Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Michigan (2026)

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

In Battle Creek the City Commission can require, by resolution, the owners of lots to build sidewalks abutting their…

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

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

Sec. 28-26 makes the owner of the abutting property responsible for constructing and maintaining every sidewalk, alley…

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

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

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

In the City of Kalamazoo, owners and occupants of abutting premises must keep the sidewalk in good repair under City…

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

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

City Code § 102-126 makes the abutting property owner responsible for keeping sidewalks and driveway approaches between…

Rochester Hills puts sidewalk upkeep on the adjoining property owner, requiring it be kept free of defects, debris and…

Under Royal Oak City Code § 650-5, the owner of the abutting land, not the City, must keep public sidewalks and…

In the Charter Township of Royal Oak, Michigan, no person can let a sidewalk adjoining property he owns fall into…

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

Southfield City Code § 4.68 makes the owner of property adjoining a public sidewalk responsible for keeping it from…

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

Under Section 44-53 of the Taylor City Code, the owner of the abutting land must construct, reconstruct, maintain and…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

City Code § 102-51 makes it unlawful to obstruct or encumber any public street, alley, sidewalk, right-of-way or public…

Royal Oak City Code § 650-7 bars blocking, overhanging or burying almost anything in a public sidewalk, alley or…

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

Battle Creek forbids placing merchandise, material or signs on a sidewalk, with one exception: construction material…

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

Sec. 28-1 of the Dearborn Heights City Code bars using any public sidewalk, alley or right-of-way, or the strip between…

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

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

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

In the City of Kalamazoo, it is unlawful to place any sign, structure, wire, encumbrance, encroachment, merchandise or…

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

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

In the City of Novi, Code § 22-90 makes it unlawful to place or erect any type of obstruction on a public way or on the…

Rochester Hills bans placing or maintaining any article, thing or obstruction in a street or its right-of-way without a…

In the Charter Township of Royal Oak, Michigan, it is unlawful to obstruct any gutter, drain or drainage ditch in or…

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

Southfield requires at least 5 feet of clear sidewalk to stay open for pedestrians past any construction obstruction…

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

Section 44-54(d) of the Taylor City Code makes it unlawful to place rubbish, litter, dirt, vehicles or any other matter…

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

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

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

West Bloomfield Township makes it unlawful to obstruct free passage in any public place after a police officer orders a…

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

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

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

Battle Creek, Michigan bars anyone from suspending anything above a sidewalk or otherwise encroaching within a street…

In the City of Dearborn Heights, City Code § 37-21 requires a use permit from the city before anyone places an…

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

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

Before digging, opening or otherwise encroaching on a street, alley, sidewalk or other public place, § 102-171 requires…

In the City of Royal Oak, no one may place obstructions or improvements that encroach on a public right-of-way without…

Before any company lays cable, conduit, poles or pipe in a Taylor street or sidewalk right-of-way, Section 44-160…

Anyone who wants to use a West Bloomfield Township right-of-way for a private improvement, such as a driveway feature…

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

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

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

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

Kalamazoo's zoning ordinance allows balconies, awnings and signage to project into the public right-of-way only under a…

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

Placing anything in a City of Novi street, sidewalk, easement or other public place, or digging, building or…

Anyone wanting to occupy part of a Rochester Hills street or right-of-way for a private purpose needs a revocable…

Anyone in the Charter Township of Royal Oak, Michigan who wants a driveway or other obstruction over a gutter, drain or…

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

Occupying a Southfield street with construction materials or machinery, or for any other purpose, requires a permit…

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

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

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

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

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

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