Add a photo. We draft paste-ready text — you copy it and open 311. We never file from this guide.
Your photo is sent to our AI provider (xAI) to analyze. See our Privacy Policy.
NYC rules · Ask Grok
SidewalkSnitch / Guides / Blocked sidewalk NYC
SidewalkSnitch · Guide
Last updated: 2026-09-04
SidewalkSnitch is an independent civic tool. Not affiliated with the City of New York and not a government 311 service.
Under NYC Admin Code §19-107 and §16-122, nobody may put material, a structure, merchandise, or an object on a sidewalk so that people cannot pass freely and safely. A city permit is the only exception. Report it on the 311 article Blocked Sidewalk or Street, which routes to DOT. Use this page to draft paste-ready text — we never file from this guide.
See it. Snap it. Fix it.
We prep the text. You file it on 311. We never file from this guide.
The test is passage. The sidewalk is blocked when a person cannot walk past freely and safely. Common reportable conditions:
A narrow squeeze is still reportable. People who use a wheelchair, a walker, or a stroller need a continuous clear path.
The 311 Blocked Sidewalk or Street form goes to NYC DOT. Two nearby problems go somewhere else, so choose the correct one or the complaint closes without action:
Call 911 instead when the obstruction is an immediate danger, for example a fallen wire or a live hazard.
The city gives you a Service Request Number when you submit on portal.311.nyc.gov. Keep it. DOT reviews the location and can order the obstruction removed. If the same spot blocks again, file again — a repeat record at one address is the evidence a community board can act on.
See a sidewalk you cannot walk down?
Photograph along the path, with a building number in frame, so the blocked width is obvious.
See it. Snap it. Fix it. We prep the text. You file it on 311. We never file from this guide.
Join the friends & family waitlistPhone number required. F&F access only — not a public neighborhood launch.
Friends & family waitlist — phone number required. Public neighborhood launch is not open yet.
Yes. NYC Admin Code §19-107 and §16-122 say no person may place material, a structure, merchandise, or an object on a public sidewalk or roadway so that it stops the free and safe passage of people or vehicles. A specific city permit is the only exception.
Use the 311 article "Blocked Sidewalk or Street" (KA-01980). It routes to NYC DOT. Give the address, say what is blocking the path, and attach a photo.
A vehicle on the sidewalk is a parking violation, not a DOT obstruction. 34 RCNY §4-08(e) bans stopping, standing, or parking on a sidewalk. Report that one through the 311 Illegal Parking path instead, because it goes to NYPD.
A permitted sidewalk shed is authorized, so it is not an obstruction by itself. Report it when the shed is damaged, when it has no permit posted, or when it blocks the walking path. The sidewalk shed guide covers that path.
No. This page drafts paste-ready text from your photo. You copy it, open the city 311 form, paste, and submit there. We never file from this guide.
Related guides: Dog poop on NYC sidewalks · Food cart rules in NYC: placement & clearance · Report a broken sidewalk in NYC · Report a dirty sidewalk in NYC