Loveland's Public Conduct: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles public conduct a little differently. In Loveland, Colorado, there are 7 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Loud Party Ordinance

Loveland, Colorado bills hosts and property owners for a second police response to the same loud party or noise disturbance within 24 hours. Officers can hand a responsible person a formal Notice of Response Fee on the first call, then charge full staffing and equipment costs if police return within a day.

Key details: Governing section: Loveland Municipal Code § 2.44.120. Trigger: Return police response within 24 hours. Owner liability cap: $100.00 per response (ownership-only basis). Liability type: Joint and several among responsible persons. Appeal deadline: 10 days from bill mailing.

Failure to pay a return-response bill within 30 days is itself a violation: the unpaid amount becomes a debt to the city, collectible through a civil action against the responsible person. Owners whose liability rests only on ownership face a hard cap of $100.00 per response; organizers, tenants, and other responsible persons face the full actual cost of the return response, with no stated cap.

Skateboarding Rules

Riding a skateboard on any street inside Loveland city limits is against the law under Municipal Code § 12.28.120, with the only carve-out being a special event permit. The ban covers streets only, not sidewalks, trails, or private property, and sits in the chapter that also bars other street hazards and obstructions.

Key details: Governing section: Loveland Municipal Code § 12.28.120. Scope: Streets only, not sidewalks or trails. Only exception: Special event permit. Adopted by: Ordinance No. 3531 (1988). Chapter: 12.28, Prohibited Uses of Streets.

Riding a skateboard on a Loveland street without a qualifying special event permit violates § 12.28.120 and, like other Chapter 12.28 offenses, is punishable under the Code's general penalty in § 1.12.010: a fine consistent with C.R.S. § 13-10-113 or up to 364 days in jail, plus a $15 court surcharge, since Chapter 12.28 sets no separate fine schedule of its own.

Compared to other cities, Loveland takes a harder line on skateboarding rules. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions

Loveland extends its indoor smoke-free law outdoors at building entrances: § 7.40.035 bars smoking, vaping, and e-cigarette use within 15 feet of any entryway to city-owned property, and § 7.40.030 applies the same 15-foot entryway buffer to every covered indoor space listed in the chapter, from restaurants to office buildings.

Key details: Entryway buffer distance: 15 feet from any doorway. City-property rule: indoor plus 15-ft outdoor buffer. Covers vaping/e-cigarettes: yes, under § 7.40.035. First offense fine: up to $200. Second offense fine: up to $300.

Anyone who smokes, including vaping, within 15 feet of a building entryway covered by § 7.40.030 or on city-owned property under § 7.40.035 is guilty of a misdemeanor under § 7.40.060, punishable by a fine up to $200 for a first violation in a calendar year, up to $300 for a second, and up to $500 for each further violation, with each day of a continuing violation charged separately. Owners, managers, or operators who let smoking occur on a covered premises are separately liable under § 7.40.060(A).

Loitering Rules

Loveland Municipal Code § 9.28.050 does not ban public loitering generally; it makes it unlawful to loiter in a school building, on school grounds, or within 100 feet of them, with intent to disrupt school activities or endanger children, once a school official or officer has asked the person to leave.

Key details: Covered area: school grounds plus 100 feet. Required intent: disrupt school or endanger children. Trigger: refusal to leave after being told. Minimum fine: $20.00. Maximum fine: $100.00.

A violation of §§ 9.28.040 through 9.28.050 is punished under § 9.28.070 by a fine of not less than $20.00 nor more than $100.00, imprisonment for up to ten days, or both. Each instance is charged separately, and the affirmative defense of lawful assembly under § 9.28.050(C) must be raised and proven by the defendant at trial.

Aggressive Panhandling

Loveland Municipal Code § 9.30.020 bans panhandling that is intimidating, threatening, coercive, or obscene, involves fighting words or touching, or blocks sidewalk passage, while § 9.30.030 separately bans soliciting from vehicle occupants by entering a street, median, or bike lane, and bans it outright on interstate and state highways.

Key details: Banned conduct: intimidating, threatening, or coercive approach. Banned physical contact: touching or grabbing solicited person. Banned location: blocking sidewalk passage. Roadway rule: no entering traveled lanes or medians. Highway rule: banned entirely on interstate/state highways.

Neither § 9.30.020 nor § 9.30.030 sets its own penalty, so violations are prosecuted under the Code's general penalty, LMC § 1.12.010, a fine not exceeding the amount state law allows or imprisonment up to 364 days, plus a $15.00 court surcharge per offense, with each violation charged separately.

Public Alcohol Use

Loveland, Colorado bars drinking or openly displaying any open container of beer, malt, vinous or spirituous liquor on city streets, alleys, sidewalks, public parking lots and in city parks without a permit. Keeping an open container in a car is also illegal citywide unless it is locked in the trunk, under Loveland Municipal Code § 9.36.020.

Key details: Governing section: Loveland Municipal Code § 9.36.020. Covered locations: Streets, alleys, parking lots, city parks (no permit). Vehicle exception: Only if container is locked in the trunk. Park exception: Malt/vinous only, with a valid city permit. Maximum penalty: Up to 364 days jail plus fine, § 1.12.010.

A violation of § 9.36.020 is enforced by the Loveland Police Department and, absent a more specific penalty, is punished under the Code's general penalty clause, § 1.12.010: a fine up to the statutory limit under C.R.S. § 13-10-113, imprisonment up to 364 days, or both, plus a mandatory $15.00 surcharge per offense. Each day of a continuing violation counts as a separate offense.

Public Marijuana Use

Loveland, Larimer County, Colorado bars openly and publicly smoking marijuana in any enclosed area under Municipal Code § 7.40.045. The rule covers sidewalks, trails, parks, playgrounds and other public places, and violators face misdemeanor penalties under § 1.12.010, with each day of a continuing violation charged separately.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code § 7.40.045. Adopted: Ordinance 5839 § 4, 2013. Prohibits: Openly, publicly smoking marijuana. Also applies: Inside enclosed areas. Penalty basis: § 1.12.010 general penalty, misdemeanor.

Anyone who violates § 7.40.045 is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to the penalties set out in Municipal Code § 1.12.010, the city's general penalty section, rather than the graduated $200/$300/$500 fine schedule that § 7.40.060(C) applies to other Chapter 7.40 smoking violations. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense under § 7.40.060(D).

The Bottom Line

Loveland's public conduct rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Loveland is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Loveland's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.