Palm Springs's Public Conduct: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles public conduct a little differently. In Palm Springs, California, there are 4 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions

Palm Springs bans smoking outright in every city park under Municipal Code Section 6.10.081, no designated area exception. The ban sits inside a broader Chapter 6.10 scheme that also reaches airports, theaters, hospitals and workplaces, and any violation is an infraction under Section 6.10.140.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code § 6.10.081. Scope: All city parks, sidewalks, trails within parks. Penalty class: Infraction, § 6.10.140. Airport rule: Designated outdoor areas only, § 6.10.082. Sign requirement: 1-inch capital letters or no-smoking logo.

Violation of any provision of Chapter 6.10, including the park smoking ban, is an infraction under Section 6.10.140. Because Palm Springs park areas include sidewalks, trails and pathways in or around park facilities, the prohibition follows a park user beyond the lawn itself. Willfully mutilating or destroying a required no-smoking sign is separately unlawful under Section 6.10.100(b) and is likewise enforceable as an infraction under the chapter's general penalty.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Palm Springs actively enforces its outdoor smoking restrictions requirements.

Public Alcohol Use

Palm Springs bars drinking or possessing an open container of alcohol on any public street, sidewalk, highway or other publicly owned property open to the public, under Section 11.08.005. The ban does not reach the city's parks and recreation areas, which are separately regulated, or private property open to the public unless the person lacks the owner's permission.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code § 11.08.005, Disorderly Conduct chapter. Covered locations: Public streets, sidewalks, highways and public property open to the public. Parks exempt: Does not apply to parks regulated under Chapter 11.44. Open container: Possessing an opened, unsealed or partly emptied container also barred. Transit exception: Briefly carrying a container straight through a covered area allowed.

Chapter 11.08 does not set its own fine schedule for Section 11.08.005, so violations default to the code's general penalty structure: a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail under Section 1.01.160, or, if charged as an infraction, escalating fines of $100, $200 and $500 for a first, second and third violation under Section 1.01.155.

Jaywalking

Palm Springs Municipal Code Section 12.68.020 requires pedestrians in any business district to cross the roadway only at a marked crosswalk. The city traffic engineer establishes and marks those crosswalks under Section 12.68.010, and can also post signs directing pedestrians away from a particular crosswalk.

Key details: Scope: Applies only within a business district, not citywide. Requirement: Cross only at a marked crosswalk in that zone. Signage: Traffic engineer can close a specific crosswalk to pedestrians. Enforcing agency: Palm Springs Police Department.

Crossing a roadway other than at a marked crosswalk within a business district is a citable infraction under Chapter 1.01 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code, enforced by the Palm Springs Police Department. Because Section 12.68.020 applies only inside a business district, an officer must first establish that the crossing occurred within that zone before the section applies; a mid-block crossing on a residential street is not reached by this particular ordinance.

Palm Springs is more permissive than most cities when it comes to jaywalking. That said, there are still limits.

Skateboarding Rules

Palm Springs bans skateboards, scooters, roller skates and similar devices on any open roadway, and on sidewalks or plazas within a business district, under Municipal Code Section 12.90.020. A separate downtown zone, from Vista Chino Road to Ramon Road and Indian Canyon Drive to Belardo Road, bars these devices on any public or private right-of-way at all.

Key details: Roadway ban: No skateboards/scooters on any open roadway citywide. Business district: Banned on sidewalks/plazas within a business district. Downtown zone: Banned right-of-way-wide: Vista Chino to Ramon, Indian Canyon to Belardo. Yield rule: Must yield right-of-way to pedestrians. Posting requirement: Rental shops must post Section 12.90.020 on premises.

Riding a skateboard, scooter, roller skate or similar device on an open roadway, in a business-district sidewalk or plaza, or anywhere within the downtown right-of-way zone bounded by Vista Chino, Ramon, Indian Canyon and Belardo, is a citable infraction under Chapter 1.01 of the Municipal Code, enforced by the Palm Springs Police Department. Failing to yield to pedestrians or riding at a dangerous speed under Section 12.90.020(c) and (d) are separate, additional violations of the same section.

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

The Bottom Line

Palm Springs is tougher than many cities when it comes to public conduct. Out of the 4 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Palm Springs, 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 Palm Springs's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.