GENERALLY

Richmond, Va., City Code ch. 24, art. II, div. 1

in effect

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-25 Unauthorized encroachments and uses.

Sec. 24-25. - Unauthorized encroachments and uses. (a) Any unauthorized encroachment or other unauthorized use of a street, sidewalk or public way, including areas below, on or above the surface, shall be unlawful and shall constitute a nuisance and may be abated in any manner provided by law. Every person violating this section shall, upon conviction, be punished as provided in Section 1-16. (b) The existence of particular types of encroachments in the public right-of-way and having a particular and obvious relationship to an abutting property, including, but not limited to, sidewalk crossings and carriage walks, retaining walls, signage, and areaways of all types, shall constitute prima facie evidence of its ownership by that abutting property owner. (Code 1993, § 25-11; Code 2004, § 90-31; Code 2015, § 24-25; Code 2020, § 24-25)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-26 Failure to remove encroachment or cease other uses upon notice of revocation of authorization.

Sec. 24-26. - Failure to remove encroachment or cease other uses upon notice of revocation of authorization. Failure to remove an encroachment for which authorization has previously been granted or to cease other previously authorized uses of streets, sidewalks and public ways, including areas below, on or above the surface, upon receipt of reasonable notice that authorization for the encroachment or other use has terminated or been revoked, shall be unlawful. Such encroachment or other use shall constitute a nuisance and may be abated in any manner provided by law. Every person violating this section shall, upon conviction, be punished as provided in Section 1-16. (Code 1993, § 25-12; Code 2004, § 90-32; Code 2015, § 24-26; Code 2020, § 24-26)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-27 Abatement of unauthorized encroachments and uses; collection of abatement costs.

Sec. 24-27. - Abatement of unauthorized encroachments and uses; collection of abatement costs. Any unauthorized encroachment or other unauthorized use of a street, sidewalk or public way, including areas below, on or above the surface, shall be abated by the removal of the encroachment or discontinuance of the use by the owner or other person responsible for or benefited by the unauthorized encroachment or use, upon receipt of reasonable notice to do so. If the unauthorized encroachment or use is not abated after such reasonable notice, the Chief Administrative Officer shall make appropriate arrangements for abatement without liability for damages therefor. The costs incurred by the City in connection with abatement may be assessed against the owner or any other person responsible for or benefited by the unauthorized encroachment or use, and such costs, if assessed, shall be collected in the same manner as City taxes. (Code 1993, § 25-13; Code 2004, § 90-33; Code 2015, § 24-27; Code 2020, § 24-27; Ord. No. 2004-360-330, § 1, 12-13-2004)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-28 Assessment of charge for unauthorized encroachment or other unauthorized use.

Sec. 24-28. - Assessment of charge for unauthorized encroachment or other unauthorized use. In addition to any criminal penalties and other assessment of costs provided for unauthorized encroachments and other unauthorized uses of a street, sidewalk or public way, the owner or any other person responsible for or benefited by the unauthorized encroachment or use may be charged an amount representing compensation to the City for the use of any portion of a street, sidewalk or other public way. The amount of such charge shall be the equivalent of the real estate tax that would be charged upon the land occupied by the encroachment or other use, if the land were held in private ownership. Such charge, if assessed, shall be collected in the same manner as City taxes. (Code 1993, § 25-14; Code 2004, § 90-34; Code 2015, § 24-28; Code 2020, § 24-28)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-29 Installation of rainwater drains under sidewalks.

Sec. 24-29. - Installation of rainwater drains under sidewalks. Any resident having property on the line of a street may run drains of good and sufficient pipe under the sidewalks for the purpose of emptying surplus rainwater into the gutters. Such work must be done at the expense of the owner or occupant and subject to the approval of the Director of Public Works. (Code 1993, § 25-17; Code 2004, § 90-37; Code 2015, § 24-29; Code 2020, § 24-29)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-30 Protection of pavement from spilling or dripping oil or similar substances.

Sec. 24-30. - Protection of pavement from spilling or dripping oil or similar substances. (a) No person shall pour or spill or permit to drop or flow upon or over any pavement laid on any street or sidewalk or public place in the City any kerosene, benzene or other oil or similar oily substance or liquid. (b) All vehicles, wagons and tanks used for the delivery of the substances referred to in Subsection (a) of this section shall be properly equipped with nondrip taps or faucets, securely attached thereto. In filling any measure or other vessel from such taps or faucets, such measure or other vessel must be held so that there shall be no drip or overflow from such measure or vessel. In removing the measure or other vessel from over any street, sidewalk or other public place, no drip or overflow from such measure or other vessel shall be permitted to fall upon such pavement; and no receptacle for holding oil shall be placed on any street, sidewalk or public place. (Code 1993, § 25-18; Code 2004, § 90-38; Code 2015, § 24-30; Code 2020, § 24-30)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-31 Throwing or depositing hazardous or injurious materials.

