Johnson County, KS Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- County airports only, not county-wide
- Prohibited
- Obstructing, loafing, loitering near entrances/lots
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $100 fine
- Added penalty
- Up to 3 months imprisonment
- Enforced by
- Airport commission and county sheriff
Summary
Johnson County has no general anti-loitering law for its streets, parks, or public places. The only loitering ban in the county's Code of Resolutions sits in Sec. 14-4(c), and it applies solely to the county's airports, not the county at large.
(c)Loitering. It shall be unlawful for any person to obstruct, loaf or loiter in parking lots or in front of any entrance way of any public building or to any business or other rooms or any street or alley or public place on or about the premises of the county airports. ... Sec. 14-1. - Penalty. Any person who shall willfully violate any of the provisions herein shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than $100.00 or by imprisonment for not more than three months or by such fine and imprisonment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Resolutions: Supplement 14).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 14 of the county's Code of Resolutions governs the county-owned airports, including New Century AirCenter, and Article II sets out a list of prohibited conduct on airport property. Subsection (c) of Sec. 14-4 makes it unlawful for any person to obstruct, loaf, or loiter in airport parking lots or in front of any entrance to a public building, business, or other room, or on any street, alley, or public place on airport premises. 2 percent cereal malt beverage outside commission-designated areas, posting political or advertising signs, carrying firearms or other weapons, igniting fireworks, holding unauthorized demonstrations, soliciting business without written permission, destroying airport property, littering, and letting a dog or animal run at large.
Subsection (i) separately defines 'disorderly conduct' at the airports to include drunkenness, profanity, fighting, indecent exposure, unreasonable noise, and harassing other lawful visitors, and bans it outright. None of this reaches the rest of unincorporated Johnson County: outside airport property there is no county ordinance against loitering on a public street, sidewalk, or park, so a general loitering charge cannot be brought under the county's resolutions. The airport commission is responsible for posting and enforcing these restricted-conduct rules under Sec. 14-3, and the commission may designate specific areas where otherwise-prohibited activity, such as drinking, is allowed.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 14-1 sets the penalty for the entire aviation chapter: willfully violating any provision, including the loitering ban, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100.00, imprisonment for up to three months, or both. Airport staff and the sheriff's office can eject or cite a person loitering in a parking lot, near a building entrance, or elsewhere on airport grounds under this section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is loitering illegal anywhere in unincorporated Johnson County?
What counts as loitering at a Johnson County airport?
What is the penalty for loitering at the airport?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Johnson County
Compare Johnson County to another location·View the Kansas public conduct overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.