Glendale, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- First offense fine
- Up to $100
- Second offense fine
- Up to $200
- 4th violation in 12 mo
- Becomes a misdemeanor
- Inside city buildings
- Misdemeanor, no infraction step
- Max misdemeanor penalty
- $1,000 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
Depositing human urine or feces anywhere in public view in Glendale, other than in a toilet, is at minimum an infraction under Municipal Code Section 9.20.120. A fourth violation within 12 months automatically becomes a misdemeanor, and doing it inside a city-owned building is a misdemeanor from the first offense.
A. No person shall deposit, by means of urination or defecation, any human waste material in any public place or in any place open to the public or exposed to public view or upon the surface of the ground or upon any premises, lot, public street or public place other than a toilet or other receptacle designed for such waste. B. For the purpose of this section, "human waste material" shall be defined as human urine or human fecal matter discharged from the body. Except as otherwise provided herein, a violation of this section shall be an infraction, punishable pursuant to section 1.20.010B of this code. C. Any person who has been found guilty, or pled guilty or nolo contendere more than three times in any 12 month period to a violation of this section, shall be, upon the next finding of guilt or entrance of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, guilty of a misdemeanor.
Full Breakdown
120(A) prohibits depositing human waste material, meaning human urine or fecal matter discharged from the body under the subsection (B) definition, in any public place, any place open to the public or exposed to public view, on the surface of the ground, or on any premises, lot, public street, or public place, unless it goes into a toilet or another receptacle built for that purpose. The prohibition is broad enough to reach private property if it is exposed to public view, not just streets and parks.
010(B), which runs $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each additional offense within that year. 010(A)'s penalty of up to $1,000 and six months in jail. Subsection D carves out a stricter rule for city property specifically: depositing human waste inside any building the city owns, other than in a toilet or designated receptacle, is a misdemeanor immediately, with no infraction step and no need to wait for repeat violations.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of Section 9.20.120(A) is an infraction under Section 1.20.010(B): $100 for the first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each further offense that year. A fourth violation, or fourth guilty plea, within 12 months becomes a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail under Section 1.20.010(A). Doing it inside a city-owned building is a misdemeanor from the very first incident under Section 9.20.120(D).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination a crime in Glendale?
When does it become a misdemeanor instead of an infraction?
Does it matter if it happens on private property?
Are the rules stricter inside city buildings?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glendale
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Public Urination in Nearby Cities
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