Jaywalking Laws by State (2026): Is Jaywalking Illegal?

Jaywalking is governed by state law, and in most states crossing a street outside a crosswalk is not banned outright: you must yield the right-of-way to vehicles, while specific crossings are flatly prohibited, most often crossing mid-block between two adjacent intersections with working traffic signals and crossing an intersection diagonally, and many states let cities ban mid-block crossing in business districts or on designated roads. Breaking these rules ranges from a civil infraction, as in Arizona, Nevada and Washington, to a misdemeanor, as in Georgia, Texas and West Virginia, with amounts from $1 per offense in Massachusetts to statutory ceilings of $1,000 in Georgia and Illinois, and Vermont's waiver schedule lists a range topping out at $1,197.

We found no federal statute that makes jaywalking an offense on ordinary public roads; the rules come from state law and local ordinances. The table below gives each state's crossing rule, how a violation is classed, the fine or penalty as each state's statute or court schedule states it, and the state's most notable rule or reform, with a link to the full state guide and its citations.

Information last verified on 2026-10-10. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This guide compares the state statutes, regulations and court fine schedules on pedestrians crossing outside crosswalks, crossing against signals and walking along roads in 49 states and the District of Columbia, as each linked state guide sets them out; the New Jersey guide is not yet published. It also covers New York City's 2024 local law, the federal layer (traffic-device standards, federal land and safety data) and drivers' duties toward pedestrians. It does not catalog other city or county ordinances, and it does not cover injury claims beyond the notes below.

What counts as jaywalking

"Jaywalking" is a popular word, not usually a statutory one. Georgia's Governor's Office of Highway Safety says the term is not a legal term and does not appear in the Georgia Code, and the codes of Mississippi, Montana and North Dakota have no offense by that name. Two exceptions use the word: South Dakota's crossing statute, SDCL 32-27-4, has it in its catchline, and Wyoming's 2026 court bail schedule has a line titled Jaywalking.

What people mean by it is usually one of four things, each covered by its own rule:

• Crossing outside a crosswalk, the core rule in most states, usually a duty to yield rather than a ban.
• Crossing mid-block between signals or diagonally, the two crossings most states ban outright.
• Crossing against a signal, governed by WALK and DON'T WALK signals and, where none exist, by the ordinary traffic light.
• Walking along the road, the rules on using the sidewalk where one exists and walking facing traffic where none does.

The wording repeats from state to state. The federal traffic-device manual, the MUTCD, describes the Uniform Vehicle Code as "a model set of motor vehicle codes and traffic laws for use throughout the United States," and says its Rules of the Road "are intended to be recommendations for States to adopt in their State statutes and are not independently legally enforceable." The enforceable rule is always the state's own text, and the state texts differ in ways that change the answer.

Where the crosswalk is

Whether you are "in a crosswalk" depends on the state's definition, and in many states a crosswalk exists at an intersection whether or not it is painted. Connecticut's definition includes the unmarked extension of the sidewalk lines across an intersection (C.G.S. 14-297(2)), and the District of Columbia's includes the part of an intersection within the connections of the sidewalk lines, whether or not it is painted (18 DCMR 9901). Pennsylvania's definition reaches an intersection even where only one side has a sidewalk (75 Pa.C.S. 102). Washington's runs, where there are no sidewalks, to "a line ten feet therefrom" (RCW 46.04.160). Rhode Island presumes an unmarked crosswalk at any intersection absent markings to the contrary (R.I. Gen. Laws 31-18-4(b)).

Signs can take a crosswalk away. In Ohio a marked spot loses its status as a crosswalk where local authorities have placed signs indicating no crossing (R.C. 4511.01(LL)(3)), and Wisconsin's definition excludes places where local authorities have erected signs indicating no crossing (Wis. Stat. 340.01(10)).

Vermont and Maine key the yield rule to marked crosswalks. Vermont's 23 V.S.A. 1052(a) applies to a pedestrian crossing at any point other than within a marked crosswalk, so the text does not carve out unmarked crosswalks, and Maine's 29-A M.R.S. 2056(5) likewise reaches a pedestrian crossing other than within a marked crosswalk. Mid-block, painted lines can create a crosswalk: the MUTCD says that "At non-intersection locations, crosswalk markings legally establish the crosswalk," and each state's definition decides what that means there.

