Amarillo, TX Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Section 10-3-42 of the Amarillo Code of Ordinances, part of Chapter 10-3 (Miscellaneous Offenses), Article IV governing public peace and order, states plainly that no person may urinate or defecate within public view or in any public place other than in an enclosure designed for such purposes. The section traces back to the 1960 Code § 14-5 and was carried forward by Ordinance No. 5641 in 1986; it has not needed amendment since because the rule is a simple public-decency standard rather than a technical zoning or permit scheme.

"Public place" is not separately defined in this section, so Amarillo Municipal Court and police apply the ordinary meaning used throughout Chapter 10-3: streets, sidewalks, alleys, parks, and other areas the public has access to, as opposed to a private residence or a restroom. Because the offense sits inside Chapter 10-3, the chapter-wide penalty clause at Sec. 00. There is no jail-time provision attached; this is a fine-only Class C misdemeanor prosecuted in Amarillo Municipal Court, the same forum that handles the city's other public-order offenses like open containers and unlawful camping.

Enforcement is complaint- and observation-driven by the Amarillo Police Department; officers issuing a citation must be able to state that the act occurred within public view or in a public place rather than inside a private enclosure meant for the purpose.