Arlington County, VA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Loitering defined as
- standing, parking or gathering with prohibited conduct
- Prohibited conduct
- blocking traffic, harassing, threatening property
- Police authority
- can order to 'move on' if peace endangered
- Protest exception
- lawful picketing/assembly protected (§ 17-13.D)
- Penalty
- misdemeanor, punished as provided by law
Summary
Arlington County makes it a misdemeanor to loiter in a public place in a way that blocks pedestrian or vehicle traffic, harasses another person, threatens property, or signals a likely breach of the peace. Code § 17-13.B also requires anyone loitering to obey a police officer's order to move on when refusing would endanger public peace.
1. “Loiter” means to stand around or remain, or to park or remain parked in a motor vehicle at a public place or place open to the public and to engage in any conduct prohibited under this law. Loiter also means to collect, gather, congregate or be a member of a group or a crowd of people, who are gathered together in any public place or place open to the public and to engage in any conduct prohibited under this law. ... B. Prohibited conduct. It shall be unlawful for any person to loiter at, on or in a public place or place open to the public in such a manner: 1. As to interfere, impede or hinder the free passage of pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or 2. As to interfere with, obstruct, harass, or threaten or do physical harm to another member or members of the public... E. Penalties. Any person violating any of the provisions herein shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and punished as provided by law.
Full Breakdown
Section 17-13 defines "loiter" broadly as to "stand around or remain, or to park or remain parked in a motor vehicle at a public place or place open to the public and to engage in any conduct prohibited under this law," and extends to a group that "collect, gather, congregate or be a member of a group or a crowd of people" doing the same. "Public place" is defined to include streets, sidewalks, parks, playgrounds, school grounds, parking lots and vacant lots, while "place open to the public" reaches private businesses, parking lots, places of worship and building lobbies and corridors open to the public.
" It is separately unlawful to loiter and then refuse a uniformed or properly identified officer's direction to "move on" when refusing would endanger the public peace. Subsection D preserves the right to orderly picketing and other lawful assembly, so the ordinance cannot be used against peaceful protest alone. Subsection E sets the penalty: a misdemeanor punished as provided by law.
Violations & Fines
Section 17-13.E makes any violation a misdemeanor "punished as provided by law," which for an unclassified County misdemeanor draws on Virginia's general misdemeanor penalty framework and the County Code's own general penalty at § 1-6, and lets a police officer eject a violator from the property before any charge is filed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to just stand around on an Arlington County sidewalk?
Can police order a group to disperse under Arlington's loitering law?
Does Arlington's loitering ordinance apply to peaceful protests?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington County
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