Aaron Widmar
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Is It Legal for Kids to Play in the Street?

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children at Play in the Street road sign safety kids crossing
Photo: russell davies via CC

The street is a dangerous place to use as a playground, and yet many neighborhoods see kids running around in the middle of the road having fun. Side-streets and cul-de-sacs don’t get as much through traffic as main roads do, but does that mean it’s legal for children to play in residential roads?


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Are there laws that prohibit children from playing in the road?

You can’t universally determine if it’s legal for children to play in your neighborhood’s streets because the federal government does not dictate those rules.

Laws concerning playing in the street are established by each individual state or municipality, and the vast majority of towns have ordinances in place that prohibit people from loitering on roads meant for automotive traffic. Some neighborhoods only allow loitering in the street if the roads are blocked off for a sanctioned community event.

However, even if there are laws prohibiting children from playing sports or riding their skateboards in the street, that doesn’t mean every police officer will take the time to enforce it. And on the flip side, just because your neighborhood might not have a law explicitly prohibiting in-street frolicking doesn’t mean a cop won’t corral your kids and give them a stern warning.


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It all depends on the area and what laws are in place. With the rise in car-pedestrian collisions, some states are passing laws that require cars to yield to people in the road regardless of whether they’re legally allowed to be there or not. But parents could also be penalized for negligence if they let their kids play in the street.

The safest solution is simply to keep your children out of the road. With the increasing level of distraction among drivers, it’s best to encourage kids to play in the yard or a community playground.