Is Jaywalking Illegal in Virginia? Crossing Rules, Stops and Fines

Virginia's jaywalking rule is Va. Code § 46.2-923. It 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." Since a 2020 amendment took effect on March 1, 2021, the same section also says: "No law-enforcement officer shall stop a pedestrian for a violation of this section." Evidence from a stop that breaks that rule is not admissible. The section sets no penalty of its own, so the general Title 46.2 rule applies: a traffic infraction with a fine of not more than $250 (§ 46.2-113 and § 18.2-11(d)). The Uniform Fine Schedule in Rule 3B:2 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia sets the prepayable amount for § 46.2-923 at a $15 fine plus a $51 processing fee, $66 in total. To compare other states, see our guide to jaywalking laws by state.

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

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Virginia state law: the pedestrian article of the motor vehicle code (Va. Code §§ 46.2-923 to 46.2-934), the green-signal clause of § 46.2-833, the definitions of "crosswalk" and "traffic infraction" in § 46.2-100, the general penalty in § 46.2-113 and the Class 4 misdemeanor fine in § 18.2-11. It also covers § 46.2-808 (controlled access highways), § 46.2-1300 (local ordinances) and the Uniform Fine Schedule in Rule 3B:2. It does not cover the text of any city or county ordinance, driving-record effects, injury claims after a crash, or the law of other states.

Is jaywalking illegal in Virginia?

Virginia does have a crossing rule. Section 46.2-923(A) tells pedestrians to cross at intersections or marked crosswalks "wherever possible." What changed is enforcement: since March 1, 2021, under a 2020 amendment, an officer may not stop a pedestrian for breaking that section, or for stepping into the road from behind an obstruction under § 46.2-926.

Where Virginia pedestrians must cross

Subsection A of § 46.2-923 is the core rule:

"A. When crossing highways, pedestrians shall not carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles. They shall cross, wherever possible, only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Where intersections contain no marked crosswalks, pedestrians shall not be guilty of negligence as a matter of law for crossing at any such intersection or between intersections when crossing by the most direct route."

Three things follow from the text. First, the duty to use intersections or marked crosswalks applies "wherever possible," not in every case. Second, interfering with traffic is barred only when it is careless or malicious. Third, the last sentence protects a pedestrian from being found negligent "as a matter of law" for crossing where intersections have no marked crosswalks, including between intersections by the most direct route. That sentence speaks to negligence; it does not turn every mid-block crossing into a lawful one.

Virginia defines "crosswalk" in § 46.2-100:

"'Crosswalk' means that part of a roadway at an intersection included within the connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway measured from the curbs or, in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the traversable roadway; or any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface."

The first part of the definition is built from "the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway." The second part covers marked crossings anywhere, "at an intersection or elsewhere."

Diagonal crossing is a local option. Under § 46.2-923(B), "The governing body of any town or city or the governing body of a county authorized by law to regulate traffic may by ordinance permit pedestrians to cross an intersection diagonally when all traffic entering the intersection has been halted by lights, other traffic control devices, or by a law-enforcement officer."

The pedestrian article, §§ 46.2-923 through 46.2-934, contains no rule barring crossing between two signalized intersections except in a crosswalk, and no rule directing pedestrians to use a tunnel or overpass where one is provided.

Controlled access highways are handled outside that article. Under § 46.2-808, the Commonwealth Transportation Board may, "when necessary to promote safety, prohibit the use of controlled access highways or any part thereof" by pedestrians, the restricted sections must be "clearly indicated by a conspicuous marker," and a violation is a traffic infraction. The stop bar in §§ 46.2-923(C) and 46.2-926(B) is written for violations of those two sections only.

Stepping out from behind parked cars

Section 46.2-926(A) is the article's only flat ban on stepping out between intersections:

"A. No pedestrian shall step into a highway open to moving vehicular traffic at any point between intersections where his presence would be obscured from the vision of drivers of approaching vehicles by a vehicle or other obstruction at the curb or side. The foregoing prohibition shall not apply to a pedestrian stepping into a highway to board a bus or to enter a safety zone, in which event he shall cross the highway only at right angles."

The 2020 reform: no stops for these violations

The 2020 Special Session I of the General Assembly added the same stop bar to both crossing sections (Acts 2020, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 45 and 51, as shown in the history lines of §§ 46.2-923 and 46.2-926). Both chapters took effect on March 1, 2021. Section 46.2-923(C) reads:

"C. No law-enforcement officer shall stop a pedestrian for a violation of this section. No evidence discovered or obtained as the result of a stop in violation of this subsection, including evidence discovered or obtained with the person's consent, shall be admissible in any trial, hearing, or other proceeding."

