Richardson, TX Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Drive-in restaurant premises only
- Trigger
- 3+ people congregating/loitering
- Exempt
- Inside building or lawfully parked car
- Classification
- Misdemeanor (Sec. 13-100)
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine (Sec. 1-8)
- Related duty
- Owner must keep quiet, good order (13-97)
Summary
Richardson makes it a misdemeanor for three or more people to congregate and loiter anywhere on a drive-in restaurant's premises, other than inside the restaurant building or a legally parked car, under Sec. 13-100(3), part of a broader set of drive-in-restaurant conduct rules in Division 3 of Chapter 13.
Sec. 13-100. - Acts or misconduct declared a misdemeanor. The following acts or conduct of any person entering any drive-in restaurant premises are hereby declared to be unlawful and any person found guilty of any such act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor: ... (3)For three or more persons to congregate on the premises and linger or loiter at any location on the premises of any drive-in restaurant other than in the restaurant building or in a legally parked motor vehicle.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 35 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Division 3 of Chapter 13 covers drive-in restaurants, defined in Sec. 13-96 as any restaurant where food or drinks are served to or consumed by patrons in vehicles parked on the premises; the whole property, plus its entrances and exits, is declared a public place for enforcement purposes. Section 13-97 puts the duty of maintaining quiet and good order on the owner, lessee or operator of the restaurant. Section 13-100 then lists specific acts declared a misdemeanor for anyone entering the premises: entering and parking without the consent of the operator (1), using the lot for cruising, racing or as a shortcut (2), and, the loitering rule itself, three or more persons congregating and lingering or loitering anywhere on the premises other than inside the restaurant building or a legally parked motor vehicle (3).
The same division separately requires the operator to provide at least two trash receptacles per exit (Sec. 13-101), bars throwing litter on the grounds (Sec. 13-102), and prohibits cursing, abusive or loud indecent language on the premises (Secs. 13-103, 13-104). Chapter 13 sets no citywide general loitering offense outside this drive-in-restaurant context or the separate park curfew in Sec. 15-61(a)(20).
Violations & Fines
Three or more people congregating and loitering on a drive-in restaurant's premises, outside the building or a legally parked car, is a misdemeanor under Sec. 13-100(3). The section sets no dollar figure of its own, so conviction falls under the general penalty in Sec. 1-8: a fine of up to $500 per offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is loitering illegal everywhere in Richardson?
How many people trigger the drive-in restaurant loitering violation?
What if I am sitting in my own parked car at a drive-in restaurant?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Richardson
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Richardson to another location·View the Texas public conduct overview
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Loitering Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle loitering rules.