Is jaywalking illegal? The yield rule and the flat bans

In most states, crossing outside a crosswalk is not itself the offense. The typical statute says a pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection "shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway," the phrasing of West Virginia's § 17C-10-3 and Tennessee's 55-8-135(a). Florida (316.130(10)), Ohio (4511.48(A)), Texas (552.005(a)), New York (VTL 1152(a)), Illinois (11-1003(a)) and most other states use the same structure. Under that rule, the offense is failing to yield, not crossing.

Oregon writes this plainly: under ORS 814.040, the state offense is pedestrian failure to yield, a Class D traffic violation. Georgia adds a qualifier: a pedestrian must yield unless already safely in the roadway (O.C.G.A. 40-6-92(a)). California's yield rule is narrower, reaching vehicles so near as to constitute an immediate hazard (Veh. Code 21954(a)).

That permission is the state rule. Many states let cities go further, so a crossing that is lawful under state law can be banned on a particular street (see the local rules section below).

The flat bans

Most states pair the yield rule with crossings that are prohibited outright:

• Between adjacent signalized intersections. Where traffic-control signals operate at both ends of a block, a pedestrian may cross only in a marked crosswalk, as in Arizona (28-793(C)), Florida (316.130(11)), North Carolina (20-174(c)) and Texas (552.005(b)). The scope varies: Kentucky's rule applies within city limits (189.570(6)(c)), Pennsylvania's in urban districts (3543(c)), Alaska's in business or residence districts (13 AAC 02.160(c)), and Iowa's where signals operate at a place that is not an intersection (321.328(3)). California's rule requires a crosswalk rather than a marked one (21955(a)).
• Diagonally across an intersection, unless official traffic-control devices authorize it, as in Alabama (32-5A-212(d)), Colorado (42-4-803(4)) and Ohio (4511.48(D)).
• Where a tunnel or overpass is provided. Alaska bars crossing at road level where an accessible tunnel or overpass is provided unless there is also a marked crosswalk (13 AAC 02.160(b)), and Oregon makes crossing any other way a Class D traffic violation (ORS 814.060). Several states, including Texas (552.005(a)) and Wyoming (31-5-603(b)), instead require yielding there.
• Where a sign prohibits it. Washington bars crossing at an unmarked crosswalk where an official sign prohibits it (46.61.240(6)), and Utah lets a highway authority close an unmarked crosswalk with devices showing the restriction (41-6a-1010).
• Controlled-access highways. Examples include Arkansas's 2023 ban on pedestrians within controlled-access highway boundaries (27-51-1206), Louisiana's ban on crossing an interstate except in an emergency (32:216(C)), Michigan's limited access highway rule (MCL 257.679a) and Florida's limited access facility rule (316.130(18)).

The pedestrian sections in New York (VTL 1152), Oregon (ORS 814.010 to 814.070) and Wisconsin (346.23 to 346.30) contain no rule limiting crossings between signalized intersections to marked crosswalks. These pedestrian rules contain no diagonal-crossing clause: Iowa 321.328, Mississippi 63-3-1105, Montana 61-8-501 to 61-8-517, New Mexico 66-7-335, North Carolina G.S. 20-172 to 20-175, Oklahoma 11-503, Oregon ORS 814.010 to 814.070, Rhode Island chapter 31-18, South Dakota chapter 32-27, Tennessee 55-8-135, West Virginia 17C-10-3 and Wisconsin 346.23 to 346.30.

Florida adds a direction rule: outside a marked crosswalk, cross at right angles to the curb or by the shortest route to the opposite curb (316.130(12)). Illinois lets pedestrians with disabilities cross outside a crosswalk where an intersection is physically inaccessible to them, still yielding to all vehicles (11-1003(e)).

States that write the rule differently

• Virginia tells pedestrians not to "carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles" and to "cross, wherever possible, only at intersections or marked crosswalks" (Va. Code § 46.2-923(A)).
• Massachusetts sets a $1 penalty by statute (M.G.L. c. 90, s. 18A) and puts its crossing rules in regulations and local rules. On a state highway, a pedestrian within 300 feet of a traffic signal, a marked crosswalk or an officer directing traffic must cross in the marked crosswalk (700 CMR 9.09(1)).
• Michigan's Vehicle Code regulates pedestrians at signals and on roads but contains no rule on crossing between intersections. Where a community has adopted the State Police Uniform Traffic Code by reference (MCL 257.951), its crossing rules apply as civil infractions.
• Missouri's statewide code has only two pedestrian signal rules (RSMo 304.281, 304.291). The familiar crossing rules are in chapter 300, a model traffic ordinance that takes effect in a city only when the city adopts it (300.600).
• South Dakota's yield rule applies to crossings in a business or residence district (SDCL 32-27-4), and the signalized-block rule is a local option (32-27-3).

