Thousand Oaks, CA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Definition
- Idle, loaf or wander without lawful purpose
- Public property rule
- No obstructing pedestrians or vehicles
- Private property rule
- Must leave when owner/agent asks
- Original enactment
- Ord. 217; amended 1996 & 2001
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
Thousand Oaks bars loitering that unreasonably obstructs pedestrians or vehicles on public streets, sidewalks and alleys, and bars loitering on private property open to the public, like parking lots and shopping centers, once the owner or agent asks the person to leave.
(g) Public property. No person shall loiter or stand in or upon any public highway, alley, sidewalk, crosswalk or other public way open for pedestrian or vehicular travel, or otherwise occupy any portion thereof, in such a manner as unreasonably to annoy or molest any pedestrian thereon or as to obstruct or unreasonably interfere with the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles.
(h) Private property open to the public. No person shall loiter or stand in or upon any parking lot, shopping center or other commercial or industrial property generally open to the public, or otherwise occupy any portion thereof, in such a manner as unreasonably obstructs, injures or interferes with the traffic flow or any lawful business or occupation carried on by the owner of such land, his/her agent or the person in lawful possession thereof after being requested to leave by the owner of such land, his/her agent or the person in lawful possession thereof.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-78: 2026 S-78 Supplement contains: Current city legislation passed through March 31, 2026).
Full Breakdown
" Subsection (g), covering public property, prohibits loitering or standing on any "public highway, alley, sidewalk, crosswalk or other public way" in a manner that unreasonably annoys or molests a pedestrian or obstructs the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles. Subsection (h), covering private property open to the public, prohibits loitering on a parking lot, shopping center or other commercial or industrial property generally open to the public in a manner that unreasonably obstructs traffic flow or business, but only applies "after being requested to leave" by the owner, agent, or person in lawful possession.
2 of the original Thousand Oaks Ordinance Code and Ord. 217, and were last amended by Ord. 1256-NS (1996) and Ord. 1374-NS (2001). 02(b) through (f), which regulate youth presence in public places rather than obstructive conduct generally.
Violations & Fines
Loitering that unreasonably obstructs a public sidewalk or street, or that continues on private property open to the public after the owner or agent has asked the person to leave, is a Municipal Code violation prosecutable under TOMC § 1-2.01 as an infraction or misdemeanor. Infraction fines run up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each additional violation of the same ordinance within that year; a misdemeanor conviction carries up to a $1,000 fine, six months in county jail, or both, under § 1-2.03.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is loitering itself illegal in Thousand Oaks?
Can a shopping center ask me to leave for loitering?
How is this different from the juvenile curfew rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Thousand Oaks
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Loitering Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle loitering rules.