Public Conduct in Simi Valley, CA

If you live in Simi Valley or are thinking about moving there, public conduct are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Simi Valley has 6 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of public conduct, and some of them might surprise you.

Public Urination

Simi Valley bans urinating or defecating on any street, sidewalk, parking lot, park or other public area, or anywhere exposed to public view. The only exception is a restroom, portable toilet, or other enclosed facility built for sanitary waste disposal.

Key details: Governing section: SVMC 5-44.04. Covered locations: Streets, sidewalks, parks, parking lots, public view. Exception: Enclosed restroom or portable toilet only. Penalty class: Misdemeanor or infraction. Chapter adopted: Ord. No. 1283, effective Feb. 8, 2018.

A violation of Section 5-44.04 is chargeable as a misdemeanor or an infraction under Section 5-44.05, at the City Attorney's discretion. Simi Valley Police Department officers issue citations for conduct occurring on any street, sidewalk, alley, park, parking lot or other public area, or any place exposed to public view. There is no fixed fine schedule in the chapter itself; penalty amounts follow the City's general misdemeanor and infraction fine structure set elsewhere in the Municipal Code.

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

Aggressive Panhandling

Simi Valley Municipal Code Section 5-39.03 makes it unlawful to solicit money, goods, or services in an "aggressive manner," inside any bus or at a bus stop, within 15 feet of a bank, ATM, or check-cashing business, or on private property once the owner has said no or posted a no-soliciting sign.

Key details: Adopted: Ordinance 1048, effective November 27, 2003. Bank/ATM buffer: 15 feet during business hours. Transit ban: Any bus, bus station, or stop. Posted property: Owner request or sign bars solicitation. Protected activity: Picketing, protest expressly excluded.

Section 5-39.03 doesn't carry its own penalty clause, so a citation for violating it is written and prosecuted the same way as other Title 5 public-conduct offenses, through Simi Valley Police Department enforcement in the field. The 15-foot bank and ATM buffer, the bus and bus-stop ban, and the posted-property rule under subsection (d) apply regardless of whether the solicitor's conduct meets the "aggressive manner" definition in Section 5-39.02(b); only subsection (a)'s general public-area ban requires that showing.

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

Public Alcohol Use

Drinking or holding an open container of any beverage over 0.5% alcohol on a Simi Valley street, sidewalk, alley, or in any public place is unlawful under SVMC § 5-3.01, and the ban reaches private property too without the owner's consent. Exceptions exist for licensed premises, restaurant seating areas, and events under a special events permit.

Key details: Governing section: SVMC § 5-3.01. Threshold: over 0.5% alcohol by volume. Banned locations: streets, sidewalks, alleys, public places, schools, parks. Also covers: private property without owner's consent. Exceptions: licensed premises, restaurant seating, permitted events.

Any violation of SVMC Chapter 3 (Alcoholic Beverages), including drinking or holding an open container in a prohibited place under § 5-3.01, is a misdemeanor or infraction under § 5-3.03. The Simi Valley Police Department enforces the open-container ban citywide, and it extends to private property when the person in possession or control of that property has not consented to the drinking.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Simi Valley actively enforces its public alcohol use requirements.

Skateboarding Rules

Riders under 18 must wear a fitted, fastened safety helmet meeting Consumer Product Safety Commission bicycle-helmet standards while skateboarding, rollerblading, rollerskating or riding a scooter anywhere open to the public in Simi Valley, under SVMC § 4-13.02. A parent or guardian who lets a minor go without one is prosecutable alongside the child; violating the rule is an infraction.

Key details: Governing section: SVMC § 4-13.02. Age covered: under 18. Devices covered: skateboards, scooters, rollerskates, rollerblades. Helmet standard: CPSC bicycle-helmet standard. Where it applies: any public/private property open to the public.

Operating a skateboard, scooter, rollerskates or rollerblades on public or private property open to the public without properly fitted, fastened protective headgear is an infraction under SVMC § 4-13.02(c) if the rider is under 18. A parent or guardian who fails to require the helmet is separately subject to prosecution under § 4-13.02(b), in addition to any action against the minor rider.

Loud Party Ordinance

Simi Valley bans loud parties with bands, radios or amplified sound after 11 p.m. on weekends and 10 p.m. on weeknights under Municipal Code Section 5-33.02, and Section 5-33.06 makes every host, owner, tenant or person collecting a cover charge jointly and severally liable for the police response costs a disruptive party generates.

Key details: Weeknight cutoff: 10:00 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, Sec. 5-33.02. Weekend cutoff: 11:00 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Sec. 5-33.02. Host liability: Joint and several for police costs, Sec. 5-33.07. Second response: Chief of Police must close and disperse party. Toilets required: Scaled to headcount once party sells admission.

Refusing to sign a police warning notice under Section 5-33.09 or 5-33.10 is a misdemeanor on its own. Beyond that, Section 5-33.07 makes every host jointly and severally liable for the City's cost of the police response once an officer finds the gathering threatens public peace or safety, and Section 5-33.11 adds the cost of any special police assignment triggered by a second response, including damage to City property or injury to City personnel.

Public Marijuana Use

Simi Valley Municipal Code Section 5-41.05 makes it unlawful to smoke, vaporize, or ingest cannabis or medicinal cannabis in any public place inside the city. The ordinance is declarative of state law, so it doesn't add any City-specific fine or misdemeanor beyond what state cannabis law already imposes for public consumption.

Key details: Adopted: Ordinance 1280, effective December 14, 2017. Scope: Smoking, vaporizing, or ingesting in any public place. Local penalty added: None; declarative of State law only. Related ban: Cannabis dispensaries prohibited citywide, Sec. 5-41.04.

Because Section 5-41.05 explicitly imposes no restrictions or penalties beyond what State law already provides, a citation for smoking or vaporizing cannabis in a Simi Valley public place is enforced and penalized under the applicable California cannabis statute rather than under a separate City fine schedule; the local code section simply confirms that the same state-law ban on public consumption applies within the city.

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

The Bottom Line

Simi Valley is tougher than many cities when it comes to public conduct. Out of the 6 rules covered here, 4 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Simi Valley, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

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