WINTER HOMEOWNER GUIDE • BISMARCK, ND
Bismarck Snow Rules for Homeowners
In Bismarck, you have 24 hours after the snow stops to clear your sidewalk, and you can’t push or blow driveway snow into the street. Break the street rule and you can face a fine of up to $1,000. The city also has snow emergency routes, winter parking limits downtown and rules for mailboxes and fire hydrants.
Here’s every rule a Bismarck homeowner or renter needs to know, in plain English, with the city ordinance behind each one.
THE CITY RULES AT A GLANCE
Bismarck Snow Rules at a Glance
These rules come from the City of Bismarck snow removal page, the city’s snow removal FAQ and its Snow and Ice Control Plan.
| Rule | What it says | City ordinance |
|---|---|---|
| Clear your sidewalk | Within 24 hours after the snow stops, including crosswalk areas on corner lots | 10-03-04 |
| Keep snow off the street | No moving private snow onto a street, alley or public right-of-way | 10-03-04 |
| Street snow fine | Up to $1,000 | 10-03-04 |
| Snow emergencies | No parking on posted snow emergency routes; cars can be towed | 10-02-04 |
| Mailbox placement | Post 36 to 48 inches behind the curb face | 10-05-05 |
| Downtown parking | Alternate-day parking limits from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m., November 1 to March 31 | Snow and Ice Control Plan |
THE 24-HOUR RULE
How Fast Do You Have to Clear Your Sidewalk?
Within 24 hours after the snow stops. City Ordinance 10-03-04 requires owners and tenants to clear all snow and ice from the public sidewalk next to their property and keep it clear.
A few details people miss:
- Corner lots have to clear the crosswalk areas at the corner, not just the straight stretch of sidewalk.
- Renters count too. The rule applies to owners and/or tenants, so check your lease to see who handles it. Property managers can review our snow contract checklist.
- Ice counts, not just snow. If ice can’t be removed, the ordinance lets you spread sand to make the sidewalk safe to walk on.
- The 24 hours starts when the snow stops, not when it starts. In a long storm, you don’t have to clear it every hour.
SNOW PILE RESTRICTIONS
Where Can You Put Your Snow?
On your own property. That’s it.
Ordinance 10-03-04 says you can’t move, dump or deposit snow from private property onto any public street, alley or public right-of-way. The city’s snow page adds that you can’t push snow across the street onto the boulevard on the other side either.
The fine can reach $1,000. When the city declared a snow emergency in April 2022, its notice listed the penalty as up to $1,000 and up to 30 days in jail. The rule applies to everyone: homeowners, renters, businesses clearing parking lots and snow removal contractors. Business owners can also read about commercial snow and grounds care.
Why the city is so strict: snow pushed into the street leaves ridges and piles in the driving lanes, and the city calls that a traffic hazard.
Pick your pile spots before winter, away from the street, your shrubs and your young trees. Our snow removal service page explains how to pile snow without hurting your yard.
WHAT THE PLOW LEAVES
Why Is There Snow at the End of My Driveway?
That ridge is called a windrow, and it’s left by the city plow as it clears the street. The city’s Snow and Ice Control Plan says crews use snow gates to keep snow out of driveways when they can. In big storms and snow emergencies, windrows across driveways are normal and allowed by city ordinance.
Clearing the windrow is your job. Don’t push it back into the street, since that breaks the same rule as any other driveway snow. The best move is to wait until the plow has come through your street, then clear the driveway once.
SNOW EMERGENCY RULES
What Happens During a Snow Emergency?
The Public Works Director can declare a snow emergency based on the weather or the forecast (Ordinance 10-02-03). It’s announced on local radio and TV, in the newspaper when possible, and on the City of Bismarck website.
During a snow emergency:
- 01No parking or stopping on snow emergency routes. These are signed about once a block, or at least every 1,000 feet.
- 02Cars left on those routes can be towed at the owner’s expense.
- 03If your car stalls on a route, you have half an hour to get help moving it.
- 04The emergency stays in effect until Public Works announces it’s over.
A recent example came in April 2022. The city declared it on April 12 at 7 p.m. and ended it at noon on April 19. If you live on a snow emergency route, find off-street parking before the storm hits.
