Virginia Beach, VA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Code section
- City Code § 23-16
- Trigger
- Refusing to move on when told
- Penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor
- Applies to
- Public places and property open to public
Summary
Blocking a public place or private property open to the public and refusing to move on when told to is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia Beach.
Any person who, in any public place or on any private property open to the public, unreasonably or unnecessarily obstructs the free passage of other persons to and from or within such public place or private property, and who shall fail or refuse to cease such obstruction or move on when required to do so by the owner or lessee or agent or employee of such owner or lessee or by a duly authorized law-enforcement officer, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
(Code 1965, § 23-36.1)
Cross reference— Interference with traffic and blocking access to certain facilities, § 21-34; leaving scene of traffic accident when directed by police officer, § 21-502.
State Law reference— Similar provisions, Code of Virginia, § 18.2-404.
Sec. 23-16.1. - Interference with operation of school buses. (a)It shall be unlawful for any person to obstruct or interfere with the operation of a school bus in the transportation of pupils to and from school or other destination.(b)Any violation of this section shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor. (Ord. No. 1286, 6-7-82)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 170 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 23-16 bars unreasonably or unnecessarily obstructing the free passage of others in any public place, or on private property open to the public, once the owner, lessee, their agent or employee, or a police officer orders the person to stop blocking passage or move on. Failing or refusing to comply is what triggers the charge, not merely standing in one place. It functions as Virginia Beach's move-along/loitering-type obstruction rule and carries the same penalty as the city's separate fire-and-EMS-station loitering ban in § 12-29.
Violations & Fines
Class 1 misdemeanor: up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to just stand around in Virginia Beach?
Who can order someone to move on?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Virginia Beach
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