Wayne County has no countywide sit-lie ordinance, but Detroit, Dearborn, and several downriver cities use general loitering, obstruction, and park-closure provisions that effectively limit sitting or lying on sidewalks and in business districts.
Detroit chapter 38 of the city code and similar suburban ordinances prohibit obstructing pedestrian traffic on sidewalks and remaining in parks after closing, providing the legal basis for police to move along individuals sitting or lying in commercial corridors. The Detroit Continuum of Care, coordinated through the Coordinated Assessment Model (CAM), prefers outreach by Homeless Action Network of Detroit (HAND) over criminal enforcement. Wayne County itself enforces park rules at Hines Park, Elizabeth Park, and other county parks, including closure hours that bar overnight sleeping. Dearborn and Livonia rely on civil ordinance citations rather than criminal misdemeanors for sit-lie style behavior.
Citations under Detroit chapter 38 or Wayne County park rules can produce fines, court appearances, and outstanding warrants for unhoused individuals who lack the resources to comply or appear.
See how Livonia's sit-lie rules rules stack up against other locations.
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