Petaluma, CA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- PMC §§ 10.60.010, 10.60.020
- Property type covered
- Private commercial property only
- Enforcement trigger
- Written request from owner
- Classification
- Infraction, not misdemeanor
- First-offense fine cap
- Up to $100
Summary
Petaluma Municipal Code section 10.60.010 makes it unlawful to loiter on private commercial property after business hours without the owner's permission, but the city only enforces the chapter once the affected property owner or business operator has filed a written request asking it to do so.
It shall be unlawful for any person to loiter on or about any private commercial property during non-business hours without the express or implied permission of the owner of such property or person in lawful control of the business maintained thereon. This chapter shall be enforced after the city has received written request from affected property owners or persons in lawful control of businesses maintained thereon. ... Any violation of this chapter shall be an infraction.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
60, adopted by Ordinance 1537 NCS in 1983, is narrower than a general anti-loitering law. 010). The same section makes enforcement conditional: the chapter "shall be enforced after the city has received written request from affected property owners or persons in lawful control of businesses maintained thereon," so Petaluma police and code enforcement staff do not patrol for loitering on their own initiative under this chapter; a business or property owner has to ask first. Once that request is on file, an officer who finds a person loitering on the property after hours without permission can issue a citation.
24, which address blocking sidewalks and building entrances rather than after-hours presence on commercial lots. Because the offense is defined as an infraction rather than a misdemeanor, a person cited under this chapter cannot be jailed for a first violation, and the city typically resolves most complaints through the citation and small fine rather than criminal prosecution.
Violations & Fines
Section 10.60.020 classifies any violation of the chapter as an infraction, not a misdemeanor, so a person cited for loitering on private commercial property after hours faces a fine rather than jail time; under the code's general infraction schedule in section 1.12.020(C), that fine is capped at $100 for a first violation and $200 for a second violation of the same section within a year, with a third violation chargeable as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Petaluma police cite someone for loitering anywhere in the city?
Does the city automatically enforce this loitering rule?
Is a loitering violation a misdemeanor in Petaluma?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Petaluma
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