Pierce County, WA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- School loitering
- PCC 9.20.030, misdemeanor
- Drug-intent loitering
- PCC 9.20.040, misdemeanor
- Max jail
- 90 days
- Max fine
- $1,000.00
- Indicator list
- PCC 9.20.050, 7 factors
Summary
Pierce County makes it a misdemeanor to loiter without lawful purpose around school grounds while school is in session, and separately bans loitering anywhere with intent to engage in drug-related activity. Both carry up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
9.20.030 Loitering on Schoolgrounds. Every person, except a person enrolled as a student in, or parents or guardians of such students or person employed by such school or institution, who without a lawful purpose therefor wilfully loiters about the building or buildings of any public or private school or institution of higher learning or the public premises adjacent thereto at a time when school is in session, or when organized school sanctioned activities are in progress, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
9.20.040 Loitering With the Intent to Engage in Drug-Related Activity. It is unlawful for any person to loiter in or near any thoroughfare, place open to the public, or near any public or private place with the intent to engage in drug-related activity contrary to any of the provisions of Chapter 69.41, 69.50, or 69.52 of the Revised Code of Washington.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-515, and legislation passed through May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
030 targets school-adjacent loitering: it is a misdemeanor for anyone other than an enrolled student, a parent or guardian of a student, or a school employee to willfully loiter, without lawful purpose, about the buildings of any public or private school or institution of higher learning, or the public premises adjacent to them, while school is in session or an organized school-sanctioned activity is underway. 52. 050 lists specific circumstances officers may weigh, including a known record of drug offenses within the last five years, being subject to a court order barring presence in a high drug-activity area, exchanging small objects or currency furtively, fleeing or concealing objects when police appear, being in a location law enforcement knows for drug activity, or having an outstanding warrant tied to drug activity.
060 makes clear the chapter does not repeal other overlapping ordinances or state statutes, so a loitering charge can run alongside other drug or trespass charges arising from the same conduct.
Violations & Fines
Both loitering offenses in Chapter 9.20 are misdemeanors under PCC 9.20.080, punishable by up to 90 days in the county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Officers may rely on the listed indicators in 9.20.050, such as furtive exchanges, flight from police, or a known five-year drug history, to establish the intent element required for a drug-loitering charge under 9.20.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is loitering near a school illegal in Pierce County?
What makes loitering a drug-related crime here?
What is the penalty for loitering in Pierce County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pierce County
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