Ceres, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited acts
- Urinating and defecating in public
- Covered locations
- Streets, parking lots, waterways, levees
- Exception
- Toilets or portable toilets only
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under Title 19
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 2020-1056 (Feb. 2020)
Summary
Ceres prohibits urinating or defecating in any public place, accessible parking lot, or waterway citywide, with violations charged as a misdemeanor under the city's public peace and safety code.
No person shall discharge, release, or otherwise cause human urine to be placed in: A.Any place open to the public, upon any street, alleyway, walkway, gully, telephone booth, park, or other public way;B.In or upon any parking lot or other premises to which the public has access;C.In any water or waterway, upon levees or tanks adjacent thereto except in toilets, portable toilets, or other receptacles designed for the purpose of urination.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Ceres Municipal Code Chapter 9.09 bars urinating (§ 9.09.010) or defecating (§ 9.09.020) in any place open to the public, on streets, alleys, walkways, or parking lots the public can access, or in any water or waterway including levees and adjacent tanks. The only exception is use of a toilet, portable toilet, or other receptacle designed for that purpose. Both sections were adopted by Ordinance No. 2020-1056. Under § 9.19.020, any violation of Title 9 (which includes this chapter) also constitutes a nuisance subject to code enforcement and is a misdemeanor punishable under Title 19, unless a section states otherwise.
Violations & Fines
Urinating or defecating in a public place, accessible parking lot, or waterway is a misdemeanor under § 9.19.020, punishable per Title 19 and also treated as a public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ceres
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