Goodyear, AZ Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Section 11-1-30 of the Goodyear City Code prohibits urinating or defecating in a public place except in facilities provided for that purpose. ' That last phrase means the offense is not limited to government-owned land; a business parking lot, a store entrance or a residential doorway visible from the street all qualify if the act can be seen by the public. The ordinance sits in Article 11-1 (General Offenses) alongside disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and unruly gathering, all enforced by the Goodyear Police Department. A violation is classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor, which under the code's general penalty section, § 1-8-1, exposes an individual to a fine of up to $2,500 plus surcharges, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day a violation continues charged as a separate offense.

There is no exception written into the ordinance beyond restrooms and similar facilities actually provided for the purpose, so the absence of a nearby public restroom is not a defense the code recognizes. Because the offense is charged as a criminal misdemeanor rather than a civil citation, it is prosecuted in Goodyear Municipal Court and carries a criminal record risk in addition to the fine, distinguishing it from the lower-tier civil violations used elsewhere in the code, such as fugitive dust or special-event infractions.