Public Conduct in San Francisco, CA (2026)
7 verified public conduct rules for San Francisco, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Aggressive Panhandling
San Francisco bans soliciting money in an aggressive manner citywide, plus soliciting within 20 feet of ATMs and check-cashing businesses, on transit, and in parking lots.
San Francisco Aggressive Solicitation Ban
Significant RestrictionsSan Francisco, CA, Police Code § 120-2(d)(1)-(2)
No person shall solicit in an aggressive manner in any public place. No person shall solicit within twenty feet of any entrance or exit of any check cashing business or within twenty feet of any automated teller machine without the consent of the owner of the property or another person legally in possession of such facilities.
Public Urination
San Francisco bans depositing human urine or feces on any public or private property citywide, punishable by a $50 to $500 fine per infraction.
Public Urination Ban in San Francisco
Some RestrictionsSan Francisco Police Code § 153(a)
It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit or cause to be deposited any human urine or feces upon any public or private highway or road, including any portion of the right-of-way thereof, or in or upon any private property into or upon which the public is admitted by easement or license, or upon any private property without the consent of the owner, or in or upon any public property other t...
Skateboarding Rules
Anyone riding a skateboard at a skateboard facility owned or operated by the City and County of San Francisco must wear a helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads under Park Code Section 4.17, and the Recreation and Park Department must post signs at each facility saying so.
San Francisco Skateboard Facility Gear Rule
Some RestrictionsSan Francisco, CA, Park Code § 4.17
Any person riding a skateboard in any facility owned or operated by the City and County that is designed and maintained for the purpose of recreational skateboard use ("skateboard facility") must wear a helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads. At each skateboard facility the Recreation and Park Department shall post signs affording reasonable notice of the requirements of this section.
Loitering Rules
San Francisco's Police Code loitering ban is aimed at one fixture: staying within 10 feet of an automatic public toilet for more than two minutes without lawful business violates Sections 124.1 and 124.2, and an officer must warn you before any citation issues.
San Francisco Loitering Ban at Public Toilets
Some RestrictionsSan Francisco, CA, Police Code § 124.2
It shall be unlawful for any person to loiter or linger at or near any automatic public toilet in the City and County of San Francisco. This Section is not intended to prohibit any person from engaging in any lawful business that must be conducted within ten feet of an automatic public toilet, such as (1) using an automatic public toilet; (2) waiting in line to use an automatic public toilet.
Outdoor Smoking Restrictions
San Francisco prohibits smoking in every unenclosed City park, square, garden, playing field, recreational pier, and farmers' market, with fines that climb from $100 to $500 for repeat offenses.
Smoking Banned in SF Parks and Playing Fields
Significant RestrictionsSan Francisco, CA, Health Code Art. 19I, § 1009.81
Smoking is prohibited on any unenclosed area of property in the City and County of San Francisco that is open to the public and under the jurisdiction of the Recreation and Park Commission or any other City department if the property is a park, square, garden, sport or playing field, pier, or other property used for recreational purposes, or a farmers' market.
Public Marijuana Use
San Francisco's citywide smoking ordinance defines "smoking" to include any lighted "weed or plant," covering marijuana, and bans it in the same buildings, entrances, transit stops and public areas where tobacco smoking is prohibited.
San Francisco Public Marijuana Smoking Ban
Some RestrictionsSan Francisco Health Code Article 19F, Sec. 1009.21(s)
"Smoking" or "to smoke" means and includes inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying any lighted smoking equipment for tobacco or any other weed or plant, except that this Article shall not affect the policy making marijuana offenses the lowest law enforcement priority under Chapter 96B of the Administrative Code nor affect any laws or regulations regarding medical cannabis;
Public Alcohol Use
Drinking any alcoholic beverage, in any quantity, on a San Francisco street, avenue, sidewalk, stairway, alley, or thoroughfare is an infraction under Police Code Section 21, fined at not less than $25 nor more than $100, unless one of the section's own exceptions applies.
Open Container Ban in San Francisco
Significant RestrictionsSan Francisco, CA, Police Code § 21 (Consuming Alcoholic Beverages on Public Streets, Etc., or on Public Property Open to Public View Prohibited; Penalty)
Except as specified in this Section 21, no person shall consume any alcoholic beverage in any quantity on any public street, avenue, sidewalk, stairway, alley, or thoroughfare within the City and County of San Francisco... Penalty. Any person who shall violate the provisions of this Section 21 shall be guilty of an infraction, the penalty for which shall be a fine of not less than $25 nor more ...