IN GENERAL

Charlotte City Code ch. 19, art. I

in effect

Charlotte City Code § 19-1 Definitions.

Sec. 19-1. - Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning: Director/engineer means the director of the department of transportation and/or the city engineer or their designees. When authority is granted to the director/engineer, the director of the department of transportation and the city engineer may, by administrative agreement or practice, determine whether the authority is to be exercised jointly or by one, with or without consultation with the other. Right-of-way means the area on, below, and above an existing or proposed public roadway, highway, street, bicycle lane, or sidewalk, and associated adjacent land, in which the city has a property interest, whether by easement or fee and regardless of how acquired or established, for public travel and utility purposes. For purposes of this chapter, the term "right-of-way" does not include property held or acquired primarily for the purpose of the movement of public transit vehicles, including railroad rights-of-way.

Charlotte City Code § 19-2 Damaging or moving guide stakes or markers; failure to conform.

Sec. 19-2. - Damaging or moving guide stakes or markers; failure to conform. It shall be unlawful for any person to damage, move or cause to be moved any of the stakes or markers set as guides for locating or grading any lots, streets, sidewalks or drains or to fail to conform to such stakes or markers, by locating or grading in any way different from or contrary thereto. (Code 1985, § 19-5)

Charlotte City Code § 19-3 Heavy equipment; scattered stones.

Sec. 19-3. - Heavy equipment; scattered stones. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to drive, run or operate any tractor, machine or heavy vehicle of any character upon or over any paved street, sidewalk, curb or gutter in such a manner so as to damage the permanent pavement, sidewalk, curb or gutter. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to throw or scatter any stones or other hard substances upon, or allow stones or other hard substances to migrate onto, any paved street, sidewalk, curb or gutter so as to damage the permanent pavement, sidewalk, curb or gutter. (c) The city may require the person responsible for damaging the pavement, sidewalk, curb or gutter in violation of this section to repair or restore the pavement, sidewalk, curb or gutter within a reasonable period of time, which time shall be set in consideration of the harm or risk created by the damage and the effort and expense of repair. The city may, at its option, make any or all repairs or restorations to the pavement, sidewalk, curb or gutter and charge the expense of the repairs and restorations to the person responsible for the damage. (Code 1985, § 19-14)

Charlotte City Code § 19-4 Potentially dangerous fences.

Sec. 19-4. - Potentially dangerous fences. It shall be unlawful to erect or maintain, or cause to be erected or strung, any barbed wire fence, or plain wire, stakes or other obstructions, on the line or border of any sidewalk or street or so close thereto as to be likely to injure any person within the city limits. (Code 1985, § 19-21)

Charlotte City Code § 19-5 Congregating on sidewalks.

Sec. 19-5. - Congregating on sidewalks. It shall be unlawful for any persons to congregate, crowd together, stand around or move slowly about so as to impede, hamper, interfere or obstruct the free passage or movement of pedestrians along or upon any sidewalk within the city; provided, however, that, this section shall not be construed to prohibit peaceful and lawful picketing. (Code 1985, § 19-26)

Charlotte City Code § 19-6 Gutters and drains.

Sec. 19-6. - Gutters and drains. It shall be unlawful to obstruct or in any way interfere with any gutter, ditch, or other manmade or natural water drains located in the right-of-way. The city may require the person who has placed or who maintains an obstruction in violation of this section to remove the obstruction and repair or restore the drain within a reasonable period of time, which time shall be set in consideration of the harm or risk created by the obstruction and the effort and expense of removal. The city may, at its option, remove an obstruction and charge the expense of the removal, restoration, and repair to the person who placed or maintained the obstruction. (Code 1985, § 19-28)

Charlotte City Code § 19-7 Responsibility for dirt and debris on streets and sidewalks.

Sec. 19-7. - Responsibility for dirt and debris on streets and sidewalks. It shall be unlawful for the contractor in charge of a construction project, or for any person who undertakes, on his own, the removal and conveyance of any dirt, mud, construction materials or other debris, to allow any dirt, mud, construction materials or other debris to be deposited upon any street or sidewalk and then to fail to remove the dirt, mud, construction materials or other debris from the street or sidewalk. Any contractor or any person violating or failing, refusing or neglecting to comply with this section shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $50.00, or imprisonment for not more than 30 days, for each and every offense. By authority of G.S. 160A-175(g), each day's continuing offense shall be a separate and distinct offense. This section may be enforced by any one, or all, or a combination of the remedies authorized and prescribed by G.S. 160A-175. This section shall be administered and enforced by the community improvement division of the solid waste department. (Code 1985, § 19-30)

Charlotte City Code § 19-8 Local improvements; corner lots; partial exemption from assessment.

Sec. 19-8. - Local improvements; corner lots; partial exemption from assessment. (a) Whenever local improvements are made under assessment procedures along both sides of a corner lot at the same time or within a period of ten years, such corner lot, if used for residential purposes or if undeveloped and zoned for residential use, shall be exempt from a second assessment within such ten-year period in an amount equivalent to the cost assessable against: (1) Seventy-five percent of the frontage last improved; (2) If improved at the same time, 75 percent of the longest frontage; or (3) In either case, the per-front-foot cost of such improvement times 50, whichever is less. (b) The cost of such exemption shall be borne by the city. (Code 1985, § 19-35)

Charlotte City Code § 19-9 Walkways prerequisite to tearing down, remodeling or repairing buildings.

Sec. 19-9. - Walkways prerequisite to tearing down, remodeling or repairing buildings. It shall be unlawful for any person, his agent, licensee, or permittee, to tear down any buildings or remodel or repair, or cause to be torn down, remodeled or repaired, any building, until such person, his agent, or licensee or permittee shall have first erected or caused to be erected a suitable walkway, under the direction of the director of transportation and building inspector, so as not to interfere with pedestrians or the general traveling public and, further, to protect such pedestrians or traveling public from bodily harm and danger. (Code 1985, § 19-36)

Charlotte City Code § 19-10 Playing games in streets.

Sec. 19-10. - Playing games in streets. It shall be unlawful for any person to play any game on any public street in the city. (Code 1985, § 19-38)

Source: City of Charlotte, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/nc/charlotte/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH19STSIOTPUPL_ARTIINGEFetched: 10/27/2026