responsible for repairs: the abutting property owner must fix damage they…

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Livonia

Some Restrictions

Livonia requires every property owner to keep the sidewalk along their land in good repair, and makes them liable to…

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Shelby Village

Some Restrictions

Village Code § 430-23 puts most sidewalk replacement and repair costs on the Village, but shifts responsibility to the…

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Sterling Heights

Some Restrictions

Sterling Heights property owners must keep the sidewalk abutting their lot in good repair or face liability for…

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Troy

Some Restrictions

Troy Code Section 34.10 puts the duty to keep an abutting sidewalk or driveway approach in safe condition on the…

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Warren

Some Restrictions

When Warren's city engineer finds a sidewalk, crosswalk, or driveway approach unsafe or in disrepair, the abutting…

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Westland

Some Restrictions

Westland, Michigan places the duty to build, maintain and repair abutting sidewalks and side-drive aprons on the…

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Wyoming

Some Restrictions

In Wyoming, Michigan, the owner of property next to a public sidewalk is responsible for keeping it safe, not the city…

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Grand Rapids

Few Restrictions

Grand Rapids' Charter makes abutting owners responsible for sidewalk repair, but that duty is expressly switched off…

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Obstruction Rules

What you can and cannot place on sidewalks, including newspaper boxes, planters, sandwich boards, trash cans, and minimum pedestrian clearance widths.

Dearborn

Significant Restrictions

Dearborn bans obstructing any street, alley, or public place with animals, boxes, fences, gas pumps, awnings…

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Flint

Significant Restrictions

The City of Flint bans storing or displaying goods, wares, produce, boxes or showcases on sidewalks, streets or alleys…

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Ann Arbor

Some Restrictions

Ann Arbor's Chapter 47 streets ordinance flatly bars placing or maintaining any obstruction in a street or sidewalk…

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Clinton Township

Some Restrictions

Clinton Township bars owners from letting debris, vegetation, or tree limbs block the sidewalk fronting their property…

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Detroit

Some Restrictions

Detroit prohibits obstructing or encumbering any sidewalk, street, alley, or public place with animals, boxes, signs…

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Farmington Hills

Some Restrictions

Property owners and occupants abutting a Farmington Hills sidewalk must keep it clear of obstructions, including…

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Grand Rapids

Some Restrictions

Grand Rapids bans occupying a sidewalk with construction materials or equipment unless a Temporary Occupancy Permit is…

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Lansing

Some Restrictions

Lansing prohibits crowding, obstructing, or blocking sidewalks, streets, alleys, and building entrances, and makes it…

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Livonia

Some Restrictions

Livonia bans placing materials, machinery, or other obstructions in a street or on a sidewalk without a permit from the…

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Shelby Village

Some Restrictions

Village Code § 430-24 makes it unlawful to place snow, dirt, trash, goods, wares, or merchandise on any public sidewalk…

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Sterling Heights

Some Restrictions

Sterling Heights bans vending machines, mailboxes, fences, mounds, and other obstructions placed in the public…

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Troy

Some Restrictions

Troy Code Section 34.09 makes it illegal for an owner to let a sidewalk or driveway approach adjoining their property…

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Warren

Some Restrictions

Warren property owners cannot let the sidewalk, crosswalk, or driveway approach next to their property fall into…

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Wayne County

Some Restrictions

Wayne County can order removal of any encroachment on a county road right-of-way, including sidewalks along county…

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Westland

Some Restrictions

Westland bars placing articles or obstructions in streets and sidewalks without a permit, with narrow exceptions for…

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Wyoming

Some Restrictions

Wyoming, Michigan bars anyone from placing construction materials, machinery, or an unpermitted sign in a public street…

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Encroachment Permits

Permits required when construction, landscaping, or other activities temporarily or permanently encroach on public sidewalks or rights-of-way.

Ann Arbor

Significant Restrictions

Ann Arbor requires a revocable City Administrator permit before anyone occupies part of a public street or sidewalk…

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Detroit

Significant Restrictions

Detroit requires a City Council-approved permit before anyone can build or place a structure that encroaches into a…

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Lansing

Significant Restrictions

Lansing, Michigan (Ingham County) bars placing any sign or material in a public right-of-way, including sidewalks…

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Dearborn

Some Restrictions

Anyone placing a private structure or item in a Dearborn street, alley, or right-of-way needs a permit reviewed by the…

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Farmington Hills

Some Restrictions

Anyone placing an obstruction, structure, or installation in a Farmington Hills street or public right-of-way must…

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Flint

Some Restrictions

Placing stone, timber, rubbish or any other material in a Flint street, lane or alley requires City Council permission…

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Grand Rapids

Some Restrictions

Balconies, awnings, and other private projections into a Grand Rapids public right-of-way need an encroachment permit…

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Livonia

Some Restrictions

Livonia makes it unlawful to occupy any street or sidewalk with construction materials or machinery, or for any other…

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Shelby Village

Some Restrictions

Village Code § 430-6 sets the permitting process for any private use of a Shelby Village street or right-of-way…

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Sterling Heights

Some Restrictions

Sterling Heights requires a city permit before building, repairing, or excavating within any public street or sidewalk…

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Troy

Some Restrictions

Troy bars anyone from placing an obstruction, excavation or fill in the public right-of-way without a permit from the…

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Warren

Some Restrictions

Anyone building, altering, or repairing a sidewalk, crosswalk, driveway approach, or curb opening in Warren's…

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Wayne County

Some Restrictions

Wayne County requires a $500 permit before placing anything in a county road right-of-way, and the road engineering…

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Westland

Some Restrictions

Westland, Michigan requires a written permit before any curb cut or sidewalk driveway crossing is made to reach private…

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Wyoming

Some Restrictions

Wyoming, Michigan requires a city encroachment permit before a balcony, awning, canopy, eave, cornice, bay window or…

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