DOWNTOWN PARKING SCHEDULE
Downtown Winter Parking Rules
From November 1 through March 31, downtown streets have overnight parking limits so crews can clear snow:
| Streets | No parking from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. on |
|---|---|
| North-south streets | Monday, Wednesday and Friday |
| East-west streets | Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday |
Cars parked in violation are towed at the owner’s expense. If you live or work downtown, set a reminder for the first week of November.
STREET PLOWING ORDER
When Will the City Plow My Street?
The city plows in this order:
| Priority | Streets | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snow emergency routes (red on the city map) | 2 inches of snow |
| 2 | School routes (blue) | 3 inches |
| 3 | Major streets (yellow) | 3 inches |
| 4 | Residential and downtown streets | 4 inches |
Residential streets usually aren’t plowed until at least 4 inches fall. The city’s goal is to have main and residential streets safe to drive within about 18 to 36 hours after the snow stops. Alleys are plowed after the streets, or on garbage day if your alley is where the trucks pick up.
When you’re driving, stay at least 50 feet behind plows and sanders. They stop and back up often.
WINTER ACCESS AND CLEARANCE
Mailboxes, Fire Hydrants and Dumpsters
Mailboxes. Clear the snow around your mailbox so your carrier can reach it. On cluster boxes, neighbors share the job. Mailboxes are the owner’s responsibility, but placement matters. Ordinance 10-05-05 calls for the post to sit 36 to 48 inches behind the face of the curb, with the support no more than 36 inches high. The city replaces a mailbox only if it was placed to city rules and was actually hit by a city vehicle.
Fire hydrants. Clear 6 inches below all the caps and 3 to 4 feet around the hydrant, so firefighters can hook up fast. The city calls it Adopt a Hydrant.
Dumpsters. If you have one, clear snow in front of and around it. Waste trucks need to be able to move it at least 7 feet.
MANDAN AND LINCOLN
Snow Rules in Mandan and Lincoln
The rules change when you cross the river. Mandan also requires sidewalks to be cleared within 24 hours. Mandan doesn’t allow snow on paved streets, alleys or sidewalks, or within 5 feet of a fire hydrant. But unlike Bismarck, Mandan allows snow on the unpaved boulevard strip in the public right-of-way.
In Lincoln, check the city’s current rules before you pile snow near the street. See our Bismarck service area page for the neighborhoods and towns we cover.
Questions
Bismarck Snow Rules FAQ
Answers to the city’s sidewalk, snow emergency, parking and mailbox rules.
Have a question that isn’t here?
For more local answers, see our snow and winter FAQ.
How long do I have to shovel my sidewalk in Bismarck?
24 hours after the snow stops. City Ordinance 10-03-04 requires owners or tenants to clear snow and ice from the sidewalk, including crosswalk areas on corner lots. If you don’t, the city can clear it and charge the property.
Can I push snow into the street in Bismarck?
No. Bismarck doesn’t allow snow from private property to be moved onto a street, alley or public right-of-way, or across the street onto the boulevard. Fines can reach $1,000.
Who has to clear the sidewalk, the owner or the renter?
The ordinance puts it on owners and/or tenants. Many leases spell out who does it, so check yours. If nobody clears it, the city can bill the property.
What happens during a snow emergency in Bismarck?
Parking and stopping are banned on posted snow emergency routes, and cars left there can be towed at the owner’s expense. The emergency lasts until Public Works announces it’s over.
Why did the plow block my driveway?
City plows leave a ridge of snow, called a windrow, as they clear the street. Crews use snow gates when they can, but in big storms windrows are normal and allowed. Clearing it is up to you, and you can’t push it back into the street.
Will the city replace a mailbox the plow hit?
Only if the mailbox was placed to city rules, 36 to 48 inches behind the curb face, and was actually hit by a city vehicle. Mailboxes are otherwise the owner’s responsibility.
Can I use sand instead of clearing ice?
Yes, when the ice can’t be removed. Bismarck’s sidewalk ordinance allows sand to make the sidewalk safe for people walking.
Bismarck Landscape
Let Someone Else Watch the 24-Hour Clock
If you travel in winter, work long shifts or just don’t want to fight the windrow at 6 a.m., a season plan keeps you inside the rules without thinking about it. Contact Bismarck Landscape, or see our other contact options. Before the first snow, run through our fall yard checklist for Bismarck too.