Walk signals and red lights

Pedestrian signals mean what the state statute says they mean. The MUTCD sets the national standard for the devices: a pedestrian facing a flashing upraised hand "shall not start to cross," one already crossing on WALK "shall continue to proceed to the far side of the traveled way of the street or highway, unless otherwise directed by a traffic control device to proceed only to the median of a divided highway or only to some other island or pedestrian refuge area," and a pedestrian facing a steady upraised hand "shall not enter the roadway" (MUTCD Sec. 4A.06). Most states write their pedestrian-signal rules along those lines, with differences that matter:

• Countdown timers. Nevada lets a pedestrian start across on a flashing DON'T WALK with a countdown timer but requires finishing before it reaches zero (NRS 484B.283(1)(d)). Indiana allows starting on a flashing don't walk with a countdown if the pedestrian can reach the sidewalk or safety island before the steady don't walk (IC 9-21-17-2). Hawaii bars starting once a countdown timer begins (HRS 291C-33).
• New Hampshire bars starting on Don't Walk only "if such crossing interferes with vehicular traffic" (RSA 265:11, II).

Where there is no pedestrian signal, the ordinary traffic light usually binds pedestrians too. In many states a pedestrian facing a steady red alone may not enter the roadway and may not start to cross on a steady yellow, as in Florida (316.075), New York (VTL 1111) and Pennsylvania, where 3112(a) says traffic lights "apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians." Some states allow entering against a red if it can be done safely: Delaware (§ 4108), Iowa (321.257), Mississippi (63-3-309), Tennessee (55-8-110), West Virginia (§ 17C-3-5), Wisconsin (346.37) and Michigan (MCL 257.613(1)(c)) let a pedestrian enter only if it can be done safely and without interfering with traffic.

Signal violations can carry their own fines: $30 plus a $6 surcharge in Colorado, $20 in the District of Columbia, $90 for entering against a red signal on Maryland's preset schedule, and $220 with 0 points for a pedestrian-control signal violation (23 V.S.A. 1023) on Vermont's waiver schedule.

Jaywalking laws by state: comparison table

Each row summarizes the linked state guide. "Yield" means crossing outside a crosswalk is allowed if the pedestrian yields; "marked crosswalk only" means the flat ban between adjacent intersections with working signals. The fine column gives the amount as the statute or court schedule states it; court costs, surcharges and local ordinance penalties are on each state's guide. The table does not list city rules, which can be stricter.

Jaywalking fines and penalties

States split on whether a pedestrian violation is a crime at all.

Infractions and civil violations. Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin classify the crossing violation as an infraction, civil violation, traffic violation, petty offense or forfeiture, under the labels in the table. Several say expressly that it is not a crime: Maine (29-A M.R.S. 103), New Hampshire (RSA 625:9), Vermont (23 V.S.A. 2302(b)), Wisconsin (939.12) and Hawaii (291D-3(a)), and Nevada's 484B.287(2) says a violation "is not a misdemeanor."

Misdemeanors. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ohio (a minor misdemeanor), Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee (Class C), Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming treat it as a misdemeanor, and New Mexico as a penalty assessment misdemeanor. Most attach low caps, but jail is available on paper in several: up to 10 days for a first conviction in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma, up to 30 days in South Carolina and Tennessee, and up to 12 months in Georgia, as ceilings rather than typical outcomes.

In between. Illinois treats a first or second conviction as a petty offense ($75 to $1,000) and a third within a year as a Class C misdemeanor (625 ILCS 5/16-104). Minnesota's petty misdemeanor carries no jury trial and no imprisonment (169.89). Pennsylvania's is a summary offense with a $5 fine (75 Pa.C.S. 3552), and Iowa's scheduled $35 fine rests on an underlying simple misdemeanor (321.482).

Penalty without a class label. Delaware, Louisiana and Massachusetts state a penalty rather than a class in these rules: Delaware applies the general penalty in 21 Del. C. 4205(a), a fine of $25 to $75 for a first offense; Louisiana the general Title 32 penalty (R.S. 32:57), up to $175, up to 30 days, or both for a first violation; and Massachusetts $1 for each of the first three offenses in a calendar year (M.G.L. c. 90, s. 18A), in proceedings that section says "shall not be deemed criminal."

