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Abilene, TX Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Prohibited locations
Street, alley, any public place
Only exception
Restroom with urinal or toilet
Default fine
Up to $500.00 (§ 1-9)
Origin
1965 Code § 19-45

Summary

Abilene's Code of Ordinances § 20-5 flatly bans urinating on any street, alley, or public place, allowing it only inside a restroom equipped with a urinal or toilet. The rule traces back to the 1965 Code and carries no exceptions for emergencies, festivals, or special events; it is enforced the same way any other Chapter 20 offense is.

Sec. 20-5. - Urinating in public place. No person shall urinate upon any street, alley or public place, except in restrooms containing urinals or toilets for such purposes. (Code 1965, § 19-45)

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 14).

Full Breakdown

Section 20-5 sits in Chapter 20, 'Offenses,' Article I, 'In General,' among a short list of old public-decency and public-order rules that includes bell-ringing restrictions, trespass, and fishing from bridges. Its text is a single flat sentence carried forward from the 1965 Code, § 19-45: no person may urinate on a street, alley, or public place, and the only carve-out is relieving yourself inside a restroom that has a urinal or toilet installed for that purpose. 02(b) are the state law basis cited for that general municipal penalty power.

00 unless the section defining the conduct says otherwise, and § 20-5 does not. Because the offense is written broadly to cover any street, alley, or public place rather than naming specific parks or districts, it applies citywide, including downtown and near event venues, anywhere a restroom with a urinal or toilet is not being used.

Violations & Fines

Urinating outside a restroom on a street, alley, or public place violates § 20-5, and because the section sets no penalty of its own, it defaults to the general Code penalty in § 1-9: a fine of up to $500.00, with each day of a continuing situation counted as a separate offense. No culpable mental state beyond doing the act is required to convict under § 1-9(b).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is public urination illegal everywhere in Abilene?
Yes. Section 20-5 bans it on any street, alley, or public place citywide, with no carved-out exception for parks, trails, festival grounds, or event areas. The only lawful option under the ordinance is a restroom equipped with a urinal or toilet for that purpose.
What's the fine for public urination in Abilene?
Section 20-5 doesn't set its own fine, so it falls under the City's general penalty clause, § 1-9, which allows a fine of up to $500.00 for any Code violation without a stated penalty, with each day of a continuing offense counted separately.
Do I need to intend to break the law to be cited?
No. Section 1-9(b) removes any culpable-mental-state requirement for Code violations punishable by up to $500.00 unless the specific section says otherwise, and § 20-5 doesn't, so the act itself, without any proof of intent, is enough to support a citation under the ordinance.
How old is Abilene's public urination ordinance?
It dates to the 1965 Code, § 19-45, and has been carried forward essentially unchanged for more than half a century into today's Code of Ordinances § 20-5, still banning urination on any street, alley, or public place outside a proper restroom.

Sources & Official References

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