Hawthorne, CA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Sit-Lie Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- All streets, sidewalks, public ways citywide
- Sole exception
- Approved outdoor dining encroachment seating
- Amended
- Ord. 2068 § 4, 2014
- Classification
- Infraction under § 1.22.010
- First-offense fine
- $100
Summary
Hawthorne prohibits sitting, lying or sleeping on any street, sidewalk or public way in the city, with a single carve-out for approved outdoor dining encroachments where sitting is allowed.
No pedestrian shall sit, lie or sleep in or upon any street, sidewalk or public way or any portion thereof, except that sitting is permitted within an area approved as an encroachment for outdoor dining.
Full Breakdown
050 of the Hawthorne Municipal Code states that no pedestrian shall sit, lie or sleep in or upon any street, sidewalk or public way, or any portion of one, anywhere in the city. The only exception written into the section is for sitting within an area that has been approved as an encroachment for outdoor dining, meaning restaurant patio seating permitted to extend into the public right-of-way is carved out of the ban while ordinary sidewalk sitting, lying or sleeping is not. The current text derives from the prior code's § 10-904 and was amended by Ordinance 2068 § 4 in 2014, which added the outdoor-dining exception.
080 for people waiting in line to conduct business, distributing political or religious literature, walking a picket line, or otherwise conducting lawful business. 050 contains no exception for brief or non-obstructive sitting or lying; the prohibition applies regardless of whether the person blocks anyone else's passage, making it a blanket sit-lie rule rather than an obstruction-based standard.
Violations & Fines
Sitting, lying or sleeping on a street, sidewalk or public way in violation of § 10.72.050 is specifically listed as an infraction in § 1.22.010 and is punishable under the fine schedule in § 1.22.030: $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year, and $500 for each subsequent violation within that year; the city attorney retains discretion under § 1.22.040 to charge repeat conduct as a misdemeanor instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sitting on a Hawthorne sidewalk ever allowed?
Does Hawthorne's sit-lie rule require blocking someone else to apply?
What is the penalty for violating Hawthorne's sidewalk sitting ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
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