San Francisco, CA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

1 turns that phrase into something measurable: remaining within 10 feet of the toilet for more than two minutes without lawful business there. The section is careful not to sweep in ordinary use. Its own text protects lawful business that must be conducted within ten feet of an automatic public toilet, naming using the toilet and waiting in line to use it, and waiting for a bus at a stop that happens to sit inside the 10-foot radius is likewise exempt. 4 adds a procedural cushion: an officer must warn the person before citing them, so the first response to someone lingering is a direction to move along, not an automatic ticket.

5 escalate sharply when conduct repeats inside a 30-day window, climbing from a fine as low as $50 on a first conviction to as much as $500 for repeats. The ordinance behind these sections, Ordinance 215, was approved 11/2/2001. This is not a citywide anti-loitering law; the prohibition is specific to automatic public toilets.