San Ramon's Public Conduct: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles public conduct a little differently. In San Ramon, 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.

Loitering Rules

San Ramon Municipal Code Section B7-125 bans loitering, standing or sitting on any public highway, alley, sidewalk or crosswalk in a way that hinders passage or annoys passersby. It sits in the code's labor-disputes chapter but is written as a general obstruction rule enforceable citywide.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code § B7-125. Code chapter: Division B7, Chapter V (Labor Disputes). Default violation class: Infraction (§ A1-31). First-offense fine cap: $100 (§ A1-32). Standard for violation: Hinders passage or annoys/molests passersby.

San Ramon's code does not attach a chapter-specific penalty to Section B7-125, so it falls under the citywide default in Section A1-31: every act prohibited by the Municipal Code is a violation of the code and an infraction unless otherwise stated. Under the general penalty schedule in Section A1-32, an infraction conviction is punishable by a fine of up to one hundred dollars for a first violation, up to two hundred dollars for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year, and up to five hundred fifty dollars for each additional violation within that year. Each day a violating condition continues is treated as a separate offense under Section A1-33.

Public Alcohol Use

San Ramon bans drinking alcohol on any public street, sidewalk, park or other public facility, and also bans drinking within fifteen feet of a public way while on private property open to public view without the owner's permission. A violation is an infraction under Municipal Code Section B7-3.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code § B7-1. Private-property buffer: Within 15 feet of a public way. Violation class: Infraction (§ B7-3). First-offense fine cap: $100 (§ A1-32). Key exception: Council-permitted street events (§ B7-2).

A person who violates this chapter (Sections B7-1 and B7-2) is guilty of an infraction under Section B7-3. Under the code's general penalty provision, Section A1-32, an infraction is punishable by a fine of up to one hundred dollars for a first violation, up to two hundred dollars for a second violation of the same ordinance within a year, and up to five hundred fifty dollars for each additional violation within that year.

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions

San Ramon Municipal Code section B6-73 bans smoking and vaping on every property in the city, indoor and outdoor, public and private, with no blanket carve-out for sidewalks or parks. The ban also reaches farmers' markets and other outdoor community events even where smoking would otherwise be legal on that site. Violations run through the city's infraction and administrative citation system.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code § B6-73. Scope: All property, indoor and outdoor, citywide. Vaping covered: Yes, electronic smoking devices included. First-offense fine: Up to $100. Repeat fine: Up to $550 per offense.

Each day a violation continues is a separate offense under section B6-78, punishable as an infraction under section A1-32: up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $550 for each additional violation within that year. Section B6-79 lets the city pursue the same conduct through its administrative citation process instead of or alongside a criminal infraction filing.

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

Skateboarding Rules

San Ramon bans rollerskating, bicycling and skateboarding on grassy areas, paths or walkways posted for pedestrian use only, and the Bollinger Canyon Road skate park requires a helmet, elbow pads and knee pads under Municipal Code section B5-13, with failure to wear the gear a citable infraction.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code § B5-13. Pedestrian paths: No rollerskating, biking or skateboarding when posted. Skate park location: Bollinger Canyon Road, skateboard/in-line only. Required gear: Helmet, elbow pads and knee pads at skate park. Bicycles at skate park: Barred except director-authorized events.

Skateboarding or rollerskating across a posted pedestrian-only path, or using the Bollinger Canyon Road skate park without a helmet, elbow pads and knee pads, is an infraction under section B5-32. Fines follow the city's general schedule in section A1-32: up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense of the same rule within a year, and $550 for further repeats.

The Bottom Line

San Ramon's public conduct rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming San Ramon is broadly strict or permissive.

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