Arlington County, VA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

County Code Chapter 17, Section 17-21 flatly bans relieving oneself outside a bathroom or similar facility anywhere the public gathers or has access, or within public view, in Arlington County. The prohibition sits in the Miscellaneous Offenses and Provisions chapter alongside other public-order rules and applies countywide since Arlington has no incorporated towns carving out separate jurisdiction. The ordinance dates to Ordinance No. 85-16 (adopted April 27, 1985) and was amended by Ordinance No. 91-34 (September 18, 1991) to reach its current wording. The section does not carve out exceptions for intoxication, medical need, or emergency; the only lawful outlet named in the text is a facility designed for urinating or defecating, meaning a restroom, portable toilet, or comparable fixture.

Arlington County Police officers enforce the section on patrol, most commonly in the Metro corridor commercial strips (Clarendon, Courthouse, Rosslyn) and at Pentagon City and Ballston nightlife areas where bar closing time drives repeat complaints. Because the offense is charged as a Class 1 misdemeanor rather than a civil infraction, it goes through the Arlington County General District Court rather than an administrative ticket process, and a conviction becomes part of a permanent criminal record rather than a fine-only citation.