Section 46.2-926(B) uses the same words for the obscured-crossing rule. Read the scope closely:

• The bar covers a stop "for a violation of this section," meaning § 46.2-923 or § 46.2-926. Section 46.2-925, the Walk and Don't Walk rule, has no stop-bar clause, and neither do § 46.2-928 (walking along roads) and § 46.2-929 (soliciting rides).
• The exclusion reaches evidence obtained "with the person's consent," so a search a pedestrian agrees to after an unlawful stop does not make the evidence usable.
• The amendment left the crossing rule in place. Subsection A still tells pedestrians where to cross, and its negligence sentence still speaks to fault.

Localities may adopt ordinances "not in conflict with the provisions of this title to regulate the operation of vehicles," and may not set a penalty greater than the state penalty for a similar offense (§ 46.2-1300(A), (C)). Title 46.2 also gives localities two specific pedestrian powers: permitting diagonal crossing (§ 46.2-923(B)) and requiring pedestrians to stop before an unsignalized shared-use-path crosswalk (§ 46.2-924(E)). Check your city or county code for local rules.

Walk signals and traffic lights

Where Walk and Don't Walk heads are installed, § 46.2-925 controls:

• Walk: "Pedestrians facing such signal may proceed across the highway in the direction of the signal and shall be given the right-of-way by the drivers of all vehicles."
• Don't Walk: "No pedestrian shall start to cross the highway in the direction of such signal, but any pedestrian who has partially completed his crossing on the Walk signal shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety island and remain there while the Don't Walk signal is showing."

Under the ordinary traffic light, § 46.2-833(A) tells traffic on green to "yield to other vehicles and pedestrians lawfully within the intersection." Where officers or traffic control devices regulate an intersection or crosswalk, drivers yield as the officer or device directs, and § 46.2-924(C) adds: "No pedestrian shall enter or cross an intersection in disregard of approaching traffic."

What Virginia drivers owe pedestrians

Virginia's driver duty is a duty to stop. Section 46.2-924(A) provides:

"A. The driver of any vehicle on a highway shall stop when any pedestrian crossing such highway is within the driver's lane or within an adjacent lane and approaching the driver's lane until such pedestrian has passed the lane in which the vehicle is stopped: 1. At any clearly marked crosswalk, whether at midblock or at the end of any block; 2. At any regular pedestrian crossing included in the prolongation of the lateral boundary lines of the adjacent sidewalk at the end of a block; or 3. At any intersection when the driver is approaching on a highway where the speed limit is not more than 35 miles per hour."

The same subsection sets the penalty: "A violation of this section is a traffic infraction, except that a violation of this section that results in serious bodily injury, as defined in § 18.2-51.4, to or the death of a vulnerable road user, as defined in § 46.2-816.1, who is lawfully crossing a highway is a Class 1 misdemeanor." A pedestrian on a Walk signal "shall be given the right-of-way by the drivers of all vehicles" (§ 46.2-925).

When a vehicle is stopped for a pedestrian, a driver approaching from an adjacent lane or from behind "shall not overtake and pass such stopped vehicle" (§ 46.2-924(B)). Drivers entering, crossing or turning at intersections must change course, slow down or stop if necessary to let pedestrians cross, and "Pedestrians crossing highways at intersections shall at all times have the right-of-way over vehicles making turns into the highways being crossed by the pedestrians" (§ 46.2-924(C)).

For a totally or partially blind pedestrian guided by a dog guide or carrying a cane that is predominantly metallic or white, a driver must come to a full stop before the intersection or crossing, unless it is controlled by an officer or traffic light; a violation is a Class 3 misdemeanor (§ 46.2-933). The prepayable amount for a § 46.2-924 failure to yield is a $30 fine plus a $51 processing fee (Rule 3B:2), and Virginia DMV lists "Failure to stop for pedestrian" among its four-point violations.

Walking along the road and soliciting rides

Section 46.2-928 governs walking along a road:

"Pedestrians shall not use the roadways for travel, except when necessary to do so because of the absence of sidewalks which are reasonably suitable and passable for their use. If they walk on the hard surface, or the main travelled portion of the roadway, they shall keep to the extreme left side or edge thereof, or where the shoulders of the highway are of sufficient width to permit, they may walk on either shoulder thereof. Pedestrians walking on a roadway shall face oncoming traffic. However, when walking on a roadway that is part of a highway divided by a physical barrier or barriers or an unpaved area, and when there are no shoulders of the highway present, pedestrians may keep to the extreme right side or edge of the roadway, regardless of the direction of traffic they face."