The fine is not the total

The statutory fine is often the smallest part of what a ticket costs. Examples from the state guides:

Some schedules state an all-in figure: Wyoming's $100 Jaywalking line includes court costs and fees, and South Dakota's FY27 schedule says no costs are assessed on the $25 state petty offense judgment, though it adds $72.50 in costs to city and county ordinance violations. New York does not levy its mandatory surcharge on violations by pedestrians (VTL 1809(1)).

Paying the ticket, your record and points

Paying is rarely neutral. Paying the fine counts as a conviction in Maryland (Transp. 11-110(a)(4)) and Iowa (805.9(1)); prepaying is a guilty plea in Kentucky (KRS 431.452(3)(d)) and Virginia (Rule 3B:2); mailing the fine is a guilty plea in Ohio; and paying the deposit or presumptive fine is a no contest plea in Wisconsin (345.26) and Oregon (ORS 153.061). Idaho counts an infraction judgment as a conviction (49-104). Connecticut is a partial exception: paying is a nolo contendere plea that cannot be used in a later civil or criminal case to establish the conduct (51-164n(c)).

On driving records and points, the state guides report: Delaware does not enter arrests or convictions under § 4143 on a driver's motor vehicle record (§ 4140); Colorado has no authority to assess license points for a class B traffic infraction (42-4-1701(3)(c)); Maryland's preset schedule lists 0 points; Vermont's waiver schedule lists 0 points; and Wisconsin's 2026 deposit schedule leaves the demerit-points column blank for the crossing line. In Rhode Island, violations in the traffic tribunal's or a municipal court's jurisdiction are expunged by operation of law three years after adjudication, after any record-retention period (31-41.1-10).

Can police stop you for jaywalking? Reforms and limits

Many state pedestrian codes say nothing about stops. Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, New Hampshire, South Carolina and West Virginia are among the states whose pedestrian sections contain no provision limiting police stops for pedestrian violations. A few jurisdictions have changed that.

California: the Freedom to Walk Act (AB 2147)

AB 2147, chaptered as Chapter 957 of the Statutes of 2022, took effect January 1, 2023. It left the crossing rules in place but added a stop limit to them. In the signalized-block rule it reads that a peace officer "shall not stop a pedestrian for a violation of subdivision (a) unless a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger of a collision with a moving vehicle or other device moving exclusively by human power" (Veh. Code 21955(b)). The same limit appears in the yield rule (21954(c)) and the signal, crosswalk, tunnel and rural-road sections, and it reaches local no-crossing ordinances (21961(b)). The reform "does not relieve a pedestrian from the duty of using due care for their safety" (21955(b)(2)). See the California jaywalking guide.

Virginia: no stops for its crossing rule (2020 act, in force 2021)

In acts that took effect on March 1, 2021 (Acts 2020, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 45 and 51), the 2020 Special Session I added to Va. Code § 46.2-923: "No law-enforcement officer shall stop a pedestrian for a violation of this section." Evidence from a stop that breaks that rule, including evidence obtained with the person's consent, is inadmissible (§ 46.2-923(C)), and the same bar covers stepping out from behind a parked vehicle (§ 46.2-926(B)). The Walk and Don't Walk rule in § 46.2-925 has no such clause. See the Virginia jaywalking guide.

Nevada: crossing violations made civil (AB 403, 2021)

Since July 1, 2021, a violation of NRS 484B.287 "is not a misdemeanor" and is punishable by a civil penalty of not more than $100. The act directed courts to cancel outstanding bench warrants for failures to appear on alleged 484B.287 violations that occurred before July 1, 2021. It did not reach walking along a highway: NRS 484B.297 is still a misdemeanor. A city or county may not attach a criminal penalty to a violation the state punishes civilly (NRS 484A.400(3)(d)). See the Nevada jaywalking guide.

New York City: Local Law 98 of 2024 (local law)

New York City's Local Law 98 of 2024 amended Administrative Code 19-195, effective 120 days after it became law, to read in part: "Pedestrians may cross any roadway, other than a limited access highway, at any point, including points outside of a marked or unmarked crosswalk, but shall yield to other traffic that has the right of way, provided that a failure to yield shall not be a violation of this section." Pedestrians crossing outside a crosswalk or against a steady upraised hand "do not have the right of way," and nothing in the section relieves anyone of the duty of due care. State law lets the city's local laws supersede state law on pedestrian use of the highway in a city of over one million (VTL 1642(a)). This is a city rule, not state law; see the New York jaywalking guide.

