Blocked crossing laws
Blocked crossing laws by state
No federal law limits how long a train may block a road crossing, so some states set their own limit. The table shows each state we have checked so far, its limit, whether courts have held it preempted and where to report.
Time limits by state
| State | Time limit | Law | Enforced | Where to report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No state limit | Ala. Code § 37-8-115 | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Alaska | 5 minutes | 13 AAC 02.532 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Arizona | 15 minutes | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 40-852 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Arkansas | 10 minutes | Ark. Code Ann. § 23-12-1007(b) | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| California | 10 minutes | CPUC General Order No. 135 (adopted 1974) | No, a court held it preempted | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Colorado | No state limit | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 40-20-303(2) and § 40-20-311(10), added by HB24-1030 (signed 10 May 2024); no time limit | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Connecticut | 5 minutes | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 13b-339 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Delaware | 10 minutes | 17 Del. C. § 701(c)-(e) | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| District of Columbia | 5 minutes | 18 DCMR § 2211.7; 24 DCMR §§ 120.7, 120.8 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Florida | No state limit | Fla. Stat. §§ 351.034, 351.03(5) | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Georgia | No state limit | O.C.G.A. § 46-8-197 | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Hawaii | No state limit | No Hawaii statute (FRA state law compilation, 2021) | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Idaho | 15 minutes | Idaho Code § 49-1425 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Illinois | 10 minutes | 625 ILCS 5/18c-7402(1)(b)-(c) | No, a court held it preempted | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Indiana | 10 minutes | Ind. Code § 8-6-7.5-1 | No, a court held it preempted | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Iowa | 10 minutes | Iowa Code § 327G.32 | Untested in state courts | Iowa DOT Rail Transportation Bureau |
| Kansas | 10 minutes | Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 66-273, 66-274 | No, a court held it preempted | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Kentucky | 5 minutes | Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 277.200, 277.990 | No, a court held it preempted | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Louisiana | 20 minutes | La. Rev. Stat. § 48:391 (see also § 48:392) | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Maine | No state limit | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 23, § 7220 | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Maryland | No state limit | No Maryland statute (HB 958 of 2025 did not pass) | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Massachusetts | 5 minutes | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 160, § 151 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Michigan | 5 minutes | Mich. Comp. Laws § 462.391 | No, a court held it preempted | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Minnesota | 10 minutes | Minn. Stat. § 219.383, subd. 3 and 4 | Untested in state courts | MnDOT Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations |
| Mississippi | 5 minutes | Miss. Code Ann. §§ 77-9-235, 77-9-236, 97-25-37 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Missouri | 5 minutes | RSMo § 300.360 (Model Traffic Ordinance); see also RSMo § 71.013 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Montana | 15 minutes | Mont. Code Ann. § 69-14-626 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Nebraska | 10 minutes | 415 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 7, § 005 (NDOT rule); Neb. Rev. Stat. § 74-594; § 17-225 | Untested in state courts | Nebraska DOT Rail Section |
| Nevada | No state limit | No Nevada statute (NRS chapter 705, 2023 revision) | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| New Hampshire | 5 minutes | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 373:15, § 373:16, § 373:17 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| New Jersey | No state limit | N.J. Stat. § 39:4-94 | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| New Mexico | No state limit | No New Mexico statute (NMSA 1978 on NMOneSource, 2026) | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| New York | 5 minutes | N.Y. Railroad Law § 53-c | Untested in state courts | NYSDOT Grade Crossings Helpful Links |
| North Carolina | No state limit | No North Carolina statute (General Statutes, 2026) | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| North Dakota | 10 minutes | N.D. Cent. Code § 49-11-19; § 49-11-19.1 | Untested in state courts | North Dakota Public Service Commission |
| Ohio | 5 minutes | Ohio Rev. Code § 5589.21 | No, a court held it preempted | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Oklahoma | 10 minutes | Okla. Stat. tit. 66, § 190(A) | No, a court held it preempted | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Oregon | No state limit | Or. Rev. Stat. § 824.222 | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Pennsylvania | 5 minutes | 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3713; see also 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. §§ 6907-6908 | Unclear, a related law was held preempted | Pennsylvania PUC Blocked Railroad Crossings |
| Rhode Island | 5 minutes | R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-8-4 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| South Carolina | 5 minutes | S.C. Code § 57-7-240; § 58-17-4080 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| South Dakota | 20 minutes | S.D. Codified Laws § 49-16A-119; § 49-16A-94 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Tennessee | No state limit | No Tennessee statute (FRA state law compilation, 2021; TDOT, 2026) | No state limit | Tennessee Department of Transportation rail office |
| Texas | No state limit | Former Tex. Transp. Code § 471.007, repealed by H.B. 2946, 84th Leg., R.S. (2015), effective 17 June 2015 | No state limit | TxDOT Rail Division FAQ |
| Utah | 5 minutes | Utah Code § 41-6a-1204 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Vermont | 5 minutes | 5 V.S.A. § 3587 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Virginia | 5 minutes | Va. Code § 56-412.1 | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Washington | 10 minutes | Wash. Admin. Code § 480-62-220 | No, the state says it cannot enforce it | Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission |
| West Virginia | 10 minutes | W. Va. Code § 31-2A-2 (penalties § 31-2A-6) | Untested in state courts | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
| Wisconsin | 10 minutes | Wis. Stat. § 192.292 | No, the state says it cannot enforce it | Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Railroads |
| Wyoming | No state limit | No Wyoming statute (Wyoming Statutes Title 37, 2026) | No state limit | FRA blocked crossing reporter |
Report a blocked crossing to the FRA blocked crossing reporter
Does federal law override state limits?
No federal law sets a time limit for a train blocking a crossing. Federal law does control how railroads run trains, and courts have used it to set aside state time limits.
When a court holds a state limit preempted, the state cannot enforce it against the railroad. A limit no court has ruled on is still on the books, but railroads may challenge it the same way.