Salt Lake County, UT Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code §10.36.010(J)
- Offense class
- Class B misdemeanor
- Notice required?
- No, unlike trespass §10.40.030
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Salt Lake County only
- Enforcement agency
- Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office
- Related trespass penalty
- $100 fine or 10 days jail (§10.40.030)
Summary
Loitering, prowling or wandering on someone else's private property without a visible or lawful reason is disorderly conduct in unincorporated Salt Lake County under County Code §10.36.010(J), a Class B misdemeanor. The same subsection separately criminalizes peeking in windows or doors of an occupied building while prowling on the property.
Every person who commits any of the following acts shall be guilty of disorderly conduct, which is a misdemeanor punishable as a Class B misdemeanor. ... J.Loiters, prowls or wanders upon the private property of another without visible or lawful business with the owner or occupant thereof; or who, while loitering, prowling or wandering upon the private property of another, peeks in the door or window of any inhabited building or structure located thereon, without visible or lawful business with the owner or occupant thereof;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 49).
Full Breakdown
010 criminalizes two related acts: loitering, prowling or wandering on another person's private property without visible or lawful business with the owner or occupant, and the aggravated version of the same conduct, peeking in the door or window of an inhabited building while prowling on the property. 010(J) needs no prior notice: the absence of a visible or lawful reason to be on the property is enough to support a charge. 010(A) defaults to an infraction. The ordinance applies only in unincorporated Salt Lake County; enforcement is handled by the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, since incorporated cities in the valley including Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Sandy and Murray operate under their own municipal codes for loitering and trespass.
Violations & Fines
A loitering-on-private-property charge under §10.36.010(J) is a Class B misdemeanor, penalized per state statute rather than a county-set fine, under §1.12.010(B). It is a separate, lower-threshold offense from criminal trespass under §10.40.030, which caps the punishment at a $100 fine or ten days in jail but requires the owner to have already warned the person off the land before entry becomes unlawful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be warned before I can be charged with loitering?
What's the difference between this and criminal trespass?
Does peeking in a window make the charge worse?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake County
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