Puyallup, WA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- PMC § 9A.03.003(6)
- Classification
- Misdemeanor (disorderly conduct)
- Scope
- Public restrooms only, not sidewalks generally
- Required element
- Purpose of a lewd or unlawful act
- Adopted
- Ordinance 2105, 1986
Summary
Puyallup does not have a general vagrancy-style loitering ordinance. Its one loitering rule is narrow: it is disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, to loiter in or about a restroom that is open to the public for the purpose of engaging in or soliciting a lewd, lascivious or otherwise unlawful act.
The following persons are declared to be disorderly persons, a misdemeanor: ... (6) Any person who loiters in or about any restroom open to the public for the purpose of engaging in or soliciting any lewd or lascivious or unlawful act;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4985225; v6 updated 2026-07-21; through 07-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
03, Disorderly Conduct, alongside public fighting, disruptive noise and public urination. " The provision is purpose-specific: mere presence or lingering in or near a public restroom is not itself a crime under this section unless the person is there for one of the named unlawful purposes. Puyallup has not codified a broader loitering-for-begging, loitering-for-drug-activity, or loitering-to-obstruct-sidewalks ordinance in the general disorderly conduct chapter; readers looking for a citywide anti-loitering rule covering sidewalks or business entrances more broadly will not find one in this section. 03 by Ordinance 2105 in 1986 and the chapter was last amended by Ordinance 2927 in 2009.
Because it is charged as disorderly conduct, the case proceeds in Puyallup Municipal Court rather than through a civil infraction, and officers must establish the purpose element, not just presence, to sustain the charge.
Violations & Fines
Violating PMC § 9A.03.003(6) is a misdemeanor prosecuted in Puyallup Municipal Court as disorderly conduct. The city must show the person loitered in or about a public restroom for the purpose of engaging in or soliciting a lewd, lascivious, or otherwise unlawful act; loitering alone, without that purpose, does not violate this section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be cited in Puyallup for loitering on a sidewalk or in front of a store?
Does simply waiting near a public restroom violate the ordinance?
What court handles a charge under this section?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Puyallup
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Loitering Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle loitering rules.