Monroe County, FL Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Officer warning or posted no-loitering sign
- Covers
- Sidewalks, streets, parks, boat ramps, public buildings
- Standard
- Hinders or unreasonably obstructs free passage
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine and/or 60 days jail
- Prosecuted as
- Misdemeanor, by the state's attorney
Summary
In the unincorporated Florida Keys (Monroe County), Section 17-5 of the County Code makes it unlawful to loiter, stand, sit or lie on public sidewalks, streets, parks, boat ramps or other public spaces after a law enforcement officer's warning or where a posted 'no loitering' sign blocks pedestrian or vehicle passage, punishable as a misdemeanor.
It shall be unlawful for any person, after first being warned by a law enforcement officer, or where a "no loitering" sign or signs have been posted, to loiter, stand, sit or lie in or upon any public or quasi-public sidewalk, street, alley, curb, crosswalk, walkway area, bridge, plaza, park, parking lot, building open to the general public, boat ramp, or other water access area utilized for public use, so as to hinder or obstruct unreasonably the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles thereon; nor shall any person block, obstruct or prevent free access or otherwise threaten public safety or create a breach of peace. ... Violation of this section shall be prosecuted in the same manner as misdemeanors are prosecuted. Such violations shall be prosecuted in the name of the state in a court having jurisdiction of misdemeanors by the prosecuting attorney thereof, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $500.00 or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed 60 days or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Full Breakdown
Section 17-5, 'Disobedience to warning or "no-loitering" sign prohibited,' targets loitering that follows either a direct warning from a law enforcement officer or the posting of a 'no loitering' sign. Once warned or signed, it becomes unlawful to loiter, stand, sit or lie in or upon any public or quasi-public sidewalk, street, alley, curb, crosswalk, walkway, bridge, plaza, park, parking lot, building open to the general public, boat ramp, or other water-access area used by the public, in a way that hinders or unreasonably obstructs the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles.
The section separately bars blocking, obstructing or preventing free access, or otherwise threatening public safety or creating a breach of the peace, whether or not the person has been warned. The rule sits in Chapter 17 alongside the county's other public-space offenses, including the ban on overnight camping in road rights-of-way (Section 17-3) and on county property (Section 17-4), and the Harvey Government Center trespass rule (Section 17-1); unlike those sections, Section 17-5 is not limited to a single property or right-of-way but reaches any public or quasi-public space in the unincorporated Keys once a warning or sign is in place.
A violation is prosecuted the same way as a misdemeanor, in the name of the state before a court with misdemeanor jurisdiction, by the prosecuting attorney.
Violations & Fines
Loitering, standing, sitting or lying in a public or quasi-public space after a law enforcement warning or where a 'no loitering' sign is posted, in a way that obstructs pedestrian or vehicle passage, is prosecuted like a misdemeanor under Section 17-5: a conviction carries a fine of up to $500.00, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both, imposed by a court with misdemeanor jurisdiction on the state's behalf.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is loitering illegal everywhere in unincorporated Monroe County?
What kinds of places does the no-loitering rule cover?
What is the penalty for violating the no-loitering section?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monroe County
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