Jaywalking tickets in Minnesota would be limited under new bill proposal
The proposal says a person could only be issued a citation while crossing a roadway if they are stopped for an unrelated violation. (FOX 9)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A new proposal being considered by lawmakers in the Minnesota Senate would limit the authority of police to issue a citation to a person crossing a roadway in a variety of circumstances.
Jaywalking tickets in Minnesota
What we know:
Under S.F. 1836, authored by Sen. Ann M. Johnson Stewart (DFL-Wayzata), beginning on Aug. 1, 2025, a person could only be issued a citation while crossing a roadway if they are stopped for an unrelated violation – even if the person enters a crosswalk during a flashing or steady display of a "Don’t Walk" signal.
However, the bill isn’t "free for all" when going through a crosswalk – a person could also be stopped if their presence "constitutes a hazard of collision between the vehicle and pedestrian" under the bill.
Currently, Minnesota statute says that "the driver of a vehicle shall stop to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk, or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk. The driver must remain stopped until the pedestrian has passed the lane in which the vehicle is stopped."
What's next:
The bill was first introduced on Feb. 24, before being referred to the Senate Transportation Committee, where it passed out of the committee on Wednesday.
It will need to pass both the Minnesota Senate and House and be signed by Gov. Tim Walz before becoming law.