Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Washington (2026)

Under ACC 12.12.232 and 12.12.234, the property owner abutting a public sidewalk, not the city, bears the cost of…

In Edmonds, the owner of property directly abutting a sidewalk must maintain, repair and reconstruct it under ECC…

Everett Municipal Code § 13.08.010 places the duty, burden and expense of repairing, renewing, maintaining and clearing…

Federal Way Revised Code § 4.40.020 puts sidewalk repair on the abutting property owner or occupant, but only for…

Property owners and occupants in unincorporated Grant County must keep the sidewalks, trails, and footpaths along their…

Kennewick puts sidewalk, planting-strip and driveway upkeep on the abutting property owner, who must fix disrepair…

Kent places the job and cost of maintaining, cleaning, repairing, and renewing a public sidewalk squarely on the owner…

In unincorporated King County, the county road engineer decides when a sidewalk needs repair and can bill the abutting…

In Kirkland, the owner of the property abutting a public sidewalk bears the cost of maintaining and repairing it. KMC…

In unincorporated Kitsap County, the property abutting a sidewalk, not the county, must keep that sidewalk clear…

Lynnwood assigns day-to-day sidewalk maintenance to the abutting property owner, and it phases in who pays for…

Marysville places the duty, cost, and burden of maintaining, repairing, and renewing a public sidewalk on the property…

Pasco assigns sidewalk repair and replacement cost to the property owner next door, not the City. PMC 12.04.140 lets…

Property owners abutting a Port Townsend sidewalk must maintain it and bear the cost of repair, reconstruction, or new…

Puyallup Municipal Code § 11.20.040 makes the owner or occupant of property fronting a public sidewalk responsible for…

In Renton, the owner of the property directly abutting a public sidewalk bears the cost of maintaining, repairing and…

Sammamish's Building and Property Maintenance Code puts sidewalk upkeep on the abutting property owner. SMC…

When Seattle's Director of Transportation finds a sidewalk unfit or unsafe for public travel, SMC 15.72.010 puts the…

Spokane County's road standards put sidewalk repair on the commercial property owner, not the county, whenever the…

Once Tacoma's City Council formally finds a sidewalk unsafe and orders it fixed, the duty and cost of construction or…

In unincorporated Thurston County, owners of urban-frontage property must maintain the sidewalks abutting their land…

Yakima property owners bear the duty, cost, and liability for maintaining, cleaning, and repairing the public sidewalk…

Edmonds bars abutting property owners from erecting or maintaining signs, structures or vegetation that block sight…

Everett, Washington makes it unlawful to place or leave any object on a public sidewalk area without approval from the…

In unincorporated Franklin County, no one may block or occupy county right-of-way, which includes any sidewalk area…

Lakewood, Washington makes it unlawful to place vehicles, goods, merchandise, food products, or similar items on a city…

Renton treats any unauthorized structure, planting or stored item on a sidewalk or right-of-way as an encroachment…

SMC 15.46.010 lets SDOT's Director of Transportation remove any obstruction, hazard, or nuisance from a sidewalk or…

Thurston County requires a rights-of-way use permit before any work, fill, or materials are placed in county roads…

ACC 12.32.010 reserves Auburn's public sidewalks exclusively for pedestrians and bicycles. ACC 12.32.020 bars placing…

Bellevue property owners must trim or remove trees, shrubs and vegetation that overhang or obstruct a sidewalk, street…

Bellingham declares any obstruction of a street, alley or sidewalk, and any excavation kept longer than needed or made…

Any structure, device, or object that threatens, endangers, or obstructs the traveling public on a county road or…

Federal Way charges pedestrian interference as a misdemeanor under FWRC 6.35.030 for anyone who blocks a sidewalk, sits…

Kennewick Municipal Code § 5.56.210 bars placing any obstruction in a public street, sidewalk, alley or easement that…

Kent makes it unlawful to use any public sidewalk, street, or right-of-way for a private purpose, including placing…

Unincorporated King County caps how far a stand, box, platform or similar structure can encroach onto a county road…

Dropping or leaving any object, material or structure on a Kirkland street, sidewalk or public right-of-way that blocks…

In unincorporated Kitsap County, blocking a public sidewalk or right-of-way, letting drainage or plant growth spill…

