Public Conduct in Glendale, CA

If you live in Glendale or are thinking about moving there, public conduct are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Glendale has 8 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of public conduct, and some of them might surprise you.

Public Marijuana Use

Glendale's citywide smoking law reaches marijuana directly: Municipal Code Chapter 8.52 defines "smoke" to include a "weed" burned in a pipe, water pipe or similar device, and Section 8.52.070 bars smoking within 20 feet of any nonenclosed public place, outdoor dining area, event, seating area, transit stop or service line, plus 20 feet of any school property line.

Key details: Buffer distance: 20 feet from public places, dining, events, transit stops. School buffer: 20 feet from any school property line. First-offense fine: Up to $100 (Sec. 1.20.010(B)(1)). Repeat-offense fine: Up to $500 by third violation in a year. Misdemeanor trigger: After 3 convictions within one year.

A first Section 8.52.070 violation is an infraction carrying a fine up to $100 under Section 1.20.010(B)(1); a second violation within a year rises to a $200 maximum, and a third or later violation within that year rises to $500 under subsections (B)(2) and (B)(3). Once a person accumulates three convictions or no-contest pleas within a year, every further violation is charged as a misdemeanor under Section 1.20.010(A), punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in county jail, or both.

Compared to other cities, Glendale takes a harder line on public marijuana use. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions

Glendale bars smoking within 20 feet of nonenclosed public places, outdoor dining and seating areas, outdoor events, and transit stops under Municipal Code Section 8.52.070, and within 20 feet of any school property line at all times. A first violation carries up to a $100 fine, rising to $500, then becoming a misdemeanor after three offenses in a year.

Key details: Buffer distance: 20 feet from covered public areas. School buffer: 20 feet from property line, all hours. First offense fine: Up to $100. Third offense fine: Up to $500. Repeat offense: Misdemeanor after 3 in one year.

Section 1.20.010(D) lists Section 8.52.070 among the code sections punished as an infraction: a fine of up to $100 for a first violation, up to $200 for a second within a year, and up to $500 for each additional violation in that year. A fourth or later conviction within the same 12 months becomes a misdemeanor under Section 1.20.010(A), punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both. Placing or maintaining a smoker's waste receptacle in a banned zone, or discarding cigarette waste on a street or into a storm drain, is a separate violation under Section 8.52.090.

This is one of the stricter rules in Glendale's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Aggressive Panhandling

Glendale outlaws begging or soliciting money in an aggressive manner anywhere in public, and separately bans all solicitation within 15 feet of a bank, ATM, or check-cashing business entrance during business hours. Chapter 9.18 defines "aggressive manner" to include blocking someone's path, touching them, or following them after they say no.

Key details: Aggressive-manner ban: Citywide, any public place. Bank/ATM buffer: 15 feet during business hours. Parking lot ban: After dark (dusk to dawn). First infraction fine: Up to $100. Second infraction fine: Up to $250.

Violating the general aggressive-manner ban in Section 9.18.030(A) is a misdemeanor under Section 9.18.040, punishable under Section 1.20.010(A) by up to $1,000 in fines and six months in jail. Violating the location-specific bans in Section 9.18.030(B), such as soliciting near a bank or ATM, is an infraction carrying a $100 fine for a first offense and $250 for a second within a year, escalating to a misdemeanor after two convictions.

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

Public Urination

Depositing human urine or feces anywhere in public view in Glendale, other than in a toilet, is at minimum an infraction under Municipal Code Section 9.20.120. A fourth violation within 12 months automatically becomes a misdemeanor, and doing it inside a city-owned building is a misdemeanor from the first offense.

Key details: First offense fine: Up to $100. Second offense fine: Up to $200. 4th violation in 12 mo: Becomes a misdemeanor. Inside city buildings: Misdemeanor, no infraction step. Max misdemeanor penalty: $1,000 fine / 6 months jail.

A first violation of Section 9.20.120(A) is an infraction under Section 1.20.010(B): $100 for the first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each further offense that year. A fourth violation, or fourth guilty plea, within 12 months becomes a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail under Section 1.20.010(A). Doing it inside a city-owned building is a misdemeanor from the very first incident under Section 9.20.120(D).

