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St. Charles County, MO Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
St. Charles County Code § 210.160
Offense class
Class A misdemeanor
Maximum jail term
1 year in County jail
Maximum fine
$1,000.00 per incident
Enforcing authority
County Prosecuting Attorney
Parks cross-reference
County Code § 250.070

Summary

Unincorporated St. Charles County treats public urination and defecation as a form of illegal indecent exposure. Section 210.160 bans "excretory functions" performed in any public place, alongside nudity and sex acts, and makes a violation a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to a year in the County jail.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of St. Charles County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Whoever, in a public place, as defined in Subsection (A), knowingly or intentionally does any of the following: 1. Engages in acts of, or simulated acts of, sexual intercourse, masturbation, sodomy, bestiality, oral copulation, sadomasochism, excretory functions or other ultimate sexual acts; or 2. Appears in a state of nudity; or 3. Caresses or fondles the buttock, anus, vulva, female breasts or genitals of himself or another person; is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. ... Any person convicted of a Class A misdemeanor set out above may be sentenced to up to one (1) year in the County jail or fined up to one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), per incident, or both.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4863880; v61 updated 2026-05-11; through 05-11-2026).

Full Breakdown

160 of the St. Charles County Code, adopted by Ord. No. " Subsection (A) defines "public place" expansively to include streets, sidewalks, parks, beaches, boats, business establishments open or membership-limited, restaurants, night clubs and similar venues, while carving out private residences and enclosed restrooms, showers, locker rooms and doctors' offices where nudity is customarily expected. A private residence loses that exemption if the person knows their conduct is observable by someone outside the home. The same Section separately bars appearing nude in public and touching another's buttock, anus, vulva, breasts or genitals in public, all under the same Class A misdemeanor classification.

160 while on County park property, so the rule reaches both street-level unincorporated areas and the County's park system under one standard. 160 is assigned to the County Prosecuting Attorney rather than a code-enforcement office, reflecting its criminal, not civil, character. A narrow carve-out in Subsection (D) protects nudity performed in a bona fide theatrical production staged in a fine arts theatre, provided it is not otherwise obscene under Chapter 573, RSMo.

Violations & Fines

A violation of Section 210.160 is a Class A misdemeanor. Under Subsection (E), a person convicted may be sentenced to up to one (1) year in the County jail, fined up to one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per incident, or both. The County Prosecuting Attorney, not County code enforcement, is responsible for bringing and pursuing the charge, since the offense sits in the Code's criminal offenses article rather than its civil nuisance provisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is public urination illegal in unincorporated St. Charles County?
Yes. Section 210.160(B)(1) bans "excretory functions" performed knowingly or intentionally in any public place, the same subsection that covers nudity and sex acts. A violation is a Class A misdemeanor prosecuted by the County Prosecuting Attorney, not a civil code-enforcement matter.
What counts as a "public place" under this ordinance?
Subsection (A) defines it broadly: streets, sidewalks, parks, beaches, boats, restaurants, night clubs, business establishments (even membership-limited ones) and similar venues. Private residences and enclosed restrooms, showers and locker rooms are excluded, unless the person knows someone outside can observe the conduct.
What penalty applies to a conviction?
Subsection (E) sets the maximum penalty at up to one year in the County jail, a fine of up to $1,000.00 per incident, or both, since the offense is classified as a Class A misdemeanor under Missouri law.
Does the same rule apply in County parks?
Yes. Section 250.070 of the Parks chapter separately prohibits appearing in a state of nudity or otherwise violating Section 210.160 while in any County park, so park visitors face the identical Class A misdemeanor standard as anywhere else in the unincorporated county.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in St. Charles County

All St. Charles County rules

Compare St. Charles County to another location·View the Missouri public conduct overview

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