ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — If you’re walking on a sidewalk and an irate homeowner tells you to get off their property, you may be asking yourself: is it illegal to walk on my neighbor’s sidewalk?

According to Illinois law, sidewalks are for public use, being installed to give pedestrians a safe place to walk.

Even though a person’s driveway is their own property, the sidewalk that crosses it is part of an “easement,” or a right to use someone else’s land for a specific purpose.

This means that while residents are granted use for the entrance to and the rest of their driveway, the sidewalk is owned by the city or county.

But stepping past the sidewalk onto a person’s lawn could count as criminal trespass. A path extending from the sidewalk to a door would be considered private property. Exceptions are made for emergency workers, such as police officers.

In fact, a homeowner can get a ticket if they park their car in their own driveway in a way that blocks the sidewalk.

A homeowner in Illinois also cannot park in front of their own driveway, whether occupied or not, as it is prohibited by Illinois law.

Illinois law also prohibits a vehicle from blocking fire hydrants, public building entrances and exits, bus stops, and loading areas.