Public Conduct in Bakersfield, CA: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Bakersfield or are thinking about moving there, public conduct are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Bakersfield has 6 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of public conduct, and some of them might surprise you.

Jaywalking

Bakersfield Municipal Code § 10.48.020 requires pedestrians to cross at a marked crosswalk anywhere inside the central traffic district, in any business district, or in a school zone: crossing mid-block in those areas is unlawful. The rule carves out one express exception: it does not apply inside a posted parking mall, where pedestrian movement is governed separately under Chapter 10.72.

Key details: Where it applies: Central traffic district, business districts, school zones. Exception: Parking malls exempted. Enforcing agency: Bakersfield Police Department. First-offense fine: Up to $50 (§1.40.010). Citation: BMC § 10.48.020.

A first violation of § 10.48.020 is punishable as an infraction under the citywide penalty schedule in § 1.40.010: up to $50 for a first offense within a year, $100 for a second, and $250 for each additional infraction in the same year. The city can instead charge repeat or aggravated conduct as a misdemeanor, carrying up to a $1,000 fine or six months in county jail, or both.

Loud Party Ordinance

Bakersfield Municipal Code Chapter 9.23 makes anyone responsible for a loud or unruly event, owner, tenant or permit holder, civilly liable for the city's full response cost if police or fire return to the same address a second time within 30 days after a written warning.

Key details: Trigger: 2nd+ police/fire response to same address in 30 days. Fee cap: Actual response cost or $1,000, whichever is less. Who's liable: Property owner, tenant, permit holder or event host. Underage-alcohol penalty: $1,000 civil penalty per responsible person (§9.23.110). Appeal window: 10 days to city manager (§9.23.130).

A second or subsequent police or fire response to the same address within 30 days after a written warning triggers a service fee under §§ 9.23.060 and 9.23.080, capped at the department's actual cost or $1,000, whichever is less, with a 10% monthly delinquency penalty (capped at 50%) plus 1% monthly interest on unpaid balances. Events with underage drinking additionally draw a separate $1,000 civil penalty per responsible person under § 9.23.110, and the police may summarily disband the gathering.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Bakersfield actively enforces its loud party ordinance requirements.

Loitering Rules

Bakersfield bars loitering in or near any public place under circumstances showing a purpose to engage in drug activity, using a police-listed set of behavioral factors to establish intent.

Key details: Governing chapter: BMC Chapter 9.19. Core prohibition: Loitering to engage in drug activity. Factors considered: 11 listed circumstances, § 9.19.040. Penalty classification: Misdemeanor under Penal Code. Enforcement basis: Police policy dated April 8, 1994.

Section 9.19.070 makes any violation of the chapter a misdemeanor, punishable as set forth in the California Penal Code rather than the city's general fine schedule, meaning county-jail exposure attaches directly rather than through the municipal code's own infraction/misdemeanor penalty at Section 1.40.010.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Bakersfield actively enforces its loitering rules requirements.

Aggressive Panhandling

Bakersfield Municipal Code § 9.32.020 bans soliciting in an aggressive manner in any public place, plus soliciting near banks, ATMs, bus stops and transit vehicles, in parking lots after dark, and on any public median strip.

Key details: Core ban: Soliciting in an aggressive manner in any public place. Bank/ATM buffer: No soliciting within 20 feet during business hours. Transit buffer: No soliciting on vehicles or within 20 ft of bus stops. After-dark ban: No soliciting in parking lots/structures after dark. Median ban: No soliciting from any public median strip.

Violating any provision of Chapter 9.32, soliciting aggressively, within the buffer zones, in a parking structure after dark, or from a median, is punishable under the citywide general penalty in § 1.40.010, which allows infraction or misdemeanor charges. Knowingly using false or fraudulent representations to obtain money or goods under § 9.32.030 is a separate violation subject to the same penalty schedule.

Compared to other cities, Bakersfield takes a harder line on aggressive panhandling. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Skateboarding Rules

Bakersfield Municipal Code § 10.52.010 bans riding a skateboard, bicycle, inline skates, or similar wheeled device on any sidewalk inside the central traffic district and Old Town Kern, and on the steps, landings, or entryways of city hall or any city-owned building. The ban lifts only where the city has specifically posted an area to allow those uses.

Key details: Banned zones: Central traffic district, Old Town Kern. Also covered: Bicycles, inline skates, coasters. City buildings: Banned on city hall steps/halls citywide. Exception: Posted areas allowing use. Related rule: Ramps banned citywide (Ch. 12.21).

A § 10.52.010 violation is punished under the citywide default in § 1.40.010: an infraction fine of up to $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second within a year, and $250 for each further offense, or a misdemeanor charge carrying up to $1,000 and six months in county jail for repeat or aggravated conduct.

Compared to other cities, Bakersfield takes a harder line on skateboarding rules. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Public Alcohol Use

Bakersfield bans drinking or holding an open container of beer, wine or liquor on any street, sidewalk, alley, public parking lot or highway in the city, unless a Chapter 12.20 permit says otherwise.

Key details: Where prohibited: Streets, sidewalks, alleys, public lots. Exception: Ch. 12.20 permitted events. First-offense infraction fine: Up to $50. Repeat-offense fine: Up to $250. Misdemeanor max: $1,000 / 6 months jail.

A § 9.16.010 violation is punishable under the general penalty at Section 1.40.010 as an infraction, up to $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second within a year, and $250 for each subsequent offense in that year, or as a misdemeanor carrying a fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

Bakersfield is tougher than many cities when it comes to public conduct. Out of the 6 rules covered here, 4 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Bakersfield, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

These rules come from Bakersfield's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.