Are you required to shovel your sidewalks in the Kansas City area? What local laws say

The Kansas City area got upwards of eight inches of snow over the past 10 days, leaving roads and sidewalks difficult to navigate.

And in Kansas City itself, that means it’s time to break out the shovel.

Local laws vary on whether residents are responsible for shoveling sidewalks and other areas around their homes. In Kansas City, residents and property owners are required to do so — but enforcement of this rule can vary depending on the circumstances.

Overland Park places the responsibility for sidewalk maintenance on landowners, but doesn’t penalize those who don’t comply. In other nearby municipalities like Lee’s Summit and Lenexa, city rules don’t require residents to remove snow.

While the National Weather Service’s Kansas City regional office says warmer temperatures are on the way later this month, they won’t arrive soon enough to simply melt the snow away in the coming days.

Here’s what to know about residents’ responsibility for shoveling snow around the metro.

Are Kansas City residents required to shovel their sidewalks?

A city ordinance requires that Kansas City residents remove ice and snow from the sidewalks adjacent to their property after a storm.

“It shall be the duty of all persons owning or occupying any real property, fronting upon any street, boulevard or highway, to remove from the sidewalks in front or alongside of such property all ice and snow within a reasonable time after cessation of a storm depositing such ice or snow,” the ordinance reads.

However, city Neighborhood Services Department spokesperson Monica Castro said that enforcement of this rule is variable.

“The Neighborhood Services Department, first and foremost, prioritizes educating its residents before resorting to issuing citations,” she said. “For instance, during this current storm system, residents did not get a break between the snow accumulations. Plus, the temperatures dipped dangerously low.”

While a violation can technically land a property owner with a fine of up to $1,000 or jail time of up to six months, Castro added that the city’s definition of “within a reasonable time” is also flexible for snow removal.

Rather than issue an immediate citation in response to a complaint from neighbors, she said that the department would more likely send a community engagement officer to the home to inform the owner of their obligation to clear their sidewalk.

Are Overland Park residents required to shovel their sidewalks?

Overland Park’s municipal code states that landowners are “deemed and held responsible for the maintenance and repair of the sidewalk” that adjoins their property.

But while the city has long encouraged its residents to remove snow and ice from the sidewalks in front of their homes, it doesn’t issue penalties to those who don’t.

“Municipal code requires residents to maintain sidewalks, but it does not stipulate that they specifically must shovel sidewalks. There are no penalties for those who choose not to do so,” city spokesperson Meg Ralph said.

“We rely on public education to encourage residents to shovel their sidewalks for the good of their neighborhood.”

What are the rules about shoveling your sidewalk in other cities around the metro?

In Kansas City, Kansas, winter weather policies state that “the adjacent property owner is responsible for keeping sidewalks clear.” However, this requirement isn’t explicitly laid out in the Unified Government’s code of ordinances.

In Mission, residents are required to shovel within 48 hours of snowfall stopping, as long as the city received two or more inches of snow. You also can’t dump your shoveled snow into the street. Prairie Village property owners are responsible for removing snow and ice within 24 hours of the end of a storm.

In Roeland Park and Shawnee, residents must clear sidewalks within 48 hours — but if removing the snow or ice isn’t possible, sprinkling an abrasive material like sand or salt over the sidewalk area counts as complying with city rules.

In Independence, residents are required to keep sidewalks and curbs clear of “all snow, ice, earth or other substances,” but city code doesn’t provide a timeline in which this work needs to be done.

While Lee’s Summit residents are encouraged to keep sidewalks clear, this city doesn’t have an ordinance requiring them to shovel snow or ice. Neither does Lenexa, on the Kansas side of the state line.

Do you have more questions about severe weather in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.