# Subtitle 27 – Loitering - Prostitution
Current through 2026-07-17. Source: City of Balt., Md., Ord. 26-129. Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference.
## Part 1 – In General
### § 27-1 Definitions.
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-1 (2026)
(a) The term “assignation” shall be construed to include:
(1) the making of any appointment or engagement for prostitution or lewdness; or
(2) any act in furtherance of such appointment or engagement.
(b) The term “lewdness” shall be construed to mean any unnatural sexual practice.
(c) The term “prostitution” shall be construed to mean the offering or receiving of the body for sexual intercourse for hire.
(d) “Public place” means:
(1) any street, sidewalk, bridge, or alley or alleyway, plaza, park, driveway, parking lot, or transportation facility; or
(2) a motor vehicle in or on any such place.
*History: Ord. 77-434*
*History: Ord. 79-1131*
*History: Ord.22-125*
### § 27-2 Legislative findings.
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-2 (2026)
The Mayor and City Council hereby finds and declares that:
(1) loitering for the purpose of prostitution, lewdness, or assignation, patronizing, or promoting same is disruptive of the public peace in that certain persons engaged in such conduct in public places harass and interfere with the use and enjoyment by other persons of such public places thereby constituting a danger to the public health and safety; and
(2) in recent years, the incidence of such conduct in public places has increased significantly in that persons aggressively engaging in promoting, patronizing, or soliciting for the purposes of prostitution, lewdness, or assignation have, by their course of conduct in public places, caused citizens who venture into such public places to be the unwilling victims of repeated harassment, interference, and assault upon their individual privacy, as a result of which such public places have become unsafe and the ordinary community and commercial life of certain neighborhoods has been disrupted and has deteriorated.
*History: Ord. 77-434*
*History: Ord. 79-1131*
*History: Ord. 04-672*
### § 27-3 Prohibited conduct.
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-3 (2026)
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons, who are remaining, standing, loitering, or wandering about at any public place or place open or legally accessible to the public in such a manner as to beckon to, or repeatedly stop, or repeatedly attempt to engage passersby in conversation, or repeatedly stop or attempt to stop motor vehicles, or repeatedly interfere with the free passage of other persons, for the purpose or with the intention of either engaging in and/or promoting prostitution, lewdness, or assignation, to disobey a request by a police officer to move on.
*History: Ord. 77-434*
*History: Ord. 79-1131*
*History: Ord. 94-315*
### § 27-3.1 Enforcement by citation.
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-3.1 (2026)
(a) In addition to any other civil or criminal remedy or enforcement procedure, this subtitle may be enforced by issuance of a civil citation under City Code Article 1, Subtitle 41 {“Civil Citations”}.
(b) The issuance of a civil citation to enforce this subtitle does not preclude pursuing any other civil or criminal remedy or enforcement action authorized by law.
*History: Ord. 03-595*
### § 27-4 Penalties.
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-4 (2026)
Any person violating any of the provisions of this Part shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment in jail not exceeding 12 months, or to both fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.
*History: Ord. 77-434*
*History: Ord. 79-1131*
*History: Ord. 85-568*
*History: Ord. 94-315*
### §§ 27-5 to 27-10
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-5 to 27-10 (2026)
Reserved
## Part 2 – Prostitution-Free Zones
### § 27-11 “Certified prostitution-free zone” defined.
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-11 (2026)
A “certified prostitution-free zone” is a geographical area of Baltimore City certified as such by the Police Commissioner, encompassing specified segments of streets, alleys, walkways, parks, public access areas in residential apartment structures, places of public accommodations, schools, bus stations, train depots, and taxi stands.
*History: Ord. 94-315*
### § 27-12 Commissioner to certify zones; term.
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-12 (2026)
(a) The Police Commissioner may establish, alter, recertify, or terminate the certification of prostitution-free zones from time to time.
(b) Provided, however, that any certification will expire 3 months after the date of its certification unless recertified for an additional 3 months prior to expiration.
(c) The Commissioner may certify or recertify a prostitution-free zone after the two 3-month periods provided herein if:
(1) the conditions in § 27-13 are met; and
(2) those findings indicate that the conduct prohibited herein has returned to that particular public place or place open or legally accessible to the public.
*History: Ord. 94-315*
*History: Ord. 22-124*
### § 27-13 Considerations for certification.
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-13 (2026)
To determine whether to certify an area as a “prostitution-free zone”, the Police Commissioner shall consider the following:
(1) arrests or other statistical criteria for reporting crime which are accepted and relied upon by law enforcement agencies and which indicate a disproportionately high occurrence of prostitution in the proposed prostitution-free zone;
(2) reliable, objective, and verifiable information which indicates that prostitution is occurring in the proposed prostitution-free zone; and
(3) any other verifiable information acceptable by law enforcement agencies that indicates to the Police Commissioner that the health or safety of the residents that live in or near the proposed prostitution-free zone is endangered by the activity of prostitution.
*History: Ord. 94-315*
### § 27-14 Public notices of zones.
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-14 (2026)
(a) Prior to certifying or recertifying a prostitution-free zone, the Police Commissioner shall:
(1) cause to be published in 1 or more newspapers of general circulation in Baltimore City, at least 1 week prior to certification, a listing of specific areas to be certified;
(2) provide written notice to the Mayor and the President and members of the City Council, not less than 1 week prior to certification, of the specific area to be certified, including the boundaries of the area and the date when certification will begin; and
(3) at least 3 days prior to certification, publish a notice of certification in the area to be certified. Publication shall be by use of mass media, community newsletters or newspapers, community relations councils, by posting notices on city-owned poles or other structures in the area, posting notices, after obtaining permission, in local shops and shop windows and on utility poles, or any other means deemed appropriate.
(b) The Commissioner shall disseminate to all police enforcement personnel a current list of certified prostitution-free zones.
*History: Ord. 94-315*
### § 27-15 Prohibited conduct.
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-15 (2026)
It shall be unlawful for any person to loiter or remain at any public place or place open or legally accessible to the public within a certified prostitution-free zone, as herein provided, if the person intentionally engages in or promotes prostitution, lewdness, or assignation.
*History: Ord. 94-315*
### § 27-15.1 Enforcement by citation.
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-15.1 (2026)
(a) In addition to any other civil or criminal remedy or enforcement procedure, this subtitle may be enforced by issuance of a civil citation under City Code Article 1, Subtitle 41 {“Civil Citations”}.
(b) The issuance of a civil citation to enforce this subtitle does not preclude pursuing any other civil or criminal remedy or enforcement action authorized by law.
*History: Ord. 03-595*
### § 27-16 Penalties.
Balt., Md., Code art. 19, § 27-16 (2026)
Any person violating any of the provisions of this Part shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment in jail not exceeding 90 days, or both fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.
*History: Ord. 94-315*