Portage County, WI Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

Loitering under Sec. 2.12.6 covers any public or private place, including a public way, street, highway, alley, sidewalk, business, or portion of private property used by the public, when a person lacks the consent of the owner, lessee, renter, or governmental officer in lawful control. The section lists four separate triggers. A person violates it by loitering at a time or in a manner not usual for law-abiding citizens under circumstances warranting justifiable alarm; by loitering under circumstances giving reason to believe the person or a group member has committed or is committing a violation such as property damage, littering, disorderly conduct, unreasonable noise, underage drinking, theft, vandalism, or trespassing; by remaining on property posted with a clearly marked "NO LOITERING" sign for a purpose other than what the owner could reasonably intend; or by remaining in a place and refusing a law enforcement officer's lawful command to move on, or to give a lawful reason for staying, where the loitering risks a breach of the peace, disturbs a lawful occupant's comfort, obstructs vehicle or pedestrian traffic, or interferes with someone lawfully present.

As with the rest of Sec. 2.12, this rule governs only the unincorporated towns; Stevens Point and the county's incorporated cities and villages enforce loitering under their own municipal ordinances.