KiCad "Clearance violation": what it means and how to fix it
KiCad design rule check (PCB) message: Clearance violation (clearance in kicad-cli reports).
What it means
KiCad reports a clearance violation when two copper items on different nets are closer than the clearance that applies to them. The limit comes from the largest of the board minimum, the two items' net classes and any custom rule that matches. Open Inspect → Clearance Resolution on the two items to see which rule set the number, then move or reroute the copper, or change the rule if the number is wrong.
Common causes
- A track routed too close to a pad or another track of a different net, often at a fine-pitch IC.
- A net class with a larger clearance (for example a high-voltage or power class) than the routing was done with.
- Stale zone fills: copper poured before nearby routing changed. KiCad refills zones before running DRC by default in the editor; if you run DRC with refilling switched off, old fills can trigger clearance errors.
- Footprint pads closer together than the board's minimum clearance, which you cannot fix by moving tracks.
How to fix it
- Select both items and use Inspect → Clearance Resolution to see the rule and the value KiCad used.
- Move or reroute the track. Interactive routing in "Highlight collisions" or "Walk around" mode stops you creating new ones.
- Refill zones (B) and run DRC again before chasing pour-related markers.
- If the footprint itself is denser than the board rule, add a custom rule for that footprint's pads instead of lowering the clearance for the whole board.
Where the setting lives
Board Setup → Design Rules → Constraints (minimum clearance), Board Setup → Net Classes (per-class clearance), and Board Setup → Custom Rules.
What fabs need
Fabs publish a minimum trace spacing. JLCPCB lists 0.1 mm for 1–2 layer boards and 0.09 mm for 4+ layers; PCBWay lists 0.1 mm. Your board rule can be larger than the fab minimum, never smaller.
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Checked against KiCad 10's source and documentation. Last reviewed 2026-11-07.
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