Cranston, RI Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 9.04.010(A)(7)
- Max jail
- 30 days
- Max fine
- $300.00
- Also covers
- spitting in public
- Classified as
- disorderly conduct
Summary
Cranston makes it disorderly conduct to urinate, defecate, or spit on any public street, sidewalk, alley, or in a public building, punishable by up to 30 days jail or a $300 fine.
Any person who shall expectorate, urinate or defecate in any public street, alley, sidewalk or floor of any public building or building where the public gathers or has access;
8. Any person who enters upon the private property of another and looks into an occupied building or structure located thereon without visible or lawful business with the owner or occupant thereof.
B. Any person found guilty of violating this section shall be imprisoned for a term not to exceed thirty (30) days or fined not more than three hundred dollars ($300.00), or both.
C. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part of the ordinance codified herein shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such decree shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part directly involved in the controversy in which the decree shall have been rendered. To this end, the provisions of the ordinance codified herein are severable. (Prior code § 18-1)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4824304; v14 updated 2026-05-18).
Full Breakdown
Cranston Code § 9.04.010(A)(7) folds public urination and defecation into the city's disorderly conduct statute alongside spitting ("expectorate") in any public street, alley, sidewalk, or the floor of a public building or building the public gathers in or has access to. Any of the eight listed acts in the section counts as disorderly conduct. The police can charge on the spot, and the offense carries the same penalty as the rest of Chapter 9.04's disorderly conduct list.
Violations & Fines
Up to 30 days imprisonment, a fine up to $300.00, or both, per § 9.04.010(B). No separate escalating schedule: first and repeat offenses fall under the same cap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination illegal in Cranston?
What's the penalty for public urination in Cranston?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cranston
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Public Urination in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle public urination.