Durham County, NC Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Durham County Code § 20-11(e)
- Prohibited acts
- Loitering, congregating, unattended vehicles
- Site speed limit
- 3 mph, § 20-11(h)
- First-offense penalty
- $100 civil fine
- Repeat-offense penalty
- $500 or 30 days jail
- Enforcing agency
- County General Services / Solid Waste Division
- Appeal window
- 10 days, § 20-17(a)
Summary
Durham County bans loitering and congregating on the property of its residential convenience centers, the county-run drop-off sites unincorporated residents use for household garbage and recycling. Code Sec. 20-11(e) also forbids leaving any vehicle unattended there. General Services staff enforce the rule alongside a 3 mph site speed limit and a full civil penalty schedule for violators.
No person shall loiter and/or congregate on any of the residential convenience centers property and no vehicles shall be left unattended on said property.(f)Residential containers shall not be used by licensed solid waste collectors as a means of disposal for solid waste collected from commercial, institutional, industrial, or residential customers.(g)No person shall remove any contents from the solid waste receptacles located at the residential container sites.(h)Maximum allowable speed for vehicles at the county residential convenience centers is three mph. (Ord. of 12-13-99, § 1)
Full Breakdown
Durham County maintains residential convenience centers throughout the unincorporated county for residents and nonresident property owners to drop off solid waste and recyclables (Sec. 20-11(a)). Because these sites see steady foot and vehicle traffic around open receptacles, the county added a standalone conduct rule: "No person shall loiter and/or congregate on any of the residential convenience centers property and no vehicles shall be left unattended on said property" (Sec. 20-11(e)). The same section caps vehicle speed on site at 3 mph (Sec. 20-11(h)) and separately bars anyone from removing contents from the receptacles (Sec.
20-11(g)). Enforcement runs through the General Services Director or a designee, who may enter the property to investigate and whose employees in the Solid Waste Division are empowered to issue civil citations (Sec. 20-15). A first violation of Sec. 20-11(e), since loitering is not one of the chapter's separately scheduled offenses (scavenging or improper dumping), falls under the catch-all civil penalty in Sec. 20-16(f)(3): $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 or up to 30 days' imprisonment for any subsequent offense within the review period.
The county may also enforce by injunction or order of abatement (Sec. 20-16(f)(4)), and a cited person may volunteer for cleanup work in lieu of prosecution or a civil penalty at the general services director's discretion (Sec. 20-16(f)(5)).
Violations & Fines
A first Sec. 20-11(e) violation draws a $100 civil penalty under the chapter's catch-all schedule (Sec. 20-16(f)(3)); a second offense is $200; a third or later offense is $500 or up to 30 days in jail. Penalties are issued by notice of civil penalty, payable to the county within ten days, and unpaid amounts can be pursued as a civil debt or referred for criminal summons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hang around a Durham County convenience center after dropping off my trash?
Can I leave my car parked at a Durham County convenience center?
What's the fine for loitering at a Durham County convenience center?
Can I appeal a loitering citation at a Durham County convenience center?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Durham County
Compare Durham County to another location·View the North Carolina public conduct overview
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