Ogden, UT Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Sit-Lie Rules (2026)

Ogden City Code section 11-5-4, 'Obstructing Streets And Sidewalks,' sets a hard time limit rather than a full sit-lie ban: it is unlawful to remain standing, lying or sitting on any sidewalk for longer than two minutes in a manner that obstructs the free passage of foot travelers, or to willfully remain in that position for more than one minute after a police officer has asked the person to move. The section separately makes it unlawful to willfully remain on a sidewalk in front of a dwelling house or place of business in a way that blocks people entering or leaving that building, with no fixed time limit for that variant.

A parallel subsection B applies the identical structure to streets and highways: obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic on a street, remaining more than one minute after a police request to move, or blocking access to a property from the street. The two-minute and one-minute clocks mean the ordinance is not a blanket ban on sitting or lying in public but a request-and-comply system: a person moving along, or moving promptly when asked, is not in violation, while someone who stays put after an officer's request commits the offense regardless of how briefly they had already been there.

040 and Ordinance 98-46 of June 23, 1998. A violation is a class C misdemeanor, punished under title 1, chapter 4 of the city code, and is enforced by Ogden Police Department officers on patrol.