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Bethlehem, PA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section: Codified Ordinances § 705.05
Trigger for citation: Refusing officer's order to stop
First offense penalty: $100 fine or 30 days jail
Second offense penalty: $300 fine or 60 days jail
Third+ offense penalty: $600 fine or 90 days jail
Enacted: Ordinance 2668, passed 8/8/1979

Summary

Bethlehem bans loitering that blocks a public street, sidewalk, bridge, or building, or that interferes with a business's ingress and egress. Section 705.05 defines loitering as remaining idle or lingering without purpose, and requires a police officer to order a violator to stop before any citation can issue.

(a) No person shall loiter in a public place, as hereinafter defined, in such manner as to obstruct any public street, public sidewalk, public bridge, or other public place or public building by hindering or impeding or tending to hinder or impede the free and uninterrupted passage of vehicles or pedestrians... ... (c) Definitions, for purposes of this section are as follows: (1) "Loitering" shall mean remaining idle in essentially one location or lingering or standing around without purpose either alone or in consort with others... ... (d) When any person causes or commits any of the conditions enumerated in Subsections 705.05(a) or (b) hereinabove, a law enforcement officer for the City of Bethlehem shall order that person to stop causing or committing such condition. If any person receiving any such order from a law enforcement officer fails or refuses to obey the same, that person shall be guilty of a violation of this Section 705.05.

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Full Breakdown

05(a) prohibits loitering in a public place in a manner that obstructs a public street, sidewalk, bridge, or public building by hindering the free passage of vehicles or pedestrians. Subsection (b) separately bars obstructing or interfering with the free use of property or the lawful conduct of business fronting on a public street, sidewalk, bridge, or public building, including blocking ingress and egress. Subsection (c) defines 'loitering' as remaining idle in essentially one location, or lingering or standing around without purpose, alone or with others, and defines 'public place' to include a public street or sidewalk plus the area immediately adjacent to a parking lot, store, restaurant, or tavern.

05, so mere presence alone is not enough. 99. The loitering section traces to Ordinance 2668, passed August 8, 1979, and was amended by Ordinance 3178 in 1988.

Violations & Fines

Refusing a police order to stop loitering violates Section 705.05 and is punished under Section 705.99: a $100.00 fine or thirty days in jail, or both, for a first offense; $300.00 or sixty days for a second; and $600.00 or ninety days for a third and every later offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is loitering itself illegal in Bethlehem?

Not by itself. Section 705.05 targets loitering that obstructs a public street, sidewalk, bridge, or building, or interferes with a nearby business. A police officer must first order you to stop; only refusing that order becomes a chargeable violation.

What counts as a 'public place' under the ordinance?

Section 705.05(c) defines it broadly: any public street or sidewalk, plus the area immediately in front of and adjacent to a parking lot, store, restaurant, tavern, or other business, so loitering near a shop entrance can qualify the same as blocking a sidewalk.

What is the fine for a loitering conviction?

Section 705.99 sets escalating penalties: $100.00 or thirty days in jail for a first offense, $300.00 or sixty days for a second, and $600.00 or ninety days in jail for a third or any later offense.

Sources & Official References

[1]Codified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem, Article 705 (Disorderly Conduct)

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