Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Virginia (2026)

City Code Sec. 5-2-21 puts the job of clearing snow, sleet and ice off an abutting public sidewalk on the property…

Hampton's code puts the job of clearing snow and ice off an abutting sidewalk on the occupant, or the owner if the lot…

In unincorporated Loudoun County, the occupant, owner, or other person in charge of a property must clear snow and ice…

Lynchburg puts sidewalk upkeep squarely on the abutting property owner. City Code Sec. 35-61 requires the owner or…

In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, County Code Sec. 7-54 makes it a nuisance to let a…

Newport News puts the cost of keeping a driveway apron and the stretch of sidewalk it crosses in good repair on the…

Norfolk puts the daily burden of a public sidewalk on the property it fronts, not the city. Code of Ordinances Section…

When Portsmouth builds, replaces or enlarges a sidewalk, city council can assess up to half the cost against the…

Richmond puts sidewalk upkeep on the property next to it. Under Section 24-175, the owner abutting a sidewalk crossing…

Roanoke puts sidewalk construction cost on the abutting property owner by default under Sec. 30-85, but Sec. 30-89…

Spotsylvania County treats an unsafe or unrepaired sidewalk, gutter or curbstone as a nuisance under Sec. 13-3(6), and…

Newport News bans placing fences, furniture, vehicles, or merchandise on any sidewalk, street, alley, or right-of-way…

Norfolk bars anyone from placing signs, structures or building projections in a public right-of-way, street, alley or…

Placing anything in a Richmond street, sidewalk, or public way without Public Works' consent is unlawful and…

Virginia Beach bans placing fences, tables, boxes, merchandise, or other fixtures on any sidewalk, street, or alley: a…

Alexandria prohibits placing goods, merchandise or foodstuffs on a sidewalk, street or public right-of-way, or…

Arlington County bars anyone from dumping material on a sidewalk, street or other public property that could obstruct…

Chesapeake bans placing fences, gates, porches, benches, merchandise, or almost any other object on a sidewalk, street…

Chesterfield County Code § 11-32(c) bars any owner from letting a hedge, shrub, tree or other vegetation overhang…

Frederick County places the duty to keep sidewalks clear on the property owner, not the County. Sections 142-102 and…

Hampton bans placing boxes, barrels, crates or merchandise on any public sidewalk, giving merchants only two hours…

Hanover County bars loitering in a way that blocks a public sidewalk, street or highway, or that interferes with a…

Loudoun County makes it unlawful to unreasonably or unnecessarily block the free passage of others in any public place…

Lynchburg bans placing anything in a street or sidewalk that hinders pedestrians or vehicles under City Code Sec. 35-8…

Outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, Sec 7-54 declares any obstruction on a street or sidewalk, plus stones, rubbish…

Portsmouth makes it unlawful to leave a box, barrel, trash can, storage container or any other obstruction in a street…

Roanoke makes it unlawful to obstruct any street, alley, sidewalk or gutter without lawful authority, and requires…

Spotsylvania County declares obstructions on streets and sidewalks, and dumping stones, rubbish, dirt or vegetable…

Placing anything in the public right-of-way in Alexandria, from steps to planters to signs, requires an encroachment…

Arlington County bars anyone from building, maintaining or using any structure in a public street, sidewalk, alley or…

Chesapeake requires a special permit before a private property owner builds an entryway structure or ornamental…

Hampton requires city council approval, a $150 fee, an encroachment agreement, and liability insurance before anyone…

In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, no work may be performed on county-owned or…

Building, replacing, or modifying a driveway, ramp, or curb cut that crosses the public right-of-way in Newport News…

Structures that project into a Norfolk right-of-way normally need city council authorization under § 42-10, but §…

Anyone whose awning, sign, bay window, fence or other structure projects into a Portsmouth street or right-of-way needs…

Virginia Beach requires a $250 encroachment permit before placing any private structure, sign, or improvement in a…

No one may do any work in a Chesterfield County street, highway, right-of-way, easement or other public-use area…

Henrico County requires anyone doing construction or repair work in a public street, right-of-way, easement or other…

Lynchburg lets a building or structure that already encroaches on a public street or sidewalk stay in place under City…

Any private use of a Richmond street, sidewalk, or public way beyond ordinary public passage needs sign-off from the…

Roanoke property owners who want a structure encroaching on a public street or alley right-of-way, such as a driveway…