Provo, UT Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

200 defines loitering not as mere presence in public, but as appearing at a place or time under circumstances that warrant alarm for the safety of persons or property in the vicinity, followed by a refusal to identify oneself when a peace officer asks. The identification must include the person's name plus one other identifying item, such as a picture ID, address, or Social Security number; an officer may disregard identification that appears altered, falsified, or belonging to someone else. Subsection (2) lists circumstances a court may weigh in deciding whether alarm was warranted: the person takes flight when an officer appears, manifestly tries to conceal themselves or an object, is at or near the scene of a recently committed crime, or is on foot after dark in a high-crime area.

None of these alone proves loitering; an officer must point to circumstances warranting alarm before the identification demand even applies. Subsection (3) builds in a complete defense: a person cannot be convicted if, before arrest, they gave the officer a true name and address that was later verified. 010(2) carries a fine of up to $500 and up to 90 days in the Utah County jail, or both. The Municipal Council last amended the section in 2021 (Am 2021-27).