The other direction: stops, identification and arrest

Even where a crossing violation is minor, the stop that follows can carry heavier consequences:

• Identification. Refusing to give evidence of identity is a class 2 misdemeanor in Arizona (A.R.S. 28-1595(C)); intentionally refusing an officer's request for your correct name, address or date of birth is a Class E crime in Maine (29-A M.R.S. 105(4)); and in Utah, refusing to disclose identity after a lawful stop can be charged as a class B misdemeanor under the conditions in 76-8-301.5. In Washington, a person stopped for a traffic infraction has a duty to stop and to give a name and current address, and wilfully failing to comply is a misdemeanor (RCW 46.61.021, 46.61.022).
• Arrest. Texas lets any peace officer arrest without a warrant a person found committing a violation of the subtitle containing the pedestrian rules (Transp. Code 543.001), and Wisconsin allows a warrantless arrest for a traffic regulation violation on reasonable grounds (345.22). Ohio's cite-instead-of-arrest rule for a minor misdemeanor has an exception for a person who cannot or will not offer satisfactory evidence of identity (R.C. 2935.26(A)).
• Limits. Idaho's infraction rules say a person charged with an infraction "shall never be arrested for the infraction," Oregon bars arrest for a traffic violation while allowing a stop to investigate and cite (ORS 810.410(3)), and in Massachusetts the only warrantless arrest under s. 18A is for refusing to give a name and address, which carries its own $20 to $50 fine.

Recent changes and pending bills

Beyond the stop reforms, the state guides record these changes:

• Colorado school streets (2026). Since August 12, 2026, a county, city and county or municipality may designate the road next to a school as a school street, where the state crossing and walking rules in 42-4-801, 42-4-803 and 42-4-805(1) and (2) do not apply, all vehicles yield to pedestrians and the speed limit is 10 mph (C.R.S. 42-4-119, HB26-1318).
• Kentucky right-of-way rule (2026). Since July 15, 2026, KRS 189.572 bars sitting, kneeling, reclining, standing or remaining stationary in any portion of a state-maintained right-of-way not designated for pedestrian use, with listed exceptions.
• Arkansas controlled-access highways (2023). Act 779 of 2023 barred pedestrians from the property boundaries of controlled-access highways unless directed by a police officer or working in a highway work zone, with a fine of up to $100 (Ark. Code 27-51-1206).
• Montana drivers (2025). A driver's failure to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks is now the offense of endangerment of pedestrians, with fines of $25 to $100 for a first conviction (MCA 61-8-502, 61-8-742).
• New Mexico (2027). Laws 2026, ch. 57, effective January 1, 2027, defines "vulnerable road user" to include a pedestrian (66-1-4.19(F)).
• Washington shared streets. On a shared street designated by a city, vehicles yield to pedestrians and the crossing rules of RCW 46.61.240 do not apply (46.61.197, 46.61.240(7)).
• Hawaii (bill, not law). HB1524 (2026) would have capped pedestrian fines under chapter 291C at $25. Its last listed action is the appointment of House conferees on April 20, 2026, and HRS 291C-73(e) still reads $100.
• New York (pending, not law). Senate bills S7549 and S1494 of the 2025-2026 session would change driver duties toward pedestrians; on October 10, 2026, both were in the Senate Transportation Committee.
• Ohio and Pennsylvania (pending, not law). Ohio's House Bill 714 targets drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians and does not amend the crossing rule in 4511.48. Pennsylvania's House Bill 918 would amend the traffic-control and pedestrian-control signal sections; its last listed action is a committee referral on March 17, 2025.

Local rules can be stricter

City and county rules are where a lawful state crossing most often becomes an unlawful one. The state codes give cities several kinds of power:

• A crosswalk-only rule in business districts or on designated highways, the most common grant, in states including Arizona (28-791(B)), Florida (316.008(1)(q)), Hawaii (291C-163(a)(18)), Indiana (9-21-17-4(1)), New Mexico (66-7-333(B)), Oklahoma (15-107), Rhode Island (31-18-2), South Carolina (56-5-3120), Tennessee (55-8-133(b)), Texas (552.009), Utah (41-6a-208(2)(p)) and West Virginia (17C-10-1(b)).
• A crosswalk-only rule anywhere, as in Montana (61-8-501(4)), Oregon (ORS 810.080) and Illinois (11-208), or a general power to restrict or prohibit crossings, as in Iowa (321.328(1)), Idaho (49-210) and Wisconsin (349.185(2)).
• Strict signal compliance, which several of the same sections also allow.

