7 Michigan Snow Removal Rules That Can Get Homeowners Fined

In Muskegon, every day your sidewalk stays unshoveled counts as a separate offense.

Michigan cities set their own rules, so what’s fine in one town can bring a fine in the next.

Here are the Michigan snow removal rules that can get homeowners fined.

Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Snow ordinances and fine amounts vary by city and are subject to change.

1. Ann Arbor’s Repeat-Offense Fines

Ann Arbor’s snow removal ordinance sets a first-offense fine of $60 to $100 for sidewalks next to R1, R2 or R3 properties.

Those are the single-family, two-family and townhouse zoning districts.

A second offense runs $100 to $250, and every offense after that costs $200 to $400.

You have to clear the sidewalk within 24 hours after each snowfall of more than 1 inch ends.

The city says you get only one warning each season before fines start.

It may also clear your sidewalk and bill you for the work in some cases.

2. Muskegon’s Daily Violations

Every day your sidewalk stays uncleared is a separate offense under Muskegon’s snow removal ordinance.

The deadline is 24 hours after a storm ends, or as soon as practical, for the sidewalk in front of your property.

Chapter 74 makes a violation a civil infraction.

Under the city’s general penalty section, the fine for a first violation can’t be less than $50, plus costs.

Four days means four violations.

3. East Lansing’s Noon Cutoff

Under East Lansing’s snow removal ordinance, snow that accumulates on your sidewalk before noon has to be cleared by midnight that day.

If more snow builds up after noon, you have until midnight the next day.

Snow on consecutive days adds a second limit.

You have to finish by those deadlines or within 48 hours after the first snowfall began, whichever comes first.

You should clear ice or spread an abrasive such as salt or sand within 12 hours of when it forms.

Each day you miss those deadlines is a separate offense, and the city’s page puts the 54B District Court’s fines and costs at $110.

If you don’t fix the sidewalk within 24 hours of an abatement notice, the city may assess you the cost of the snow removal.

4. Kalamazoo’s Roof-Snow Rule

Kalamazoo’s snow removal ordinance covers more than your sidewalk.

The ordinance bars you from depositing snow or ice from your roof, driveway or parking lot onto a public street, alley, sidewalk or crosswalk beside your property.

If you deposit snow or ice on a public street, you face a municipal civil infraction with a $100 fine plus court-imposed costs.

The sidewalk deadline in the same section is 48 hours.

If the city clears your sidewalk and you don’t pay the bill, the cost and administrative fees can become a lien on your property.

5. Statewide Snow-Dumping Ban

Michigan's vehicle code sets a snow removal rule for every city in the state.

Under Section 257.677a, you can't deposit snow, ice or slush on any roadway or highway.

A violation is a civil infraction with a fine of not more than $100.

You also can't move snow across a roadway or shoulder in a way that blocks a driver's line of sight.

The law's definition of a person leaves out the state, local governments and their employees on the job, but not you.

6. Detroit's Two-Tier Fines

BridgeDetroit reported in December 2025 that Detroit's snow removal rule requires you to clear your sidewalk within 24 hours after snow has fallen.

The fine for a first offense is $50 if you own a one- or two-family home.

For every other kind of building, it's $100.

Fines increase with later offenses.

The city has issued 71 blight tickets to property owners for uncleared snow and ice since 2019, the report said.

7. Battle Creek's $25 Starting Fine

Battle Creek's snow removal ordinance makes a violation a municipal civil infraction, and the fine starts at $25.

The city's fine schedule sets higher fines of $50 and $100 for repeat offenses within one year.

The deadline matches East Lansing's.

Snow that accumulates on your sidewalk before noon has to be cleared by midnight the same day.

For snow that accumulates after noon, you have until midnight of the following day.

Ypsilanti's Snow Season

Ypsilanti's snow removal ordinance gives you 24 hours from the first accumulation to clear the sidewalks next to your property.

Section 94-135(a) of the city code defines the snow season as Oct. 1-May 31.

The city says a first violation brings a citation from Ordinance Enforcement.

You may be required to appear at the Administrative Hearings Bureau, and future violations bring more citations and immediate abatement billed to you.

Marquette's Winter Parking Ban

Marquette's snow-season parking ban means your car has to be off any city street from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Upper Michigan's Source reported in November 2025 that the ban runs from Nov. 1 through April 1, with a $75 fine.

Police enforce the ban once enough snow has fallen that the streets need plowing.

You can also have your car towed if it impedes plow crews, The Mining Journal reported in October 2024.

In March 2026, the city extended the ban for that spring, moving its end from April 1 to April 15.

Grand Rapids' Contractor Bills

Under Grand Rapids' snow removal rules, you have to clear the full width of your sidewalk down to the concrete within 24 hours after a snowfall ends.

If you don't, the city mails you a written notice, and you get 48 hours after receiving it to clear the sidewalk.

That's two clocks.