Rialto's Public Conduct: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles public conduct a little differently. In Rialto, California, there are 6 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.

Skateboarding Rules

Rialto bans riding a skateboard, roller blades or roller skates on any sidewalk in its downtown commercial district, Riverside Avenue between Merrill Avenue and Foothill Boulevard, under Municipal Code Section 9.25.040(B). Bicycling on those sidewalks is banned the same way.

Key details: Governing section: RMC § 9.25.040(B). Downtown boundary: Riverside Ave, Merrill Ave to Foothill Blvd. Also banned: Bicycling on downtown sidewalks, §9.25.040(A). Penalty: Misdemeanor, §9.25.090. Enforcement tool: Officer may confiscate the skateboard.

A Rialto police officer who finds someone skateboarding in downtown in violation of Section 9.25.040 can order the person to stop and leave the area under Section 9.25.080; if the person refuses or resumes skating, the officer must cite them and confiscate the skateboard, roller blades or roller skates as evidence. Section 9.25.090 makes any violation of the chapter, or of a Section 9.25.080 order, a misdemeanor.

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

Jaywalking

In Rialto's business districts, pedestrians must use a crosswalk to cross the street; crossing anywhere else violates RMC 10.52.020. The city engineer also sets midblock crosswalks only on blocks at least four hundred feet long, and pedestrians must obey dedicated pedestrian signals over vehicle signals under RMC 10.52.030.

Key details: Governing section: RMC 10.52.020. Where it applies: Business districts only. Midblock crosswalk minimum block: 400 feet. Signal rule: Pedestrian signals override vehicle signals (10.52.030). Default penalty: Infraction $100-$500 or misdemeanor up to $1,000/6 months.

Jaywalking in a Rialto business district is enforced by the police department under the code's general penalty section, RMC 1.16.010. Absent a specific classification, a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail; prosecutors may instead charge it as an infraction, which starts at a $100 fine, rises to $200 for a second offense within two years, and $500 for each one after that.

Loitering Rules

Rialto Municipal Code 11.16.035 makes it unlawful to loiter in any commercial parking area of the city, outside the designated day laborer center, to solicit employment, business, or money from shoppers or drivers. The chapter also bars roadside solicitation from vehicles or pedestrians in the public right-of-way.

Key details: Covered areas: Commercial parking lots citywide. Lawful solicitation site: City's designated day laborer center. Prohibited acts: Loiter to solicit work, business, money. Roadside solicitation: Also banned under 11.16.030. Enacted: Ord. 1365, 2004.

Loitering in a commercial parking lot to solicit employment, business, or money outside the designated day laborer center violates Section 11.16.035. Roadside solicitation to or from vehicle occupants in the public right-of-way separately violates Section 11.16.030, and soliciting from any unauthorized spot within a commercial lot violates Section 11.16.040.

Loud Party Ordinance

Rialto Municipal Code 9.48.050 declares it unlawful and a public nuisance to host a gathering that substantially disturbs neighbors' quiet enjoyment, covering excessive noise, street-blocking crowds, public drunkenness and fights. A second police response within 90 days makes the host liable for the full cost of the response.

Key details: First response: Notice posted 90 days, mailed to owner. Second response: Full police services fee billed. Fee liability: Joint and several, owner and host. Base offense: Misdemeanor plus administrative citation. Enacted: Ord. No. 1488, 4-26-11.

Hosting a nuisance gathering is a misdemeanor under Section 9.48.110, and the citee is also subject to administrative citation under Chapter 1.10. A second police response to the same premises within 90 days of a posted or mailed notice makes responsible parties, including the property owner, jointly and severally liable for the full police services fee under Sections 9.48.080-9.48.090, collectible as a civil debt with the city's attorney fees added.

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

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions

Smoking is not permitted anywhere on Rialto city property under Municipal Code Section 2.45.050(O), which names buildings, parks and parking lots outright. The rule is paired with an identical outright ban on alcoholic beverages in the same subsection.

Key details: Governing section: RMC § 2.45.050(O). Covered locations: City buildings, parks, parking lots. Designated smoking areas: None provided in the code. Penalty: Infraction, $150 fine (§2.45.060). Paired rule: Alcoholic beverages also banned, same subsection.

Smoking on city property in violation of Section 2.45.050(O) is punishable as an infraction under Section 2.45.060, carrying a fine of one hundred fifty dollars. Because the ban sits inside the same chapter governing loitering and boisterous conduct, a smoker who refuses to comply can also be ordered to leave the property by city staff or police.

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

Public Alcohol Use

Rialto Municipal Code 9.34.020 makes it a misdemeanor to possess an open alcohol container, drink, or furnish alcohol to someone else in any public park, street, alley, highway or other public place. A written permit from the city administrator is the only way around the ban.

Key details: Offense level: Misdemeanor for possession/consumption/furnishing. Covered places: Parks, streets, alleys, highways, public places. Exception: Written city administrator authorization. Permit revocation: No notice or hearing required. Enacted: Ord. No. 1500, Feb. 28, 2012.

Possessing an open container, drinking, or furnishing alcohol for public consumption under 9.34.020 is charged as a misdemeanor, exposing a violator to a fine and up to six months in county jail under the city's general penalty chapter. Simple possession or display of alcohol on other municipal property under 9.34.040 is a lesser infraction. There is no notice-and-hearing requirement before police revoke a special-event drinking permit.

The Bottom Line

Rialto is tougher than many cities when it comes to public conduct. Out of the 6 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Rialto, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Rialto can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.