States put limits on that power, too. A Pennsylvania business-district ban takes effect only once traffic-control devices giving notice are erected (6109(c)), and a Colorado ordinance that differs from the state walking rules takes effect only once signs give notice (42-4-805(5)). Louisiana's municipal crosswalk power does not reach state-maintained highways (32:41(A)(12)). In California, the officer-stop limit applies to local no-crossing ordinances (Veh. Code 21961(b)); in Nevada, a city may not make a civil violation criminal (484A.400(3)(d)); in Idaho, no local authority may turn an infraction into a misdemeanor (49-1503(1)); and in Missouri, a municipal or county court may not assess a minor traffic fine that, with court costs, totals more than $225 (RSMo 479.353).

To learn the rule on a specific street, check the city or county code and posted signs, or the agency or court named on a ticket.

What drivers owe pedestrians

Driver duties are separate sections and often carry heavier penalties than the pedestrian rules. The common duties:

• Yield or stop at crosswalks where signals are not in place or not operating, as in Alabama (32-5A-211), New York (VTL 1151) and West Virginia (§ 17C-10-2(a)). Several states require a full stop: Georgia requires drivers to stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian on their half of the roadway or within one lane of it (40-6-91(a)), Washington uses the same structure (RCW 46.61.235(1)), Nebraska requires a complete stop (60-6,153(1)), and Virginia requires stopping, not just yielding, at clearly marked crosswalks and at intersections on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less (§ 46.2-924(A)).
• Never pass a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian at a crosswalk, as in Florida (316.130(9)), Georgia (40-6-91(d)) and Utah (41-6a-1002).
• Yield on WALK and when turning, including on a green light or a right turn on red, as in Arizona, Michigan (MCL 257.612) and Oklahoma.
• Use due care toward any pedestrian on the roadway, as in Florida (316.130(15)), Ohio (4511.48(E)) and Wyoming (31-5-607).

Driver penalties in the state guides include up to $200 in Massachusetts (c. 89, s. 11), $150 for a first violation in Hawaii (291C-72(e)) and on the District of Columbia's civil schedule, $50 and 2 points in Pennsylvania, $220 and 4 points in Vermont, $326.50 in total and 4 demerit points in Wisconsin, 2 points (4 if the pedestrian is injured) in Nebraska, and $100 to $500 and 4 points in North Carolina for failing to yield on a right turn on red. In Minnesota a driver's failure to stop at a crosswalk is a misdemeanor, and a second within one year a gross misdemeanor (169.21, subd. 2); in Nevada a driver who breaks the crosswalk or due care duty and is the proximate cause of a collision with a pedestrian commits reckless driving (484B.653).

Walking along the road

The usual pattern: where a usable sidewalk is provided, walking along the adjacent roadway is unlawful; without a sidewalk, use the shoulder; and with neither, walk near the outside edge and, on a two-way road, on the left side facing traffic. Kansas (8-1537), Kentucky (189.570(12)-(14)) and Nebraska (60-6,156) are examples. These rules sometimes carry a different penalty from the crossing rules: Delaware sets a lower fine of $10 to $28.75 for a first offense (§ 4146), Rhode Island $15 for a first conviction (31-18-11), and in Nevada walking along a highway stayed a misdemeanor after crossing violations became civil (NRS 484B.297).

Jaywalking and fault after a crash

A pedestrian ticket and an injury claim are different questions, and some states address the overlap directly. Virginia says that where intersections contain no marked crosswalks, a pedestrian is not guilty of negligence as a matter of law for crossing at the intersection or between intersections by the most direct route (§ 46.2-923(A)). Massachusetts says a pedestrian rule violation shall not, in any civil proceeding, constitute negligence or be admissible as evidence of negligence (c. 90, s. 18A). North Carolina treats crimes and infractions in Chapter 20 identically for negligence per se (20-176(d)), so a pedestrian or driver infraction can matter in an injury claim. In Iowa and Ohio, the driver's due care duty applies notwithstanding the pedestrian crossing rules (Iowa Code 321.329; R.C. 4511.48(E)). For how fault and compensation work after a crash, see our car accident laws by state.

