North Las Vegas, NV Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- NLVMC § 9.16.020
- Scope
- loitering for drug-related activity only
- Applies on
- public places and unauthorized private property
- Related provision
- Ch. 9.18 order-out corridor (drug offenders)
- Default penalty
- up to $1,000 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
North Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.16.020 makes it a misdemeanor to repeatedly beckon, stop passers-by, stop vehicles, or congregate in a public place or unauthorized private property for the purpose of drug-related activity. The city has no general anti-loitering statute: this section is narrowly tied to drug activity.
9.16.020 - Loitering for the purpose of engaging in drug-related activity. A.Definitions.1.For the purposes of this section, "drug-related activity" means any conduct involving the sale, offer for sale, purchase, offer to purchase, transfer, offer to transfer, possession, ingestion or other use of any controlled substance, drug or immediate precursor enumerated in NRS Chapter 453, or any device, implement or tool which is primarily adapted or designed for the transportation, processing or use of any such controlled substance...B.Any person who remains or wanders about in a public place, or on private property not owned by or in the lawful control of such person, and repeatedly beckons to, or repeatedly stops, or repeatedly attempts to stop, or repeatedly attempts to engage passers-by in conversation, or repeatedly stops or attempts to stop motor vehicles, or repeatedly interferes with the free passage of other persons, or congregates with others, for the purpose of engaging in drug-related activity is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 146 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
16 (Controlled Substances), defines "drug-related activity" as any conduct involving the sale, offer for sale, purchase, transfer, possession, ingestion, or other use of a controlled substance, drug, or precursor under NRS Chapter 453, or any paraphernalia adapted for transporting, processing, or using one. "Public place" under the section covers streets, sidewalks, bridges, alleys, plazas, parks, driveways, parking lots, transportation facilities, and the entrances of buildings fronting those places, plus any vehicle in or on such a place. Subsection B then makes it a misdemeanor for anyone who remains or wanders in a public place, or on private property they don't own or control, and repeatedly beckons to, stops, or attempts to stop passers-by or vehicles, repeatedly engages passers-by in conversation, repeatedly interferes with free passage, or congregates with others, for the purpose of engaging in drug-related activity.
020. 18's separate "order out corridor" provisions, which let a court bar someone convicted of misdemeanor drug activity, including this loitering offense, from a defined downtown zone as a condition of a suspended sentence.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 9.16.020 is a misdemeanor. The section sets no unique fine, so the Code's general penalty at § 1.12.010 applies: up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does North Las Vegas have a general loitering ban?
Can someone be charged just for standing around in a public place?
What is the 'order out corridor' mentioned alongside this section?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Las Vegas
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Loitering Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Clark County handle loitering rules.