Arvada, CO Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 62-57
- Rule
- No urinating/defecating in public view
- Applies to
- Public and private property alike
- Exception
- Designated, equipped restroom or area
- Origin
- 1981 Code § 21-27, amended 1984-1986
Summary
Arvada makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate in public view, on public or private property, unless in a room or area designed for that purpose. Arvada City Code § 62-57 has stood largely unchanged since 1984 and carries a fine up to the general penalty limits in § 1-5.
It shall be unlawful for any person to urinate or defecate in the public view, whether in or on public or private property, except in a room or area designated and equipped for such purposes. Urination or defecation in public shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed the limits established in section 1-5.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Council Policy Manual: Supplement 1 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67).
Full Breakdown
" The provision traces to the 1981 Code § 21-27 and was amended by Ordinance No. 2082 in 1984, Ordinance No. 2188 in 1985, and Ordinance No. 2297 and Ordinance No. 2364 in 1986, showing the city has enforced some version of this rule for over four decades. The statute turns on "public view," meaning the act must be visible rather than occurring in an enclosed restroom or similarly equipped facility; it applies equally on a public sidewalk, a private yard visible from the street, or any other location where the conduct can be observed, not just city-owned property.
Section 62-57(b) sets the penalty: "Urination or defecation in public shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed the limits established in section 1-5," the same general penalty cap Arvada applies to most Title 62 misdemeanor offenses. A cross-reference to chapter 94 (streets, sidewalks, and other public places) signals this offense sits alongside the city's broader public-right-of-way conduct rules, including the passageway-obstruction ordinance at § 62-52.
Violations & Fines
Urinating or defecating where visible to the public, on any public or private property outside a proper restroom, violates § 62-57(a) and is punishable by a fine up to the general limits set in § 1-5 of the Code. There is no requirement that police prove the act happened on city property, only that it occurred "in the public view."
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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Public Urination in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle public urination.