Weston, FL Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

Section 52.17(A) makes it unlawful for any Person to loiter or prowl in a place, at a time, or in a manner not usual for law-abiding individuals, under circumstances that warrant a justifiable and reasonable alarm or immediate concern for the safety of Persons or property nearby. Subsection 52.17(B) lists relevant circumstances, including whether the Person flees at the sight of a Law Enforcement Officer, refuses to identify themselves, or tries to conceal themselves or an object, and it builds in a due-process safeguard: unless flight makes it impracticable, an officer must give the Person a chance to identify themselves and explain their presence before any arrest, and no conviction stands if the officer skipped that step or if the explanation, believed at the time, would have dispelled the concern.

Subsection 52.17(C) separately criminalizes loitering after a Law Enforcement Officer has already issued a warning, or wherever a 'No Loitering' sign has been posted: standing, sitting, or lying on a public or private sidewalk, street, curb, crosswalk, or walkway so as to unreasonably block pedestrian or vehicle passage, or blocking access to any building entrance open to the public. Subsection 52.17(D) lets business owners post their own 'No Loitering' signs at public entrances, at least 12 inches by 18 inches, reading 'No Loitering - Weston City Code § 52.17,' which then supports a 52.17(C) citation. The section was adopted by Ordinance 2010-12 and amended by Ordinance 2024-09 on May 20, 2024.