Sec. 24-31. - Throwing or depositing hazardous or injurious materials. (a) No person shall throw or deposit or cause to be thrown or deposited upon any street, sidewalk or public way any glass bottle, glass, nail, tack, wire, can, or any other substance likely to injure any person or animal or damage any vehicle. No person shall throw or deposit or cause to be thrown or deposited upon any street, sidewalk or public way any soil, sand, mud, gravel or other substances so as to create a hazard to the traveling public. (b) Any person who drops or throws or permits to be dropped or thrown upon any street, sidewalk or public way any hazardous or injurious material shall immediately remove the material or cause it to be removed. Any person removing a wrecked or damaged vehicle from a street shall remove any glass or other injurious substance dropped upon the street from such vehicle. (c) Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. (Code 1993, § 25-19; Code 2004, § 90-39; Code 2015, § 24-31; Code 2020, § 24-31)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-32 Construction and maintenance of railroad trestles, bridges, grade crossings and spur crossings of public ways.

Sec. 24-32. - Construction and maintenance of railroad trestles, bridges, grade crossings and spur crossings of public ways. (a) It shall be the duty of every railroad company to maintain and keep in good repair all bridges, trestles, grade crossings, spur tracks, or viaducts designed to carry public traffic and travel over the right-of-way or tracks of such railroad or designed to carry the tracks of such railroad over the streets, alleys or other public places of the City in such a manner as shall be satisfactory to the Director of Public Works. However, this section shall not be construed to require the maintenance by railroad companies of bridges or viaducts owned by persons other than the City where such bridges or viaducts are located over the tracks of such railroad companies. (b) It shall be the duty of the City Attorney, when notified by the Director of Public Works that any bridge, viaduct, or crossing is, in the Director's judgment, in such condition as probable to endanger the public safety, to institute and prosecute appropriate proceedings to require the railroad company or person operating such railroad whose right-of-way is crossed by such unsafe bridge or viaduct or whose unsafe bridge or viaduct crosses a City street or other public place to put or cause the bridge, viaduct, or crossing to be put in safe and proper condition for public travel and thereafter to maintain the bridge, viaduct, or crossing in such proper condition. If a railroad fails to respond in a timely manner to provide repair to a spur or grade crossing, the Director of Public Works may have the necessary repairs performed in order to correct an unsafe condition. All costs associated with such repairs shall be borne by the owner of the railroad. (c) In addition to the duty imposed upon the City Attorney by this section, it is hereby provided that any such railroad company or person operating such railroad who shall fail, from and after ten days' written notice by the City Attorney, to proceed with the work necessary to put such bridge or viaduct in safe and proper condition and continue to prosecute the work to the satisfaction of the Director of Public Works shall be punished as provided in Section 1-16. (Code 1993, § 25-20; Code 2004, § 90-40; Code 2015, § 24-32; Code 2020, § 24-32)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-33 Permission required to move buildings through streets.

Sec. 24-33. - Permission required to move buildings through streets. It shall be unlawful for any person to move or draw through or upon a street within the City any house, barn, shop or other building, without the permission of the Director of Public Works. The Director may impose any reasonable conditions as may be warranted, including requirements for insurance and bonding. (Code 1993, § 25-21; Code 2004, § 90-41; Code 2015, § 24-33; Code 2020, § 24-33)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-34 Duty to remove snow from paved sidewalks.

Sec. 24-34. - Duty to remove snow from paved sidewalks. (a) It shall be the duty of every occupant of any land or premises abutting upon any paved sidewalk and the duty of the owner of any unoccupied land or premises abutting upon any paved sidewalk to remove and clear away or cause to be removed and cleared away the snow from the paved sidewalk abutting such land or premises, in such manner as not to obstruct the passage of water in the gutters, within six hours after the snow ceases to fall. If snow ceases to fall during the night, removal of snow from the sidewalk before 11:00 a.m. the following morning shall be deemed compliance with this section. (b) Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor and, in addition thereto, shall be responsible for the cost of abating the violation. Any abatement costs incurred by the City may be assessed against the owner or other responsible party and collected in the same manner as City taxes. (c) The criminal penalties provided by this section shall not apply to any person who is physically disabled or who is age 65 years or older. (Code 1993, § 25-23; Code 2004, § 90-42; Code 2015, § 24-34; Code 2020, § 24-34)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-35 House numbering.

Sec. 24-35. - House numbering. (a) All houses, buildings or structures used or intended for use as living quarters or as a place for the conduct of business and having a door or entrance facing or abutting any street, alley or public place of the City shall have displayed above or near such door or entrance in legible, easily readable characters the proper house number. The Director of Planning and Development Review shall designate the proper numbers for all such houses, buildings or structures and shall have the power to change such numbers when in the Director's judgment such change is necessary to avoid or eliminate confusion with other numbers. It shall be the duty of the Director of Planning and Development Review to keep in the Office of the Department of Planning and Development Review a record of the proper house numbers and to furnish such numbers to any person requesting the numbers. (b) It shall be the duty of any person erecting any such house, building or structure to ascertain from the Director of Planning and Development Review the proper house number and to display such number as provided in Subsection (a) of this section. Any person owning, leasing, occupying or maintaining any such house, building or structure which has no number displayed thereon or displays an incorrect number, when so informed and notified by the Director of Planning and Development Review, shall put up a number or change the incorrect number so that the proper number will be displayed within 20 days after the receipt of such notice. (Code 1993, § 25-24; Code 2004, § 90-43; Code 2015, § 24-35; Code 2020, § 24-35; Ord. No. 2009-220-2010-8, § 2, 1-25-2010)

Source: City of Richmond, Virginia, Code (2026 recodification) and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/va/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICICO_CH24STSIPUWA_ARTIIUSSTSIPUWA_DIV1GEFetched: 11/8/2026