Alhambra, CA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 9.32.010
- Move-on rule
- Unlawful only after police order to leave
- Median rule
- No prior order needed, applies at all times
- Last amended
- February 26, 2024 (Ord. No. 4828)
- Penalty basis
- General penalty, § 1.12.010
Summary
Alhambra's loitering law, Municipal Code § 9.32.010, makes it unlawful to keep standing on a public street or at a business after a police officer orders you to move on, and separately bans standing, camping, or loitering on any street median at any time. The median ban applies around the clock; the street and business rule only kicks in after an officer's order.
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person without lawful business to stand or loiter upon any public street or at any place of business in any section of the city after having been directed by a police officer of the city to move on. (B) It shall be unlawful for any person to stand, camp, loiter or otherwise occupy public street medians unless lawfully crossing the street or engaged in maintenance, repair or construction activity at the direction of the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 4851, passed 10-27-25).
Full Breakdown
32 and works in two parts. Subsection (A) does not criminalize mere standing or loitering by itself: it becomes unlawful only once a police officer has directed a person without lawful business to move on and that person remains at the public street or place of business anyway. Subsection (B) is broader and needs no prior order: it is unlawful for anyone to stand, camp, loiter, or otherwise occupy a public street median, with narrow exceptions for pedestrians lawfully crossing the street and for workers performing maintenance, repair, or construction at the city's direction.
The section originates from Ordinance No. 2958 and was amended February 26, 2024 by Ordinance No. 4828, the same city council action that updated the open-container chapter and other Title IX public-order provisions. 010 applies to any person regardless of age. 010, a citywide provision covering unlisted violations with a Council-set fine or up to six months in jail.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 9.32.010 defaults to the general penalty under § 1.12.010: a fine set by City Council resolution or imprisonment for up to six months, or both, with the City Attorney able to charge the matter as an infraction instead of a misdemeanor. Because the median-occupation ban in subsection (B) needs no prior warning, an officer can cite a violation on first contact, unlike the move-on rule in subsection (A).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Alhambra police make me leave a public sidewalk for loitering?
Is it illegal to stand on a median in Alhambra?
Does the loitering law apply differently to minors?
What's the penalty for violating Alhambra's loitering ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alhambra
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How other cities in Los Angeles County handle loitering rules.