Joliet, IL Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code Sec. 21-10
- Trigger
- Refusing a police dispersal order
- Fine
- Up to $500.00 per offense
- Covered locations
- Streets, sidewalks, business fronts
- Related sections
- 21-10.1 drug loitering; 21-10.3 near bars
Summary
Joliet Code Sec. 21-10 makes it unlawful to loiter in a public place in a way that blocks a street, sidewalk or business entrance. The offense is not the loitering itself but refusing a police officer's order to move on once the obstruction is identified, and it carries a fine of up to $500.00.
(A) Definitions. As used in this section: (1) "Loitering" shall mean remaining idle in essentially one location and shall include the concept of spending time idle; to be dilatory; to linger; to stay; to saunter; to delay; to stand around; and shall also include the colloquial expression "hanging around." ... (B) Police order to disperse. (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to loiter, loaf, wander, stand or remain idle either alone and/or in consort with others in a public place in such a manner as to: (a) 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. ... (2) When any person causes or commits any of the conditions enumerated in paragraph (1) herein, a police officer or any law enforcement officer shall order that person to stop causing or committing such conditions and to move on or disperse. Any person who fails or refuses to obey such orders shall be guilty of a violation of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 200).
Full Breakdown
Section 21-10 defines "loitering" broadly to mean remaining idle in one location, including "spending time idle," "standing around," or the colloquial "hanging around," and defines "public place" to include the sidewalk, front area, or immediate vicinity of any store, shop, restaurant or tavern, plus public grounds and parks. Subsection (B) does not criminalize mere presence; it targets loitering that obstructs a public street, highway, sidewalk or building by hindering vehicle or pedestrian passage, or that interferes with a lawfully conducted business fronting the public way.
When a police or law enforcement officer observes those conditions, the officer must order the person to stop and move on or disperse; the violation is failing or refusing to obey that dispersal order. Joliet's fine schedule (Sec. 1-8(d)) lists a specific penalty for Sec. 00 range under Sec. 21-9. The chapter also contains companion loitering offenses for drug-related activity (Sec. 1), prostitution-related activity (Sec. 2), and loitering within 200 feet of a retail liquor premises during or within an hour of business hours (Sec. 3), each requiring its own separate showing beyond simple presence.
Violations & Fines
A first refusal to disperse after a lawful police order is a fine of up to $500.00 per Joliet's Sec. 1-8(d) fine schedule entry for Sec. 21-10. Each day or instance of continued obstruction after an order can be charged as a separate offense under the chapter's general penalty provision, Sec. 21-9, which incorporates Sec. 1-8's citywide enforcement remedies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to just stand around in Joliet?
What happens if I ignore a police order to disperse?
Does loitering near a bar carry extra rules in Joliet?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Joliet
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