Public Conduct in Menifee, CA

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

Public Marijuana Use

Menifee Municipal Code Chapter 11.45 bans smoking or consuming marijuana anywhere on city-owned or leased property, including parks, sidewalks, streets, parking lots and buildings. The City Council declared secondhand marijuana smoke a public nuisance in adopting the ban.

Key details: Governing chapter: MMC Chapter 11.45. Adopted: Ord. 2017-230, Dec. 20, 2017. Covered locations: All city-owned or leased property. Devices covered: Cigars, pipes, hookahs, e-cigarettes. Legal status of violation: Declared a public nuisance.

Smoking or consuming marijuana on city property, or setting up a smoking area on city property, violates Section 11.45.030 and is declared a public nuisance under Section 11.45.040. Section 11.45.050 lets the city enforce through any legally available means, which includes administrative citations under the city's general citation authority, in addition to nuisance abatement proceedings.

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

Loitering Rules

Menifee Municipal Code Section 11.08.030(F) bars anyone from lingering or loitering on a street median or parkway, and separately bars soliciting there in any manner inconsistent with the California Vehicle Code. The rule sits inside the city's anti-solicitation chapter but bans the conduct outright, not only when panhandling is involved.

Key details: Governing section: MMC § 11.08.030(F). Adopted: Ord. 2017-210, May 17, 2017. Banned locations: Medians and parkways. Related bans: ATMs, gas pumps, transit stops, parks. Enforcement: Misdemeanor or administrative citation.

Violating Section 11.08.030, including the median and parkway loitering ban in subsection (F), is a misdemeanor under Section 11.08.060(A), enforced consistent with Chapter 1.01, or the city can instead issue an administrative citation under Section 11.08.060(B) and Chapter 1.03. Either way, Section 11.08.060(C) preserves the city's ability to pursue any other applicable law or remedy for the same conduct.

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

Loud Party Ordinance

Menifee Municipal Code Chapter 11.07 makes it a public nuisance to host or attend a loud or unruly gathering. Anyone who owns, rents, organizes, or supervises the property, plus a minor host's parent or guardian, counts as the responsible host and can be cited even without personally causing the disturbance.

Key details: Governing chapter: MMC Chapter 11.07. Effective: Ord. 2024-395, Aug. 7, 2024. Max misdemeanor fine: $1,000. Max jail term: 6 months. Host includes: Owner, organizer, supervisor, minor's parent.

A violation of Section 11.07.020 is a misdemeanor under Chapter 1.01, punishable under Section 1.01.200(B)(1) by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both. The city can instead issue an administrative citation under Chapter 1.03 rather than pursue criminal charges. Because unruly or loud conduct is also declared a public nuisance under Section 11.07.040, the city can abate it directly, separate from any citation issued to the host or attendees.

Compared to other cities, Menifee takes a harder line on loud party ordinance. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Public Urination

Menifee's unruly conduct ordinance, Municipal Code Section 11.07.020, makes public urination and public defecation a misdemeanor and a public nuisance. Both acts are listed by name inside the 'unruly or loud conduct' definition in Section 11.07.010, and the city enforces them the same way it enforces disorderly-party complaints.

Key details: Governing section: MMC § 11.07.020. Conduct defined at: MMC § 11.07.010. Effective: Ord. 2024-395, Aug. 7, 2024. Max fine: $1,000. Max jail: 6 months.

Public urination or defecation cited under Section 11.07.020 is a misdemeanor under Chapter 1.01, carrying a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail under Section 1.01.200(B)(1). Officers can instead issue an administrative citation under Chapter 1.03. The city can also treat a location, such as an alley used repeatedly for these acts, as a public nuisance subject to abatement under Section 11.07.040.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Menifee actively enforces its public urination requirements.

Public Alcohol Use

Menifee bans carrying an open alcoholic beverage container onto the posted premises, parking lot, or adjacent sidewalk of any off-sale liquor store under Section 11.10.010, and within 1,000 feet of a posted bar, nightclub, or other on-sale establishment under Section 11.10.020.

Key details: Governing chapter: MMC Ch. 11.10. Adopted: Ord. 2009-29, May 20, 2009. Off-sale ban area: Posted premises, lot, sidewalk. On-sale ban distance: 1,000 feet of posted premises. Trigger: Requires posted signage.

Violations of Chapter 11.10 are enforced as misdemeanors under the citywide penalty schedule in Section 1.01.200(B)(1), punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, unless the city elects to issue an administrative citation under Chapter 1.03 instead. Licensees who fail to post the required signs under Sections 11.10.010(C) or 11.10.020(D) are separately subject to code enforcement for the missing signage, independent of any citation issued to a person carrying an open container.

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions

Menifee Code of Ordinances Section 13.01.290 makes it unlawful to smoke tobacco or marijuana, or dispose of a lit cigarette or cigar, in any park area the City Manager/Community Services Department has posted with a no-smoking sign.

Key details: Covers: Tobacco, cigars, and marijuana. Trigger: Posted no-smoking sign in the area. Enforcing department: City Manager/Community Services. Amended: Ord. 2017-230, Dec. 20, 2017. Max misdemeanor fine: $1,000 under Sec. 13.01.350.

Smoking, disposing of a lit cigarette or cigar, or smoking marijuana within a posted no-smoking area of a Menifee park violates Section 13.01.290 and, like other Chapter 13.01 offenses, is punishable under Section 13.01.350: a misdemeanor with a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in County Jail, or both, or an infraction with a fine up to $250 where charged as such.

Aggressive Panhandling

Menifee Municipal Code Section 11.08.040 makes it unlawful to solicit money in an 'aggressive manner' anywhere in the city, defining that to include blocking someone's path, touching them, using threatening gestures, cursing at them, or continuing to ask after they've said no.

Key details: Governing section: MMC § 11.08.040. Adopted: Ord. 2017-210, May 17, 2017. Aggressive acts defined: 6 categories. Max fine: $1,000. Exemptions: Free speech, lawful vending, towing.

A Section 11.08.040 violation is a misdemeanor under Section 11.08.060(A) and Chapter 1.01, or the city can issue an administrative citation under Section 11.08.060(B) and Chapter 1.03 instead. Under the citywide penalty schedule in Section 1.01.200(B)(1), a misdemeanor conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both. Section 11.08.060(C) preserves any other legal remedy available for the same conduct.

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

Skateboarding Rules

Menifee Code of Ordinances Section 13.01.090 bars reckless skateboarding, biking or wheeled riding in city parks and trails, and Section 13.01.100 sets ten specific rules for city-designated skateboarding areas.

Key details: Skate-area minors rule: Under 12 must have adult supervision. Required safety gear: Helmet, elbow pads, knee pads. Tennis court riding: Banned outside authorized spots. Alcohol/drugs in skate area: Prohibited. Max infraction fine: $250 under Sec. 13.01.350.

Section 13.01.100(B) makes any violation of the designated-area rules an infraction under this Code and state law, as further set by City Council resolution. Chapter-wide, Section 13.01.350 makes violations misdemeanors punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in County Jail, or both, unless the section specifies an infraction, which carries a fine up to $250.

The Bottom Line

Menifee is tougher than many cities when it comes to public conduct. Out of the 8 rules covered here, 5 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Menifee, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

This guide is based on Menifee's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.