Compared to other cities, Glendale takes a harder line on public urination. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Public Alcohol Use

Drinking any beverage over one percent alcohol on a Glendale street, sidewalk, park, or other public place is an infraction under Municipal Code Section 9.20.140, unless the spot is licensed for on-site drinking. Open containers near off-sale liquor stores and in city parks are separately banned under state law cross-referenced in the same section.

Key details: Threshold: Beverages over 1% alcohol. First offense fine: Up to $100. Cross-referenced state law: Penal Code § 647e. City property exception: City manager permit under § 9.20.145.

Drinking alcohol above one percent in a public place without a permit, or holding an open container near an off-sale liquor store or in a city park, is an infraction under Section 9.20.140 punishable under Section 1.20.010(B): $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each additional offense in that year.

Compared to other cities, Glendale takes a harder line on public alcohol use. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Loud Party Ordinance

Glendale does not fine hosts for a first loud or unruly party, but every police response after an initial written warning triggers a police service fee plus a fine set by city council resolution. Chapter 9.22 puts that financial responsibility on whoever controls, authorized, or organized the gathering, including a minor's parent.

Key details: First response: No fine. 2nd response within 12 hrs: Fee and fine applies. Repeat-response window: 3 months, citywide for same host. Appeal deadline: 15 days to city clerk. Unpaid fee/fine status: Civil debt to city.

There is no fine for a first loud-party response, but Section 9.22.050 imposes a police service fee and a council-set fine for a second response within 12 hours of the written warning, for any further response at the same address within three months, or for a response anywhere in the city within three months tied to the same responsible person. Section 9.22.080 makes the unpaid amount a civil debt, and Section 9.22.060 allows separate criminal, civil, or administrative nuisance prosecution.

Jaywalking

In any Glendale business district, Municipal Code Section 10.20.020 requires pedestrians to cross the roadway only at a crosswalk, marked or unmarked; crossing mid-block there is a citable jaywalking violation. A companion rule, Section 10.20.030, separately bars anyone from standing in the roadway outside a crosswalk or safety zone if it interferes with traffic, with an exception for on-duty officers and utility workers.

Key details: Rule: Crosswalk-only rule applies in business districts. Coverage: Covers marked and unmarked crosswalks. Standing rule: Standing in roadway barred outside crosswalk/safety zone. Exception: Exception: on-duty officers, utility workers. Authority: Administrator marks crosswalks via hazard finding/resolution.

Crossing outside a crosswalk in a business district under Section 10.20.020, or standing unlawfully in the roadway under Section 10.20.030, are each enforceable as municipal code infractions that a Glendale police officer can cite on the spot. The standing prohibition only reaches conduct that actually interferes with the lawful movement of traffic, and it does not apply at all to an on-duty public officer, city employee, or public utility employee working in the street.

Skateboarding Rules

Glendale bans skateboards, roller skates, scooters and similar coasting devices on any public roadway, alley or sidewalk within a business district under Municipal Code Sec. 10.64.080. The same rule blocks their use in parks and playgrounds unless the city posts signs allowing it, on any city-owned parking facility, and throughout the civic center complex; wheelchairs and bicycles are exempt.

Key details: Banned locations: Business-district streets/sidewalks, unposted parks, city lots, civic center. Governing section: Sec. 10.64.080, Chapter 10.64. Covered devices: Skateboards, roller skates, scooters, coasters, wheeled devices. Exempt: Wheelchairs and bicycles. Penalty: Infraction, up to $500 per violation.

Chapter 10.64 carries no stand-alone penalty clause, so the Title 10 default in Sec. 1.20.010(C) governs: riding a skateboard or similar device in a banned business-district, park, parking-facility or civic-center location is an infraction, fined under whatever bail or fine schedule the city council adopts by resolution, up to $500 for each violation.

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

The Bottom Line

Glendale is tougher than many cities when it comes to public conduct. Out of the 8 rules covered here, 6 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Glendale, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Glendale's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.