Kirkland, WA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- KMC 11.80.242
- Prohibited conduct
- Loitering in a park while intoxicated
- Penalty class
- Misdemeanor under KMC 11.80.310
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine or 90 days jail
- Applies to
- City parks and recreation areas only
Summary
Kirkland makes it a violation to remain in or loiter within any city park or recreation area while intoxicated. KMC 11.80.242 sits among the park misdemeanor provisions, so a person cited for loitering while drunk or high in a park faces criminal, not civil, penalties under the city's general misdemeanor schedule.
It is a violation of this chapter to remain in, or loiter in any city park or recreation area, while in a state of intoxication.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4945, passed July 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
80 to remain in or loiter in any city park or recreation area while in a state of intoxication. The section is short by design: it does not define a blood-alcohol threshold or require a breath test, leaving the determination of intoxication to the observing officer's assessment. 310 designates as misdemeanors, so a loitering-while-intoxicated citation in a Kirkland park is prosecuted criminally rather than as a civil infraction. 010 by a fine of not more than $1,000, imprisonment of not more than 90 days, or both.
50 RCW. 320 in addition to any criminal charge, barring the person from returning to city parks for a defined period. The provision applies only within park and recreation-area boundaries; it does not reach sidewalks, streets or other public property outside a park, which fall instead under Kirkland's separate public disturbance and disorderly conduct chapter.
Violations & Fines
Loitering or remaining in a Kirkland park or recreation area while intoxicated is a misdemeanor under KMC 11.80.242 and 11.80.310, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both, under KMC 1.04.010. A police officer or park ranger may also issue a separate exclusion notice under KMC 11.80.320 barring the person from city parks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to be drunk in a Kirkland park?
Does this loitering rule apply outside of parks too?
Can police remove me from a park for being intoxicated?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkland
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Loitering Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle loitering rules.