State Law for Clearing Snow

For much of the U.P., winter had a slow start this season, but the snow has come down hard in the last few days.

After it falls, driving in the snow almost takes a back seat to how to move it.

Depositing snow, ice or slush on a road or road shoulder is illegal in Michigan, and you can be fined for doing it.

If any snow that you remove creates a hazard for drivers or for snowplows, county road commissions will issue a written warning.

Marquette County Road Commission operations and maintenance director Mike Harrington says if the homeowner is present, someone from the Road Commission will speak with that person.

He says that’s almost always enough and most homeowners quickly fix the problem.

If the problem isn’t corrected, road commissions will refer the issue to police agencies.

Road crews also don’t have the ability to write tickets for fire hydrants that are buried, either.

But Harrington says municipal public works crews watch for those hydrants and he says they’re experiencing the same issues right now with hydrants that the county Road Commission is with rights-of-way.

The laws about where you can plow or deposit snow are part of the Michigan Vehicle Code, and they’ve been on the books in the state for more than 60 years.