Detroit, MI Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Sit-Lie Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- Detroit City Code § 31-5-7
- Trigger
- Ignoring officer's order to move
- Max penalty
- $500 fine, 90 days jail
- Covers
- Streets, sidewalks, overpasses, public places
- Enforced by
- Detroit Police Department
Summary
Detroit makes it a crime to keep loitering on a street, sidewalk, overpass, or public place after a police officer has ordered you to move on, if you're blocking foot or vehicle traffic.
After having been told to move on by a police officer, it shall be unlawful for any person to loiter on any street, sidewalk, overpass, or public place. For the purpose of this section, the term "loitering" is defined as the act of standing or being idle in or about any street, sidewalk, overpass, or public place so as to hinder or impede, or tend to hinder or impede, or obstruct the passage of pedestrians or vehicles.
(Code 1964, § 58-1-10; Code 1984, § 38-1-3; Ord. No. 337-H, § 1(58-1-10), eff. 7-31-1979)
Case law annotation—Former Code section upheld as against attack on overbreadth as a legitimate police power exercise. Detroit v Wedlow, 17 Mich App 134; 169 NW2d 145 (1969).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 31-5-7 of the Detroit City Code, loitering itself isn't automatically illegal: it becomes unlawful only after a police officer has told the person to move on. The Code defines loitering as standing or being idle on a street, sidewalk, overpass, or other public place in a way that hinders, impedes, or tends to hinder or impede the passage of pedestrians or vehicles. The rule sits in Chapter 31, Article V, "Offenses Against Public Peace," and is enforced citywide by the Detroit Police Department, not just downtown.
Violations & Fines
A violation is a misdemeanor under Sec. 31-1-1: up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail, and each day the violation continues can be issued as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to just sit on a Detroit sidewalk?
What is the penalty for loitering in Detroit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Detroit
Compare Detroit to another location·View the Michigan homelessness & encampment rules overview
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