Lynnwood Municipal Code § 10.08.200 declares two kinds of sidewalk and right-of-way encroachment a public nuisance…

Marysville bans obstructing a public sidewalk or making it impassable, dangerous, or inconvenient, treating violations…

PMC 9.80.010 makes it a misdemeanor to stand, remain, or congregate on a Pasco street, alley, or sidewalk in a way that…

Pierce County bars peddlers and solicitors from blocking sidewalks or streets while selling. PCC 5.10.150 makes it…

Port Townsend orders anyone blocking a sidewalk or right-of-way to remove the obstruction on notice, or the public…

Puyallup Municipal Code declares any unlawful or overstayed obstruction of a street, alley, crossing or sidewalk…

Spokane Valley treats anything that blocks a public sidewalk, from an overhanging awning to dirt and debris, as a…

Tacoma bans storing goods, wares, or merchandise on sidewalks and streets, though ground-floor shops may display items…

Temporary signs placed in Whatcom County's public rights-of-way can't block a sidewalk, street, driveway, traffic sign…

Yakima businesses can't set goods, produce or merchandise out on the public sidewalk for display or sale: only active…

Yakima County treats blocking a public sidewalk or street as a nuisance violation. Under the county's Property…

EMC § 13.30.020 bars any special or private use of an Everett street, alley or sidewalk without first getting a permit…

No adjoining property owner may use any part of a Franklin County road right-of-way without Board of County…

Anyone using a Kirkland street right-of-way, including a sidewalk or walkway, for personal or business use must first…

Lakewood requires a right-of-way permit before anyone blocks, occupies, privately improves or otherwise uses City…

Pierce County requires written permission from the County Engineer before anyone places, erects, or installs any object…

SMC 15.04.010 makes it unlawful to occupy or encroach on any Seattle public place, sidewalk, planting strip, alley, or…

Anyone who wants to open, improve or privately use a county road right-of-way in unincorporated Skagit County, other…

Tacoma requires written City permission before any private use of the public right-of-way, from fences and retaining…

Thurston County requires a rights-of-way permit before anyone builds a driveway, sidewalk, frontage improvement, or…

Yakima bars any private use of a public right-of-way, including sidewalks, without a right-of-way use permit under YMC…

Auburn requires a right-of-way use permit under ACC 12.60.010 before anyone makes private use of a public sidewalk…

Anyone making private use of a Bellevue public right-of-way, from a dumpster on the street to a fence or structure…

A temporary right-of-way use permit from Bellingham's public works department is required before placing a sidewalk…

Before Benton County will issue a building or placement permit, BCC 3.04.052 requires anyone constructing a road…

Anyone encroaching on or using a county right-of-way in unincorporated Cowlitz County, developed or undeveloped, needs…

Edmonds requires an encroachment permit before any permanent structure, such as a fence, retaining wall, building…

Federal Way lets property owners encroach into the public right-of-way only for removable, nonpermanent building…

Kennewick requires a Public Works construction permit before any private work in a public street or right-of-way, from…

Anyone who wants to cut into a Kent street or curb, most often to install a driveway or connect a utility line, must…

Private use or improvement of county road right-of-way in unincorporated King County requires a right-of-way use permit…

Anyone building or altering a vehicular access point onto a county road, or doing construction work inside a county…

Lynnwood requires a right-of-way invasion permit before anyone excavates, builds in, or otherwise disturbs city…

Marysville requires a permit from the director of public works before building, extending, or excavating any line…

Before working in or on a Pasco public right-of-way, from sidewalks and curb cuts to any other encroachment, PMC…

A street use permit is required before anyone establishes a use in or encroaches on the public right-of-way in Port…

Puyallup requires a written permit from the city engineer before anyone excavates, tunnels, fills, grades, paves, or…

Property owners who want to use or occupy unneeded public right-of-way abutting their land, for a structure…

Anyone using unincorporated Snohomish County right-of-way for anything besides transportation, from a fence to a sales…

Anyone wanting to install anything or do work within a Spokane County road right-of-way must first get a permit from…

Spokane Valley requires a right-of-way permit under SVMC § 9.50.010 for any construction work or activity that…

Whatcom County requires a revocable encroachment permit before anyone works within, occupies, or temporarily uses…

Anyone building a private driveway or commercial road approach onto a Yakima County road needs a permit first. Code…