Get Your Shovels Ready: Reminder of City Sidewalk Clearing Rules

Winter weather is on the way, and now is the best time to make sure you have everything you need in order to keep sidewalks clear.

As a reminder, if you own your home or a business with a public sidewalk, it is your responsibility to keep any sidewalks along the property clear. If you rent your home, be sure to check your lease before it snows to see who is responsible for clearing the sidewalks. 

Snow- and ice-covered sidewalks are a public safety hazard. That is why the City of Madison’s Building Inspection Division will not issue warnings before writing a citation for failure to remove snow or ice from a sidewalk in a timely manner. 

City ordinances require all snow and ice be removed from a public sidewalk by Noon (12:00pm) of the day after the snow stops. The best way to make sure you always know when you need to clear your sidewalk is by signing up for the City of Madison’s Snow Removal Updates e-mail list. 

When clearing your sidewalk, make sure you: 

• Clear all snow and ice from the entire width of the sidewalk, edge-to-edge
  • If you can’t get rid of all the ice, use an appropriate amount of salt to melt it (if the temperature is above 15°F) and apply sand to provide traction. The City has several places where residents can pick up sand for free. 

• Don’t use too much salt
  • Using too much salt hurts Madison’s lakes. Only use as much salt as is needed to clear the sidewalk, and only use salt after shoveling as much snow and ice as possible. A standard coffee mug (12 ounces) can hold enough salt to effectively treat 10 sidewalk squares. The Building Inspection Division has the ability to ticket you for using too much salt if it receives a complaint. 

• Clear the curb ramps
  • If you live on a corner lot, be sure to double-check that the curb ramps are still clear after plows go through the area. Plows are required to plow to the curb, which means some crosswalk curb ramps may get blocked after plowing. It is your responsibility to keep these clear, even if you already cleared them before plows went through. 

Fines for Not Shoveling or Excessive Salt Use 

If you do not clear public walkways on your property by Noon the day after snow stops falling, you could face significant fines. 

A first offense citation will come with a fine of $124, once all state-required assessments and fees are added up. Every offense after that will come with a fine of $187. Those fines are separate from any additional snow removal fees you will be charged if the City has to remove the snow for you. Any snow removal fees charged to you will be added to your property tax bill as a special assessment. 

Last year, the City received a total of 553 resident complaints about snow- or ice-covered walkways, which resulted in 182 citations being issued between October 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025. A total of 22.1” of snow fell during that time period, which was significantly less than the previous year, contributing to fewer resident complaints and citations than the 2023-2024 winter season. 

The Building Inspection Division also saw a total of 133 complaints for excessive salt use last winter, which resulted in 17 notices being issued. 

The City’s Winter page has more details on how snow removal fines are calculated. 

How to Report an Unshoveled or Icy Sidewalk 

If you come across an unshoveled or icy sidewalk you would like to report, you can do so through the City’s online Report a Problem portal. Once we receive the report, an Inspector can be dispatched to investigate and potentially issue a citation.