Fargo, ND Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Fine
- up to $1,000
- Offense class
- infraction, not misdemeanor
- Where it applies
- public and private property
- Exception
- facilities built for that purpose
Summary
Fargo bans urinating on any public or private property, streets, alleys, sidewalks, and boulevards, unless inside a facility built for that purpose. It's a fineable infraction, not a criminal charge, on a first offense.
It shall be unlawful for any person to urinate upon public or private property, including any street, alley, or public highway, or sidewalk or boulevard, except in a facility which is specifically designed for such purposes.
Full Breakdown
Fargo Municipal Code § 10-0326 makes it unlawful to urinate on public or private property, including any street, alley, public highway, sidewalk, or boulevard, except in a facility specifically designed for that use. The section sits in Article 10-03 (Breaches of Peace and Order) alongside disorderly conduct and open-container rules, but unlike those offenses it isn't on the city's Class B misdemeanor list. That means it defaults to infraction status under § 1-0305(B), a fine rather than a criminal record, though someone convicted twice before for the same infraction within a year can be sentenced as if for a Class B misdemeanor.
Violations & Fines
Infraction citation carrying a fine up to $1,000 under § 1-0301(B); two prior convictions for the same infraction within a year allow a court to sentence a third as a Class B misdemeanor instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination illegal in Fargo?
Will I get a criminal record for it in Fargo?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fargo
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