Sonoma County, CA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sonoma County Code § 9-4
- Where it applies
- Unincorporated county cemeteries only
- Defined intent
- Idling to commit crime or mischief
- Related rule
- § 9-5 bars nighttime cemetery entry
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 / 6 months
Summary
Unincorporated Sonoma County bans loitering in any cemetery or burial ground, defining loiter as idling with intent to commit crime or mischief, or without a lawful errand.
No person shall loiter in any cemetery or property used or held exclusively for the burial or other permanent deposit of the human dead. The word "loiter" is used herein in the sense of idling time away with intent to commit crime or mischief, or without a lawful errand.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sonoma County Code § 9-4 makes it unlawful for any person to loiter in a cemetery or on property held exclusively for burial of the dead. The code defines "loiter" narrowly as idling time away with intent to commit crime or mischief, or being present without a lawful errand, so visiting, grieving, or maintaining a plot is not covered. A companion section, § 9-5, separately bars entering or remaining in a county cemetery after sundown or before sunup without the superintendent's consent. This is a county-only rule for unincorporated areas; it does not apply inside Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, or the other eight incorporated cities, which enforce their own municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 9 defaults to the county's general enforcement provision, Code § 1-7(c): a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day a violation continues treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the loitering ban apply in the City of Sonoma?
Can I be cited for visiting a grave at dusk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma County to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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