Beloit, WI Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 15.03, Loitering and Prowling Prohibited
- First-offense forfeiture
- $200 to $1,500
- Pre-arrest step
- officer must offer chance to explain
- Private-property rule
- requires posted "No Loitering" signs
- Free speech exemption
- protects lawful assembly and speech
Summary
Beloit's municipal code bars loitering or prowling in a manner not usual for law-abiding people when the circumstances create a justifiable, reasonable alarm for the safety of persons or property. Before making an arrest, officers must give the person a chance to explain themselves. A first conviction under Code § 15.03 carries a forfeiture of $200 to $1,500.
(1)LOITERING OR PROWLING.(a)Prohibited Conduct. No person shall loiter or prowl in a place, at a time or in a manner not usual for law-abiding individuals under circumstances that warrant a justifiable and reasonable alarm for the safety of persons or property in the vicinity. ... (7)PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS. (Am. #3439) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall, upon conviction, be subject to a forfeiture as hereinafter provided, plus the applicable penalty surcharge, crime laboratories and drug law enforcement surcharge, jail surcharge and court costs imposed by law.(a)Upon conviction for a first violation, a forfeiture of not less than $200 nor more than $1,500.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Update 01 - 05-2026).
Full Breakdown
03 splits loitering into several distinct offenses. Subsection (1) bans loitering or prowling under circumstances warranting reasonable alarm, but an officer must first ask the person to identify themselves and explain their presence unless flight or another emergency makes that impracticable; refusing to explain, by itself, is not grounds for arrest. Subsection (2) bars obstructing pedestrian or vehicle traffic by loitering on a street, sidewalk or alley after a police officer asks the person or group to move on. Subsection (3) makes it unlawful to loiter on private premises not open to the public once "No Loitering" signs are posted, or after the owner, manager or a police officer asks the person to leave; returning afterward without an invitation is a separate violation.
Subsection (4) applies the same after-hours and posted-sign rule to privately owned business property that is normally open to the public. Subsection (4g) covers loitering on public property, including parking lots, streets and sidewalks, that creates a breach of the peace, disturbs others, blocks passage or causes littering, but expressly exempts anyone lawfully exercising First Amendment rights of free speech, assembly or religion. Subsections (5) and (6) separately prohibit loitering manifesting an intent to solicit prostitution or engage in unlawful drug activity under Chapter 961, Wis. Stats.
Violations & Fines
A conviction under § 15.03(7) carries a forfeiture of not less than $200 nor more than $1,500 for a first offense, $300 to $1,500 for a second, and $500 to $1,500 for a third or subsequent offense, plus the penalty surcharge, crime laboratories and drug law enforcement surcharge, jail surcharge and court costs. The City's separate cash-deposit schedule under § 25.04(4)(c) sets standard deposits of $200, $300 and $500 for first, second and third loitering offenses under § 15.03(1) through (5).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Beloit police arrest someone just for loitering?
What is the penalty for loitering in Beloit?
Does the loitering ordinance cover private property?
Does the ordinance apply to protests on public property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beloit
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