§ 5507. Obstructing highways and other public passages.
(a) Obstructing.--A person, who, having no legal privilege to do so, intentionally or recklessly obstructs
any highway, railroad track or public utility right-of-way, sidewalk, navigable waters,
other public passage, whether alone or with others, commits a summary offense, or,
in case he persists after warning by a law officer, a misdemeanor of the third degree.
No person shall be deemed guilty of an offense under this subsection solely because
of a gathering of persons to hear him speak or otherwise communicate, or solely because
of being a member of such a gathering.
(b) Refusal to move on.--
(1) A person in a gathering commits a summary offense if he refuses to obey a reasonable
official request or order to move:
(i) to prevent obstruction of a highway or other public passage; or
(ii) to maintain public safety by dispersing those gathered in dangerous proximity to a
fire or other hazard.
(2) An order to move, addressed to a person whose speech or other lawful behavior attracts
an obstructing audience, shall not be deemed reasonable if the obstruction can be
readily remedied by police control of the size or location of the gathering.
(c) Definition.--As used in this section the word "obstructs" means renders impassable without unreasonable
inconvenience or hazard.
Cross References. Section 5507 is referred to in sections 3019, 3065 of this title; section 8902 of
Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure).
Notes of Decisions
Victory Outreach Ctr. v. Melso, 313 F. Supp. 2d 481 (E.D. Pa. 2004).
· cites it 8× “Concluding that the situation could potentially lead to a riot, and after asking White to relocate five times with no result, Melso arrested White for obstruction of highways and other public passages, in violation of 18 Pa. Cons.Stat. Ann. § 5507. C. March 15, 2001 Incident at…”
Pulice v. Enciso, 39 F. App'x 692 (3rd Cir. 2002).
· cites it 2× “See 18 Pa.C.S. § 5507. We will affirm the District Court’s grant of summary judgment on these claims.”
United States v. Pyle, 518 F. Supp. 139 (E.D. Pa. 1981).
· cites it 2× “” Specifically, defendants argue, without opposition, that defendants’ alleged conduct, if proven, would constitute a violation of 18 Pa.Cons.Stat.Ann. § 5507, Pennsylvania’s statute defining the criminal offense of disorderly conduct.”
Commonwealth v. Battaglia, 725 A.2d 192 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1999).
“¶ 5 The offense of obstructing highways, 18 Pa.C.S. Section 5507, provides in pertinent part § 5507.”
Fields v. City of Philadelphia, 166 F. Supp. 3d 528 (E.D. Pa. 2016).
“Officer Sisea placed Fields in a police van while he cited Fields for Obstructing Highway and Other Public Passages under 18 Pa.C.S.§ 5507. After citing him, Officer Sisea returned the cell phone and released Fields from custody.”
Commonwealth v. Adame, 526 A.2d 408 (Pa. 1987).
“POPOVICH, Judge: This is an appeal from the order of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County finding the appellant, Juan Adame, guilty of the summary offense of obstructing public passage (18 Pa.C.S. § 5507) and imposing a sentence of ten (10) days imprisonment and a…”
Victory Outreach Ctr. v. Melso, 371 F. Supp. 2d 642 (E.D. Pa. 2004).
“18 Pa. Cons.Stat. Ann. § 5507(a). 5 . SJU alludes to Counts V and X in its motion for summary judgment, but as the Amended Complaint contains only three counts, and only the first of these three counts mentions SJU, the Court will restrict its ruling to Count I of the Amended…”
United States v. Tremayne James, 952 F.3d 429 (3rd Cir. 2020).
“7, with 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5507 (2019). In fact, an early version of the bill that became the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s Crimes Code Act of 1972 included the MPC’s loitering provision, see S.”
Com. v. Tancraitor, J. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018).
· cites it 2× “The relevant statutory definition of this crime is found at 18 Pa.C.S. § 5507(a) and (c): (a) Obstructing.”
Com. v. Old, C. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2025).
· cites it 2× “§ 5101), and obstructing highways or other public passages (18 Pa.C.S. § 5507). Appellant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain his convictions for both these offenses.”
Com. v. Voorhis, J. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2023).
“§ 3364 – Impeding Traffic, or 18 Pa.C.S. § 5507 – Obstructing Public Highways, that traffic movement was reasonable and thus there was no risk of hazard.”
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5507(2) — 1 case
Victory Outreach Ctr. v. Melso, 313 F. Supp. 2d 481 (E.D. Pa. 2004).
“Concluding that the situation could potentially lead to a riot, and after asking White to relocate five times with no result, Melso arrested White for obstruction of highways and other public passages, in violation of 18 Pa. Cons.Stat. Ann. § 5507. C. March 15, 2001 Incident at…”
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5507(a) — 4 cases
Victory Outreach Ctr. v. Melso, 313 F. Supp. 2d 481 (E.D. Pa. 2004).
“Concluding that the situation could potentially lead to a riot, and after asking White to relocate five times with no result, Melso arrested White for obstruction of highways and other public passages, in violation of 18 Pa. Cons.Stat. Ann. § 5507. C. March 15, 2001 Incident at…”
Pulice v. Enciso, 39 F. App'x 692 (3rd Cir. 2002).
“See 18 Pa.C.S. § 5507. We will affirm the District Court’s grant of summary judgment on these claims.”
Victory Outreach Ctr. v. Melso, 371 F. Supp. 2d 642 (E.D. Pa. 2004).
“18 Pa. Cons.Stat. Ann. § 5507(a). 5 . SJU alludes to Counts V and X in its motion for summary judgment, but as the Amended Complaint contains only three counts, and only the first of these three counts mentions SJU, the Court will restrict its ruling to Count I of the Amended…”
Com. v. Tancraitor, J. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018).
“The relevant statutory definition of this crime is found at 18 Pa.C.S. § 5507(a) and (c): (a) Obstructing.”
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5507(b) — 1 case
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5507(b)(2) — 1 case
Victory Outreach Ctr. v. Melso, 313 F. Supp. 2d 481 (E.D. Pa. 2004).
“Concluding that the situation could potentially lead to a riot, and after asking White to relocate five times with no result, Melso arrested White for obstruction of highways and other public passages, in violation of 18 Pa. Cons.Stat. Ann. § 5507. C. March 15, 2001 Incident at…”
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5507(b)(ii) — 1 case
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5507(c) — 1 case
Com. v. Old, C. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2025).
“§ 5101), and obstructing highways or other public passages (18 Pa.C.S. § 5507). Appellant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain his convictions for both these offenses.”
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