Des Moines, IA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 70-38
- What's banned
- Grouping and blocking passage
- Related sections
- § 70-37 doorways, § 70-39 govt buildings
- Municipal infraction penalty
- Up to $750, $1,000 repeat
- Enforcement
- Des Moines Police Department
Summary
Des Moines bans grouping up and loitering on sidewalks, street corners, or public buildings when it blocks people from passing. Violators face a misdemeanor fine or a municipal infraction citation under Municipal Code § 70-38.
No persons shall collect, assemble or group together and, after being so collected, assembled or grouped together, stand or loiter on any sidewalk, parking or any street corner or at any other place in the city to the hindrance or obstruction to free passage of any person passing on or along any sidewalk or street in the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Municipal Code § 70-38 makes it unlawful to collect, assemble, or group together and then stand or loiter on a sidewalk, parking area, or street corner so as to hinder or obstruct anyone's free passage. A companion section, § 70-37, separately bars loitering that blocks doorways, lobbies, and building entrances, and § 70-39 bars loitering around schools or government buildings that disrupts their normal functions. All three require actual obstruction or disruption, not mere presence.
Violations & Fines
A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by the fine set in § 1-15 (tied to Iowa Code § 903.1) or a municipal infraction civil penalty of up to $750, rising to $1,000 for a repeat offense, per § 70-1 and § 1-15.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to just stand on a Des Moines sidewalk?
Does this rule apply in West Des Moines or Urbandale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Moines
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