Lynnwood, WA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

710 defines the crime of 'prostitution loitering' as remaining in a public place while intentionally soliciting, inducing, enticing, or procuring another person to commit prostitution, where 'commit prostitution' means engaging in sexual conduct for money, and 'public place' covers streets, sidewalks, bridges, alleys, plazas, parks, driveways, parking lots, moving or parked automobiles, and buildings open to the public including their doorways and entrances. Because loitering itself is difficult to prove, the section lists specific circumstances an officer or court may consider in determining intent: repeatedly beckoning to, stopping, or engaging passersby in conversation; repeatedly stopping or attempting to stop motor vehicle operators by hailing or waving; circling an area in a vehicle while repeatedly beckoning to or contacting pedestrians; being a 'known prostitute or procurer,' defined as someone convicted of a prostitution offense in Lynnwood Municipal Court within the previous year to the arresting officer's knowledge; or asking a potential patron, procurer or prostitute whether they are a police officer, checking for identifying items, or requesting the touching or exposure of genitals or breasts to rule out an officer.

Prostitution loitering is a misdemeanor. 930 against anyone charged with or convicted of prostitution loitering, barring them from a defined high-risk area running the full length of Highway 99 within city limits and extending 500 feet on either side of its centerline; violating a SOAP order is itself a separate misdemeanor.