Charleston, SC Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Section 21-90, adopted by Ordinance No. 2008-150 in November 2008, sits in Chapter 21's offenses articles and states flatly that no one may urinate or defecate "on or in any public property or private property within the city" outside a restroom or other sanitary facility. Unlike ordinances in many cities that target only sidewalks, parks, or streets, Charleston's ban reaches private property too, so relieving oneself in a private yard, alley, or parking lot without permission is covered the same as doing so on a public street. Charleston Police Department officers enforce the section citywide, including in the bar-heavy areas around King Street and the Market, where late-night foot traffic drives most citations. The ordinance sets no age or intent exceptions and applies regardless of whether anyone witnesses the act, though as a practical matter officers typically act on direct observation or a citizen complaint.