Marysville, WA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

MMC § 6.36.010 bars loitering about the buildings of any public or private school or institution of higher learning, or the public premises adjacent to it, without lawful purpose. The prohibition exempts enrolled students, their parents or guardians, and persons employed by the institution, so the rule targets outsiders lingering on or near campus grounds rather than the school community itself.

MMC § 6.36.020 is broader and applies citywide: it is unlawful to loiter in or near any thoroughfare, place open to the public, or public or private place in a manner and under circumstances manifesting a purpose to engage in drug-related activity under RCW Chapters 69.41, 69.50 or 69.52. The section lists ten specific circumstances an officer may weigh in finding that purpose, including a known record of drug convictions, visible signs of drug use such as needle tracks, possessing drug paraphernalia as defined in Chapter 6.28 MMC, acting as a lookout, fleeing on sight of police, being identified as a member of a gang organized around drug activity, furtively exchanging small objects for currency, being subject to an order barring presence in a high-drug-activity area, operating in a location by public repute known for drug trafficking, or arriving in a vehicle registered to a known drug offender. No single factor is required; officers weigh the totality of circumstances at the scene. Both sections were adopted by Ordinance 1685 in 1989, with the drug-loitering criteria added by Ordinance 1993 in 1994.