Hawthorne, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 8.35.010
- Scope
- Streets, sidewalks, alleys, plazas, parks, public buildings
- Exception
- Use of a restroom/sanitary facility
- Default penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine / 6 months jail (§ 1.20.010)
- Enacted
- Ord. 1345 § 1, 1985
Summary
Hawthorne makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate on any street, sidewalk, alley, plaza, park, public building, or any other place open to the public or exposed to public view, under Municipal Code Section 8.35.010. The only exception is using an actual restroom or other facility built for sanitary human-waste disposal.
A. No person shall urinate or defecate in or upon any street, sidewalk, alley, plaza, park, public building, publicly maintained facility, or any other place open to the public or exposed to public view. B. This section shall not apply to urination or defecation which is done in any restroom or other facility designed for the sanitary disposal of human waste.
Full Breakdown
35's entire text: a single, broadly worded prohibition rather than a permit or licensing scheme. Subsection (A) reaches any place open to the public or exposed to public view, a phrase that sweeps in more than public property, since it also covers private property that is visible from the street or from a public place. Subsection (B) carves out one narrow exception: using an actual restroom or other facility designed for sanitary disposal of human waste is not a violation, so the ordinance targets the act of doing so somewhere else, not the underlying bodily need.
040(A), which lets police officers, code enforcement officers, and other designated city employees issue citations or make warrantless arrests when they personally observe an infraction or misdemeanor violation of a city ordinance.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Section 8.35.010 defaults to Hawthorne's general penalty scheme in Section 1.20.010: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in city or county jail, or both, unless the city attorney elects to charge it as an infraction or a civil administrative action instead. Each day of a continuing condition is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
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Public Urination in Nearby Cities
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