General Sidewalk Obstruction — Admin Code §19-136

NYC Admin Code §19-136 limits goods and merchandise on the sidewalk. You may not hang or place goods, wares or merchandise more than three feet in front of a building, or more than five feet above the sidewalk. You may not let another person use that sidewalk space to sell or display merchandise. You may not use the sidewalk between the building and the curb to park, store, display or sell a motor vehicle. Some streets ban this kind of display from the building line. DOT, DSNY, DCWP, Health and the police can enforce the goods rules (§19-136(h)).

• merchandise, crates, or boxes placed on sidewalk outside a store
• garbage bags or commercial waste blocking pedestrian path
• bicycles, scooters, or vehicles parked on the sidewalk
• construction materials or debris outside permitted area
• A-frame signs or sandwich boards blocking pedestrian flow

1. Photograph what is in the walkway, from the pedestrian side, with the address in frame.
2. Note how much width is left for people to walk.
3. File at 311 under Sidewalk Condition and describe what is blocking the walkway.

Official channel: portal.311.nyc.gov or dial 311. Agency: NYC DOT / DSNY.

NYC DOT and the NYPD can issue a Notice of Violation for a sidewalk obstruction and can require it to be removed. For goods or merchandise left on the sidewalk, the Department of Sanitation, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and the Health Department can also enforce the rule (Admin Code §19-136). The DOT penalty schedule lists a $150 penalty for goods or merchandise that block the sidewalk. If the business does not answer the summons or come to the hearing, the default penalty is $500 (34 RCNY §3-01). A property owner is responsible for keeping the walkway in front of the building clear.

DOT inspects the site. An obstruction on private property can also be a DOT sidewalk matter.

• What 311 does after you file