Lynwood, CA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Lynwood Municipal Code § 3-11.6
- Blocked passage ban
- No loitering that hinders street, sidewalk or crosswalk traffic
- Entrance ban
- No loitering at church, hall, theater or assembly entrance
- School loitering
- Misdemeanor unless Penal Code § 653b applies
- Related ordinance
- Gang loitering separately banned at § 3-25
Summary
In the City of Lynwood, it is unlawful to loiter or stand or sit on a street, sidewalk or crosswalk in a way that blocks pedestrians or vehicles, to loiter at the entrance of a church, hall, theater or public assembly hall, or to loiter near a school where children attend, under Lynwood Municipal Code § 3-11.6.
a. In addition to the prohibitions set forth at section 3-5 of this chapter, it is unlawful for any person to loiter or to stand or sit in or upon any street, sidewalk or crosswalk so as to in any manner hinder or obstruct the free passage therein or thereon of persons or vehicles passing along the same. b. It is unlawful for any person to loiter or to stand or sit in or at the entrance of any church, hall, theater or place of public assemblage so as in any manner to obstruct such entrance. c. Except when prohibited by section 653b of the Penal Code, or by any other state statute, every person who loiters about any school or public place at or near which schoolchildren attend is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Full Breakdown
Lynwood Municipal Code § 3-11.6, Prohibited; Penalty, bans loitering in three specific circumstances. Subsection a bars standing or sitting on any street, sidewalk or crosswalk in a manner that hinders or obstructs the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles, layered on top of the separate conduct ban at § 3-5 covering riotous, boisterous or indecent behavior on business premises. Subsection b bars loitering at the entrance of a church, hall, theater or other place of public assemblage so as to obstruct the entrance, protecting access to Lynwood's gathering places.
Subsection c targets loitering near schools: anyone who loiters about a school or public place where schoolchildren gather is guilty of a misdemeanor, except where the conduct is already addressed by Penal Code § 653b, California's separate school-loitering statute, or another state statute, which lets the city's officers choose the state charge where it applies. The section is separate from the city's gang-loitering ordinance at § 3-25, which targets loitering by members of a criminal street gang for the specific purpose of gang activity in a public place, and from the juvenile curfew ordinance at § 3-11.1, which addresses minors in public places at night regardless of whether they are obstructing anyone.
Enforcement runs through the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Century Station and the city's code enforcement officers, who may cite a violation under the general penalty scheme, Lynwood Municipal Code § 1-5, when the specific school-loitering misdemeanor in subsection c does not apply.
Violations & Fines
Loitering that blocks a sidewalk, street or crosswalk, or that obstructs a church, hall or theater entrance under subsections a and b, is a misdemeanor by default under Lynwood Municipal Code § 1-5: up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in county jail, or both, unless charged as an infraction. Loitering near a school under subsection c is expressly a misdemeanor unless Penal Code § 653b applies instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to loiter on a Lynwood sidewalk?
Does Lynwood have a separate law against loitering near schools?
Is gang loitering covered by the same section?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynwood
California rules heatmap·Compare Lynwood to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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Loitering Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle loitering rules.