West Covina's Public Conduct: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles public conduct a little differently. In West Covina, California, there are 7 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.

Loud Party Ordinance

West Covina Municipal Code Sec. 15-86 puts the property owner, the person in charge of the premises, or the host of a loud or unruly assemblage on notice: once police must return to control a continuing threat, that person becomes personally liable for the cost of the special security assignment.

Key details: Trigger: Second police response to same loud assemblage. Liable party: Owner, host, or minor's parent/guardian. First response: Free warning under Sec. 15-86(b). Dispute window: 5 days to request chief of police hearing. Further appeal: City council de novo hearing.

There's no criminal citation built into Sec. 15-86 itself; the exposure is financial. Once a second police response is needed for the same threatening assemblage, the host, owner, or responsible adult is billed for the full special security assignment, a fee the city council sets by resolution under Sec. 15-87, capped at actual cost, plus any property damage or personnel injury. Unpaid bills become a collectible city debt under Sec. 15-87(c).

Loitering Rules

West Covina bans loitering or standing on any public street, sidewalk, alley or crosswalk in a way that annoys pedestrians or blocks free passage. The same section separately bars loitering, standing or sitting at the entrance of a church, theater or other public assembly hall so as to obstruct the entrance.

Key details: Governing section: Sec. 19-4, Municipal Code. Two offenses: street/sidewalk loitering; assembly-entrance blocking. Trigger: annoying, molesting, or obstructing pedestrians. Enforcing agency: West Covina Police Department. Origin: 1960 Code § 4109.

Violating Section 19-4 is chargeable as a misdemeanor under the general penalty provisions of the West Covina Code (Sec. 1-37/1-37.1), which apply to code violations without their own stated penalty. Enforcement is handled by the West Covina Police Department, typically as a citation for street obstruction; a person who blocks a theater or hall entrance can be charged separately from someone obstructing open sidewalk travel because the two acts are defined in separate subsections.

Skateboarding Rules

West Covina bans riding a skateboard, roller skates, coaster or scooter on any street or road, and on business-district sidewalks outright. Posted properties can also bar them from assembly-hall sidewalks, parking structures and private shopping-center walkways.

Key details: Governing section: Sec. 22-80, Municipal Code. Adopted: Ord. No. 1776, 3-14-88. Always banned: streets, roads, business-district sidewalks. Requires posting first: assembly entrances, parking structures, private complexes. Sign size: 17 x 21 inches, 1-inch lettering.

Riding, propelling or parking a skateboard, roller skates, coaster or scooter in violation of Section 22-80 can result in the device being impounded by the West Covina Police Department under Section 22-81, returned to the owner only under conditions the chief of police establishes. Business-district and posted-property violations are enforced the same way as the citywide street/road ban.

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

Jaywalking

West Covina requires pedestrians crossing outside a marked crosswalk to take the shortest route straight across at right angles to the curb under Sec. 22-198. Standing in a roadway outside a crosswalk or safety zone while blocking traffic is also barred, with exceptions for officers and workers on duty.

Key details: Crossing rule: Shortest, right-angle route outside marked crosswalks. Mid-block crosswalks: Only in blocks 600+ feet, max one. Standing in roadway: Barred if it blocks traffic. Exempt: Police, surveyors, street sweepers on duty. State authority: Veh. Code § 21961.

Crossing outside a marked crosswalk without taking the direct, right-angle route required by Section 22-198, or standing in the roadway outside a crosswalk or safety zone in a way that interferes with traffic, is a citable pedestrian violation enforceable by West Covina police under Chapter 22. The exemption for officers, surveyors and street-duty workers is narrow and doesn't extend to anyone merely working near the roadway.

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions

West Covina prohibits smoking, including vaping and marijuana, in any public park or public place the city has posted as a no-smoking area. Municipal Code Section 16-18(m) folds cigarettes, cigars, electronic smoking devices and marijuana into one ban, enforced anywhere the city posts sufficient signage, with the sole carve-out being areas the council designates and posts as a "Smoking Area."

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code Sec. 16-18(m). Includes: tobacco, marijuana, medical marijuana, vaping devices. Exception: posted council-designated "Smoking Area" only. Penalty class: infraction or misdemeanor, Sec. 16-30. Applies to: parks, Civic Center, open spaces, public facilities.

Violating Section 16-18(m) is an infraction or misdemeanor under Section 16-30, punishable per the general penalty provisions of Sections 1-37, 1-37.1 and 1-38 of Chapter 1. Community services staff and police officers cite based on the posted no-smoking signage; because the ordinance defines 'smoking' to include marijuana and vaping devices, a single citation covers all three without a separate marijuana-specific charge.

Public Alcohol Use

West Covina bans drinking any alcoholic beverage, defined as anything with 0.5% or more alcohol by volume, on public highways, which the Code defines to include streets, sidewalks, alleys, bridges and curbs, in or on any government building or grounds, and in business parking lots open to the public, under Municipal Code Sec. 15-5.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code Sec. 15-5. Covers: Streets, sidewalks, alleys, bridges, curbs citywide. Also banned: Government buildings/grounds and business parking lots. Alcohol threshold: 0.5% or more alcohol by volume. Penalty: Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine, 6 months jail.

Because Sec. 15-5 is absent from Sec. 1-37.1's infraction list, a violation is prosecuted as a misdemeanor under Sec. 1-37(a): up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in county jail, or both. Sec. 1-37(c) makes each day a continuing violation persists a separate offense, and West Covina police officers may cite or arrest on the spot for a drink observed in a banned area.

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

Public Urination

West Covina makes it an infraction to urinate or defecate anywhere other than a proper restroom fixture, whether on public property such as a street, sidewalk, alley or park, or on private property in an area exposed to public view, under Municipal Code Sec. 15-17.

Key details: Governing section: Municipal Code Sec. 15-17. Covers: Public property and exposed private property. Classification: Infraction, not misdemeanor. Fine cap: Set by Gov. Code Sec. 36900 limits. Only exception: Restroom fixture designed for the purpose.

A Sec. 15-17 violation is charged as an infraction, capped at the fine limits set by California Government Code Section 36900 through the Code's general penalty cross-reference, Sec. 1-37(b). Police officers or the city's code enforcement officer can issue a citation directly under Sec. 1-37.2 for conduct observed in any street, sidewalk, alley, park or other location covered by the section.

Compared to other cities, West Covina takes a harder line on public urination. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

The Bottom Line

West Covina is tougher than many cities when it comes to public conduct. Out of the 7 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in West Covina, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects West Covina's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.