Acworth, GA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 54-4
- Curfew hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Scope
- City-owned parks, areas, buildings only
- Exception
- Ticket, invitation or admission holders
- Not covered
- Public streets outside those places
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail (§ 1-11)
Summary
Acworth Code § 54-4 makes it unlawful to loiter or idle in city-owned parks, public areas and buildings between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless you hold a ticket, invitation or admission to an authorized activity. The rule does not extend to public streets outside those designated places.
It shall be unlawful for any person, except the duly employed and authorized employees and agents of the city, or of its commissions or agencies, in the regular and necessary conduct and management of their employment, to be upon or to appear within any of the public parks, public areas and public buildings owned or controlled by the city or by any of its subsidiary agencies, commissions or boards, in an idling or loitering manner between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., unless such person has a right to be upon and within such designated public places by virtue of a lawful admission, invitation or ticket to some activity or entertainment as authorized and then being carried on by the city, or by such subsidiary agency, commission or board of the city as may have control over such area, grounds and buildings. This section does not apply to public streets outside such designated places.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
m. The prohibition does not apply automatically to everyone present at night; a person with a lawful admission, invitation or ticket to an activity or entertainment then being carried on by the city or one of its boards is exempt for the duration of that authorized event. , away from a city park, area or building, is not captured by this particular offense even though other Chapter 54 provisions on disorderly conduct or camping may still apply. The current text traces to Code 1983 § 13-6 and was carried forward, with other Chapter 54 provisions, by Ordinance No.
2021-16 on July 1, 2021. 00, imprisonment for up to six months, or labor for the city of up to 60 days, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense. Acworth police officers, who routinely patrol parks such as Depot Park, Frana Brown Park and the city's lakefront parks after dark, are the enforcing agency, and cases are heard in Acworth Municipal Court.
Violations & Fines
Loitering or idling inside a city-owned park, public area or public building between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. without a lawful ticket or invitation to an authorized activity violates § 54-4. The general penalty in § 1-11 applies: up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or up to 60 days of city labor, with each day of continued presence charged separately, and cases proceed in Acworth Municipal Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be cited for standing in an Acworth park late at night?
Does the Acworth loitering law apply to public sidewalks?
Are city employees exempt from the nighttime loitering rule?
What is the penalty for violating Acworth's loitering ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Acworth
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