Cicero, IL Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 62-16
- Penalty source
- General penalty, § 1-12: $50-$750/day
- Amended
- Ord. No. 100-15, Dec. 27, 2015
- Public place defined
- Any place open to general public
- Related offense
- Gang loitering, § 62-32
Summary
Cicero prohibits standing idle in one spot on a public street, sidewalk or other public place when doing so blocks the free passage of pedestrians, vehicles or traffic. Section 62-16 covers anyone loitering alone or with others, and violators face the Code's general fine of $50 to $750 per day the obstruction continues.
No person shall remain idle in essentially one location either alone or in consort with others in a public place in such a manner to 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, including the free and uninterrupted ingress, egress and regress therein, thereon and thereto. For the purposes of this section, "public place" shall include any place to which the general public has access and a right to resort for business, entertainment or other lawful purpose.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 121).
Full Breakdown
' The section defines 'public place' broadly as any location 'to which the general public has access and a right to resort for business, entertainment or other lawful purpose,' reaching privately owned spaces like store entrances as long as the public is invited in. Unlike many neighboring offenses in Chapter 62, Section 62-16 sets no dollar penalty of its own. 00, with each day the obstruction continues counted as a separate offense. The current text was substituted by Ordinance No. 100-15 on December 27, 2015, replacing an older version dating to the 1917 Revised Ordinances.
Cicero also maintains a distinct, more serious loitering offense for criminal street gang members near town parks under Section 62-32, and a separate provision for sex offenders loitering near parks under Section 62-422; Section 62-16 is the general-public version that applies regardless of gang or offender status.
Violations & Fines
Section 62-16 carries no stated fine of its own, so a violation is punished under the Code's general penalty in Section 1-12: a fine of $50.00 to $750.00, with each day the obstruction continues charged as a separate offense. The Cicero Police Department enforces the section against anyone blocking a public street, sidewalk or building entrance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as illegal loitering in Cicero?
What is the fine for loitering in Cicero?
Does Cicero's loitering law apply on private property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cicero
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