Paulding County, GA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 46-1
- Offense class
- Misdemeanor under state law
- Geographic reach
- Unincorporated Paulding County only
- Loitering trigger
- Presence unrelated to property's public purpose
- Traffic clause
- Violation only after officer orders area cleared
- Origin
- Derived from Code 1987, § 13-1
Summary
Paulding County makes it a misdemeanor under Code of Ordinances Sec. 46-1 to loiter on property open to the public without a legitimate reason, fight or threaten violence, use fighting words that risk a breach of the peace, or block a public street or sidewalk after law enforcement has ordered the crowd to clear it.
It shall be unlawful, and punishable as a misdemeanor under the laws of this state, for any person within the unincorporated areas of the county to violate any of the following provisions: (1)Remain or loiter upon any premises to which the public has access, including but not limited to such places as shopping center parking lots, where the person's presence upon such premises is unrelated to the normal activity, use or business for which such premises are made available to the public; ... (8)Congregate with another or others in or on any public way or place so as to halt or impede the flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic after having been directed to clear such public way or place when ordered by law enforcement officials.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 35).
Full Breakdown
Section 46-1 groups eight separate offenses under one 'in general' provision covering public order in the unincorporated county. The loitering clause, subsection (1), targets remaining on privately owned but publicly accessible property, naming shopping center parking lots as an example, when the person's presence has nothing to do with why the property is open to the public. Subsections (2) through (5) address violent conduct: acting in a violent or tumultuous manner that puts someone in fear for life or limb or threatens property, endangering another's lawful pursuits through violence or abusive conduct, causing or joining a fight or riotous conduct, and assembling with others for the purpose of starting a fight.
Subsection (6) bars jostling, roughly crowding, or pushing anyone in a public place, and subsection (7) targets fighting words or loud, boisterous language that creates a breach of the peace dangerous to persons or property. Subsection (8), the traffic-impeding clause, only becomes a violation once a person has been directed by a law enforcement officer to clear a public way and refuses, mirroring the cure-then-cite structure used elsewhere in the county's public-order code. The section derives from Code 1987, § 13-1, and because it is charged as a state-law misdemeanor rather than a simple county citation, violations are prosecuted like any other misdemeanor in the county's courts.
Violations & Fines
Each of the eight prohibited acts under Sec. 46-1 is charged separately as a misdemeanor under state law, so a single incident, such as a fight following a loitering complaint, can generate more than one charge. Because the section only reaches the unincorporated county, officers confirm the location falls outside Dallas, Hiram, or another municipality first. The loitering and traffic-impeding clauses require an officer's prior order to leave or clear the area before a citation follows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be cited for standing in a shopping center parking lot?
Does Paulding County's loitering law apply inside Dallas or Hiram?
What happens if I refuse to clear a sidewalk when police tell me to?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paulding County
Compare Paulding County to another location·View the Georgia public conduct overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.