Snow Shoveling Rules

Keeping our sidewalks free of ice and snow is the neighborly thing to do and it’s the law. For your own benefit and to help your neighbors, people pushing strollers or using wheelchairs, and the many people in Minneapolis who walk, please do your part. Minneapolis ordinance requires that property owners clear sidewalks after the end of a snowfall within 24 hours for homes and duplexes and 4 daytime hours for apartment and commercial buildings (daytime hours begin at 8 a.m.) When you shovel snow and clear ice Shovel the sidewalks on all sides of your property, the full width of the sidewalk down to the bare pavement. Remove all ice from sidewalks. After the sidewalk is cleared, sprinkling a little sand can help prevent slipping on frosty sidewalks. Pile snow into your yard and boulevard. It’s against the law to shovel snow into streets and alleys. If you have a corner property, clear curb cuts at corners and crosswalks to the street gutter. Avoid a ticket If the City of Minneapolis gets a complaint or discovers that a sidewalk is not properly cleared, Public Works will inspect the sidewalk and give the property owners a chance to clear it. If the sidewalk has not been cleared upon re-inspection, the property owner may be issued a citation with a fine. Crews will remove the snow and ice from the sidewalk. Property owners will be billed for this service, and unpaid bills will be added to property tax statements.