Auburn, WA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- ACC Chapter 9.50, Loitering
- Trigger
- Refusing a police dispersal order
- Penalty
- Up to 90 days jail and/or $1,000 fine
- Amended by
- Ordinance 6781 (2020)
- Related rule
- Camping on city property, ACC 9.50.030
Summary
Auburn Municipal Code Chapter 9.50 defines loitering and lets police order people to move on when they block streets, sidewalks or business entrances. Anyone who refuses a lawful dispersal order commits a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine under ACC 9.50.020.
Unless the activity is permitted by the city pursuant to this code, it is unlawful for any person to: 1. Obstruct any public street, public highway, public sidewalk or any other public place or building by hindering or impeding or tending to hinder or impede the free and uninterrupted passage of vehicles, traffic or pedestrians; 2. Be on any public street, public highway, public sidewalk or any other public place and intentionally obstruct the use of property or access to any lawfully conducted business during the normal operating hours of that business... Any person who fails or refuses to obey such orders is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 7023, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010 defines 'loitering' broadly as remaining idle in one location, including lingering, standing around or 'hanging around,' and defines 'public place' as any place the general public may access for business, entertainment or other lawful purpose, expressly including the front of a store, shop, restaurant or tavern and public grounds, areas or parks. 020 targets obstruction. Unless the city has permitted the activity, it is unlawful to obstruct any public street, highway, sidewalk or other public place or building by hindering the free passage of vehicles, traffic or pedestrians, or to intentionally obstruct access to a lawfully operating business during its normal hours.
When someone violates that rule, a law enforcement officer may order the person to stop and to move on or disperse. Refusing or failing to obey that order is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine, the current penalty set by Ordinance 6781 (2020), amending the original 2002 ordinance. 030, separately regulates camping and storage of camp paraphernalia on city property, a related but distinct offense carrying the same 90-day/$1,000 maximum, with a parks-director permit process, a one-year admonishment/exclusion process, and appeal rights to the city clerk within 14 days, though that camping rule is not part of the obstruction/loitering standard itself.
Violations & Fines
Blocking a public sidewalk, street or business entrance and refusing a police order to disperse is a misdemeanor under ACC 9.50.020, carrying up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. Officers must first give a verbal dispersal order; only failing or refusing to comply after that order triggers the charge, so the underlying obstruction alone is not automatically criminal until the order is disobeyed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is loitering itself illegal in Auburn, WA?
What happens if I ignore a police order to disperse in Auburn?
Does the loitering chapter cover homeless camping in Auburn?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Auburn
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Loitering Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle loitering rules.