Kennewick, WA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

KMC 10.06.095 reads in full: "A person is guilty of urinating or defecating in a public place if he intentionally urinates or defecates in a public place other than in a washroom or toilet room." The offense requires intent, so an accident or a medical emergency is not covered. "Public place" is defined citywide for this chapter at KMC 10.06.011(5) as "an area generally visible to public view, and includes streets, sidewalks, bridges, alleys, plazas, parks, driveways, parking lots, automobiles (whether moving or not), and buildings open to the general public, including those which serve food or drink or provide entertainment, the doorways and entrances to buildings or dwellings, and the grounds enclosing them." The definition carves out an exception for private establishments that provide entertainment and clearly inform patrons of what will occur inside, but that carve-out has no bearing on a urination or defecation charge.

The section sits in Chapter 10.06, Offenses Against Public Morals, alongside related public-decency offenses such as indecent exposure (10.06.081, adopting RCW 9A.88.010 by reference) and committing a lewd act (10.06.090). KMC 10.06.110 sets the penalty for the whole chapter: "Unless otherwise provided, violation of any provision of this Chapter is a misdemeanor." Because no separate penalty is specified for 10.06.095, the standard misdemeanor classification applies, which under Washington law for municipal offenses can carry up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine unless the City's general penalty provisions set a different cap. Kennewick Police enforce the section on a complaint or observation basis; there is no civil-infraction track for this offense, unlike the tobacco and littering rules found elsewhere in Title 10.