Palmdale, CA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- PMC Chapter 9.24
- Adopted
- Ordinance 998, 1993
- Enforcing agency
- L.A. County Sheriff's Department
- Distance factor
- Within 6 feet of offender's vehicle
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
Summary
Palmdale makes it a crime to loiter in any public or private place under circumstances showing intent to engage in drug activity. Sheriff's deputies weigh listed behaviors, from acting as a lookout to fleeing on sight, to build a case under Municipal Code Chapter 9.24.
It is unlawful for any person to loiter in, on or near any thoroughfare or place open to the public or near any public or private place in the manner and under circumstances manifesting the intent to engage in drug-related activity, defined as offenses in Chapters 6 and 6.5 of Division 10 of the California Health and Safety Code.
Full Breakdown
24, adopted by Ordinance 998 in 1993, targets loitering tied to drug crimes rather than loitering generally. 5 of Division 10 of the California Health and Safety Code, the state's controlled substances statutes. 020 lists the specific factors deputies may weigh: being a known drug user, possessor or seller with a prior conviction; being subject to an order barring presence in a high drug-activity area; acting as a lookout; displaying gang association tied to drug dealing; furtively exchanging small objects for cash; fleeing when an officer appears; trying to conceal contraband; being in a location known for drug trafficking; being on premises previously reported for drug activity; or standing within six feet of a vehicle registered to a known drug offender or a person with an outstanding drug warrant.
030 places enforcement under a Sheriff's Department policy statement dated December 7, 1992, approved by the City Council via Resolution 93-3 on January 14, 1993, a copy of which is kept on file with the City Clerk. 030.
Violations & Fines
A violation is enforced by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department under the December 7, 1992 policy statement approved by Council Resolution 93-3. Penalties follow Chapter 1.12, and each day the loitering continues counts as a new, separately punishable offense under Section 1.12.030.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Palmdale ban all loitering, or just drug-related loitering?
What behavior can police use as evidence under this chapter?
Who enforces Palmdale's loitering ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palmdale
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Loitering Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle loitering rules.