Public Conduct in Eugene, OR (2026)
7 verified public conduct rules for Eugene, Oregon, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Public Urination
Eugene makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate in, or within view of, a public place except in a lavatory, under EC 4.770. The one-sentence offense carries a flat $500 maximum fine and has stood unchanged since it was added in 1984.
Eugene Public Urination & Defecation Ban
Some RestrictionsEC 4.770
No person shall urinate or defecate in, or in view of, a public place, except in a lavatory.
Skateboarding Rules
Eugene bans skateboarding on sidewalks in the core downtown blocks, inside multi-level parking garages, within ten feet of major bus transfer stations, and on Alder and East 13th near campus, while treating reckless sidewalk riding as a separate offense under EC 5.450.
Eugene Skateboarding Restrictions
Some RestrictionsEC 5.450
As used in this section, a "skateboard" means a board of any material natural or synthetic with wheels affixed to the underside, designed to be ridden by a person and propelled by human power. No person shall ride a skateboard: (a) On any sidewalk within the area bounded by the eastern sidewalk along Lincoln Street between 8th and 13th Avenues, the northern sidewalk along 8th Avenue between Lin...
Loud Party Ordinance
Eugene's EC 4.672 makes it unlawful to organize or host an 'unruly gathering,' a party with alcohol where two or more listed problems occur, like disorderly conduct, noise violations, assault, or public urination. Hosts face up to a $1,000 fine, and property owners become liable for police and fire response costs after a fourth incident within 12 months.
Eugene Unruly Gathering Host Liability Law
Significant RestrictionsEC 4.672(1)-(2)
(1) No person shall organize or host an unruly gathering if the person knows or reasonably should know that it is an unruly gathering. (2) It is an affirmative defense to a citation issued for a violation of subsection (1) of this section that the person who organized or hosted an unruly gathering contacted the police as soon as any of the violations or offenses listed in the definition of “unr...
Outdoor Smoking Restrictions
Eugene bans smoking within 10 feet of any entrance to a smoke-free building, on the exterior of city-owned youth facilities, and citywide in the downtown core unless the city manager designates an exception area. Employers must keep smoke away from every employee.
Eugene Outdoor & Public Smoking Ban
Some RestrictionsEC 6.230
Smoking is prohibited on all real property owned by the city and in all public places and all places of employment within the city, including, but not limited to the following: ... (d) Service lines, or within ten feet of a service line that extends out of doors. ... (k) Within publicly owned buildings and within 25 feet of any entrance or air intake to, or any operable window of, any such buil...
Jaywalking
Eugene requires a pedestrian crossing a street outside a crosswalk to cross at a right angle, straight across rather than diagonally, under EC 5.425. The rule is one sentence long, sits in the code's short 'Pedestrians' section, and a violation defaults to the chapter's general penalty of a fine up to $300 under EC 5.995.
Eugene Pedestrian Right-Angle Street Crossing Rule
Light RestrictionsEC 5.425
A pedestrian shall cross a street at a right angle, unless crossing within a crosswalk.
Public Marijuana Use
Eugene makes it unlawful to use marijuana items in any public place under EC 4.241, adopted the same week Oregon's Measure 91 implementing statute took effect and unchanged since. A companion section, EC 4.242, separately bans keeping homegrown marijuana or homemade cannabinoid products where they're visible from a public place. Both carry a $1,000 fine.
Eugene Public Marijuana Use Ban
Heavy RestrictionsEC 4.241
(1) No person shall engage in the use of marijuana items in a public place. (2) For purposes of this section, “marijuana items” and “public place” have the meanings given those terms in section 5, chapter 1, Oregon Laws 2015.
Public Alcohol Use
Eugene bans drinking alcohol or carrying an open container in any public place or on private property open to the public under EC 4.190, current through Ordinance 20739 (June 8, 2026). Narrow exceptions cover OLCC-licensed venues, city park events approved by the parks director, and Autzen Stadium tailgating on University of Oregon football game days.
Eugene Open Container & Public Drinking Law
Some RestrictionsEC 4.190(1)
(1) Except as provided in subsections (2), (3), and (4) of this section, consumption of alcoholic liquor or possession of an open alcoholic beverage container is prohibited in a public place and on private property extended to the public for use, and no person shall drink, consume alcoholic liquor, or possess an open alcoholic beverage container in such a place or on such property, unless autho...
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