Is there a federal jaywalking law?

We found no federal statute or regulation that makes jaywalking an offense for the general public on ordinary public roads; pedestrian conduct there is set by state statute and local ordinance. The federal government's role is engineering standards, federal land and safety funding.

Traffic-device standards. The MUTCD approved by the Federal Highway Administrator "is the national standard for all traffic control devices installed on any street, highway, or bicycle trail open to public travel," and states must adopt FHWA changes to it within two years of the final rule's effective date (23 CFR 655.603). It regulates signs, signals and markings, not pedestrians. The MUTCD itself says "The actions required of road users to obey regulatory devices should be specified by State statute, or in cases not covered by State statute, in local ordinances or resolutions." FHWA's MUTCD page lists the current edition as the 11th Edition with Revision 1, dated December 2025; the quotations here are from the December 2023 text of the 11th Edition. Among its pedestrian standards, the manual requires a countdown display at crosswalks where the pedestrian change interval is more than 7 seconds (Sec. 4I.04).

Federal land. In national parks, "traffic and the use of vehicles within a park area are governed by State law," which the National Park Service adopts as its own regulation, and a violation of that state law is prohibited (36 CFR 4.2). The park traffic rules in 36 CFR part 4 add one pedestrian-specific provision, a driver duty: "An operator of a motor vehicle shall yield the right of way to pedestrians" (36 CFR 4.20). On military installations with concurrent or exclusive federal jurisdiction, 32 CFR 634.25(f) states that in states where traffic violations are not criminal offenses, a Defense Department directive adopts the state's "vehicular and pedestrian traffic laws," with a fine set by the local magistrate or imprisonment of not more than 30 days, or both, for each violation; where traffic violations are state criminal offenses, 634.25(e) says they apply through 18 U.S.C. 13.

Safety data and funding. NHTSA counted 7,080 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in 2024, 18 percent of all traffic fatalities, and 73 percent of those deaths occurred at locations that were not intersections (DOT HS 813 818). That figure describes where crashes happened, not whether a pedestrian broke a crossing rule. Federal law requires each state to complete a vulnerable road user safety assessment, which identifies high-risk areas for pedestrians and other non-motorists and sets a program of projects to reduce the risk (23 U.S.C. 148(l)). FHWA's Safe System approach is "founded on the principles that humans make mistakes and that human bodies have limited ability to tolerate crash impacts."

Jaywalking by state

• Alabama jaywalking laws
• Alaska jaywalking laws
• Arizona jaywalking laws
• Arkansas jaywalking laws
• California jaywalking laws
• Colorado jaywalking laws
• Connecticut jaywalking laws
• Delaware jaywalking laws
• District of Columbia jaywalking laws
• Florida jaywalking laws
• Georgia jaywalking laws
• Hawaii jaywalking laws
• Idaho jaywalking laws
• Illinois jaywalking laws
• Indiana jaywalking laws
• Iowa jaywalking laws
• Kansas jaywalking laws
• Kentucky jaywalking laws
• Louisiana jaywalking laws
• Maine jaywalking laws
• Maryland jaywalking laws
• Massachusetts jaywalking laws
• Michigan jaywalking laws
• Minnesota jaywalking laws
• Mississippi jaywalking laws
• Missouri jaywalking laws
• Montana jaywalking laws
• Nebraska jaywalking laws
• Nevada jaywalking laws
• New Hampshire jaywalking laws
• New Mexico jaywalking laws
• New York jaywalking laws
• North Carolina jaywalking laws
• North Dakota jaywalking laws
• Ohio jaywalking laws
• Oklahoma jaywalking laws
• Oregon jaywalking laws
• Pennsylvania jaywalking laws
• Rhode Island jaywalking laws
• South Carolina jaywalking laws
• South Dakota jaywalking laws
• Tennessee jaywalking laws
• Texas jaywalking laws
• Utah jaywalking laws
• Vermont jaywalking laws
• Virginia jaywalking laws
• Washington jaywalking laws
• West Virginia jaywalking laws
• Wisconsin jaywalking laws
• Wyoming jaywalking laws
• New Jersey jaywalking laws: guide coming soon

Related pages

• Car accident laws by state
• Traffic camera ticket laws by state
• E-scooter laws by state
• Lane splitting laws by state

This article provides general legal information about state jaywalking and pedestrian laws in the United States, not legal advice. Statutes, court fine schedules and local ordinances change; the information here was last checked on 2026-10-10. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in your state, or the court or agency named on your ticket.

