Las Vegas, NV Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

Chapter 10.74 of the Las Vegas Municipal Code, adopted by Ordinance 3112 in 1984, is a three-section chapter that criminalizes loitering and prowling on private land the person does not have lawful business with. Section 10.74.010 states flatly: 'It is unlawful for any person to loiter or prowl upon the private property of another without lawful business with the owner or occupant thereof.' The code does not require the owner to be present or to file a complaint; the absence of lawful business with 'the owner or occupant' is the operative element, so the burden falls on the person on the property to explain their presence if questioned.

Section 10.74.020 gives officers a non-exclusive list of circumstances that can support a loitering finding: the code specifically flags a person who 'takes flight upon the appearance of a Police Officer or endeavors to conceal himself or any object' as facts a judge may weigh when deciding whether someone lacked lawful business. That standard means simple presence is not enough for a conviction; the case must point to observed behavior, such as fleeing or hiding, to prove intent.

A related but distinct offense sits in Section 10.74.030: sleeping in the doorway of an otherwise unoccupied building without the permission of the owner or person entitled to possession is a standalone misdemeanor, independent of whether the person was also loitering. Because Chapter 10.74 sets no specific fine, Section 1.24.010's general penalty applies: a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both. Section 1.24.020 further provides that each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, so a person who remains on the property after a citation can face additional charges for each subsequent day.