Newsstands in the Right-of-Way

Updated: 11/2022

Newsstands (also known as “news racks”) are an important way of conveying information to the public and are a First Amendment-protected use of the public right-of-way. In the City of Seattle, newsstands may be placed on public sidewalks without a permit. They are required to be kept in good repair and be sited outside of the main path of travel.  

Maintenance Requests:

If you would like to submit a maintenance request about a specific newsstand, you can do that in one of the several ways identified on this site. It is helpful to include a photo of the newsstand with your request. 

Construction Relocation:

For all public and private construction in public right-of-way, newsstand owners must be given at least a 10-business day notice of a request for temporary relocation. Contractors or project managers should refer to the contact information on the newsstand to notify the newsstand owner.  

See SDOT Director's Rule 2-2014 for more detail.