Last updated: 2026-10-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is jaywalking illegal in the United States?

It depends on the state, because jaywalking is governed by state law and local ordinance. In most states, crossing outside a crosswalk is lawful if you yield the right-of-way to vehicles, while crossing mid-block between two signalized intersections and crossing an intersection diagonally are banned. Cities in many states can add stricter rules.

Is it illegal to cross the street outside a crosswalk?

Under most state codes it is allowed as long as you yield to all vehicles, as in Florida (316.130(10)), Ohio (4511.48(A)) or Texas (552.005(a)). It is barred between adjacent signalized intersections in most states, and a city ordinance may ban it in a business district or on a designated highway.

What is the fine for jaywalking?

It depends on the state. Examples from the state guides: $1 in Massachusetts, $5 plus a $45 surcharge and costs in Pennsylvania, $15 in Florida, $25 in Alaska and New Mexico, $45 in Kansas, $100 in Hawaii and Rhode Island, and up to $1,000 as a misdemeanor ceiling in Georgia. Court costs and surcharges are often added.

Can you go to jail for jaywalking?

In some states the statute allows it, as a maximum: up to 10 days for a first conviction in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma; up to 15 days in New York, even though a violation there is a traffic infraction, not a crime; up to 30 days in Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee; up to 12 months in Georgia; and up to one year in Missouri for a violation of its WALK and DON'T WALK signal rule (RSMo 304.291). In states that make it a civil infraction, such as Alaska, Idaho and Rhode Island, the statute rules out imprisonment.

Which states have decriminalized jaywalking?

Nevada made its crossing rule (NRS 484B.287) a civil penalty of up to $100 in 2021. California kept jaywalking as an infraction but since 2023 bars stops unless there is an immediate danger of a collision, and Virginia bars stops for its crossing rule entirely. Several states, including Arizona, Florida, Vermont and Washington, treat pedestrian violations as civil or non-criminal.

Is jaywalking legal in California?

No. Vehicle Code 21955(a) still bars crossing between adjacent signal- or officer-controlled intersections except in a crosswalk, and 21954(a) requires yielding outside a crosswalk. Since January 1, 2023, under AB 2147, police may not stop a pedestrian for these rules unless a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger of a collision.

Is jaywalking legal in New York City?

Under New York City Administrative Code 19-195, as amended by Local Law 98 of 2024, pedestrians may cross any roadway other than a limited access highway at any point, but they do not have the right of way outside a crosswalk and must yield to traffic that has it. That is a city rule; elsewhere in New York, state law and any local rule apply.

Does a jaywalking ticket add points to your license?

In several states, no: Colorado has no authority to assess points for a class B traffic infraction, Maryland's preset schedule lists 0 points, Vermont's waiver schedule lists 0 points, and Delaware does not enter convictions under its crossing rule on a driver's record. Paying the ticket can still count as a conviction or a plea, as in Maryland and Iowa.

Can police stop you for jaywalking?

In many states, yes: Arizona lets an officer stop and detain a person to investigate a suspected Title 28 violation (28-1594), and Washington requires a person signaled to stop for a traffic infraction to stop (RCW 46.61.021). Refusing to identify yourself can be a separate offense, as in Arizona (28-1595(C)) and Maine (29-A M.R.S. 105(4)). California limits stops to situations with an immediate danger of a collision, and Virginia bars stops for its crossing rule (46.2-923(C)).

Is there a federal law against jaywalking?

We found no federal statute that makes jaywalking an offense on ordinary public roads; the rules come from state law. Federal land is different: national parks adopt state traffic law (36 CFR 4.2), and 32 CFR 634.25 applies state pedestrian traffic laws on military installations with federal jurisdiction.

Who is at fault if a jaywalker is hit by a car?

Fault depends on the facts and the state's negligence rules. Drivers keep a duty of due care toward pedestrians in states such as Florida, Ohio and Wyoming, Massachusetts says a pedestrian rule violation is not evidence of negligence in a civil case, and in North Carolina an infraction can count for negligence per se. A lawyer licensed in the state can assess a specific crash.