The section's history line lists a 2026 amendment (2026, c. 431). Section 46.2-929 adds: "Pedestrians shall not stand or stop in any roadway for the purpose of soliciting rides."

Jaywalking fine and penalty in Virginia

Section 46.2-923 contains no penalty clause. The general rule in § 46.2-113 fills the gap:

"It is unlawful for any person to violate any of the provisions of this title, or any regulation adopted pursuant to this title, or local ordinances adopted pursuant to the authority granted in this title. Unless otherwise stated, these violations shall constitute traffic infractions punishable by a fine of not more than that provided for a Class 4 misdemeanor under § 18.2-11."

The $250 figure is the most the statute allows; § 46.2-923 itself fixes no amount. Under Rule 3B:2, a person charged with a listed offense may enter a written appearance, waiver of court hearing and plea of guilty and pay the scheduled amount, which a clerk or magistrate may not change. The schedule "does not restrict the fine a judge may impose for an offense listed here in any case for which there is a court hearing." For a driver who fails to stop for a pedestrian, see the separate penalty in § 46.2-924(A) above.

If a pedestrian is hit by a car

The negligence sentence in § 46.2-923(A) and the stop duty in § 46.2-924 both come up after a collision. For how fault and insurance claims work, see Virginia car accident laws. Scooter riders follow their own rules in Virginia e-scooter laws.

Related pages

• Jaywalking laws by state
• Virginia car accident laws
• Virginia e-scooter laws
• Maryland jaywalking laws
• North Carolina jaywalking laws

This article provides general legal information about Virginia law, not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Virginia.

Last updated: 2026-10-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is jaywalking illegal in Virginia?

Virginia law tells pedestrians to cross, wherever possible, only at intersections or marked crosswalks, and not to carelessly or maliciously interfere with traffic (Va. Code § 46.2-923(A)). Since March 1, 2021, police may not stop a pedestrian for a violation of that section, and evidence from such a stop is inadmissible (§ 46.2-923(C)).

Can police stop you for jaywalking in Virginia?

Not for a violation of § 46.2-923 or § 46.2-926: both sections say no law-enforcement officer shall stop a pedestrian for a violation of the section, and evidence from such a stop, even with consent, is not admissible in any trial, hearing or other proceeding. The Walk and Don't Walk rule in § 46.2-925 has no such clause.

What is the fine for jaywalking in Virginia?

Section 46.2-923 sets no fine of its own, so a violation is a traffic infraction under § 46.2-113 with a ceiling of $250, the Class 4 misdemeanor maximum in § 18.2-11(d). The Supreme Court of Virginia's Uniform Fine Schedule (Rule 3B:2) sets the prepayable amount for §§ 46.2-923, 46.2-925, 46.2-926, 46.2-928 and 46.2-929 at a $15 fine plus a $51 processing fee, $66 in total. Prepaying means entering a written plea of guilty; a judge at a hearing is not bound by the schedule and may fine up to $250.

Is jaywalking a crime in Virginia?

Unless a statute says otherwise, a Title 46.2 violation is a traffic infraction (§ 46.2-113), which Va. Code § 46.2-100 defines as a violation that is neither a felony nor a misdemeanor.

Can I cross in the middle of the block in Virginia?

Section 46.2-923(A) says pedestrians shall cross, wherever possible, only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Where intersections have no marked crosswalks, crossing between intersections by the most direct route is not negligence as a matter of law. Local ordinances adopted under Title 46.2 can add rules, so check your city or county code.

Do drivers have to stop for pedestrians in Virginia crosswalks?

Yes. Under § 46.2-924(A) a driver must stop for a pedestrian in or approaching the driver's lane at any clearly marked crosswalk, at a regular crossing at the end of a block, and at any intersection on a road with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. A violation is a traffic infraction, or a Class 1 misdemeanor if it causes serious bodily injury to or the death of a vulnerable road user lawfully crossing.

Which side of the road should I walk on in Virginia?

Use a reasonably suitable and passable sidewalk where one exists. Otherwise keep to the extreme left side or edge, facing oncoming traffic, or use either shoulder if it is wide enough (§ 46.2-928). On a divided highway with no shoulders, pedestrians may keep to the extreme right side or edge.