Lacey, WA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Lacey Municipal Code § 9.16.050
- Prohibited acts
- Urinating or defecating in a non-designated public place
- Public place includes
- Streets, sidewalks, parks, parking lots, driveways, building entrances
- Chapter
- 9.16, Crimes against Morality and Decency
- Penalty text
- None printed in the section itself
Summary
In the City of Lacey, Washington, it is unlawful to urinate or defecate in a public place that is not specifically designated and intended for that use. Lacey Municipal Code § 9.16.050 defines public place to include streets, sidewalks, parks, parking lots and the doorways of buildings.
A. It is unlawful for any person to urinate or defecate in a public place in the city which is not specifically designated and intended for that use. B. For purposes of this section, the term “public place” means an area generally visible to public view and includes streets, sidewalks, bridges, alleys, plazas, parks, driveways, parking lots, buildings open to the public, and the doorways and entrances to buildings or dwellings and the grounds enclosing them.
Full Breakdown
Lacey Municipal Code § 9.16.050 sits in Chapter 9.16, Crimes against Morality and Decency, and contains two subsections. Subsection A makes it unlawful for any person to urinate or defecate in a public place in the city which is not specifically designated and intended for that use. A restroom or portable toilet set up for the purpose is therefore outside the ban, while any other public place is inside it.
Subsection B defines public place for the City of Lacey. The term means an area visible to public view and includes streets, sidewalks, bridges, alleys, plazas, parks, driveways, parking lots, buildings open to the public, and the doorways and entrances to buildings or dwellings and the grounds enclosing them. The list reaches beyond city-owned land: a private parking lot, driveway or building entrance falls inside the definition when it is visible to the public.
The section is adjacent to the code's other morality and decency offenses, including indecent exposure in § 9.16.010, but it is a standalone prohibition. It is not tied to intent, and it names no exemption for emergencies or medical conditions. Section 1.01.030 adds a general rule for the whole code: whenever an act is made unlawful, the prohibition includes causing, allowing, permitting, aiding or abetting it.
Violations & Fines
Section 9.16.050 prints no penalty clause and does not label the offense a misdemeanor or an infraction. The Title 1 general penalty in § 1.12.010 covers misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor convictions under the city's ordinances: a fine of not more than $1,000.00 or imprisonment not to exceed ninety days for a misdemeanor, and a fine of not more than $5,000.00 or imprisonment for not more than one year for a gross misdemeanor. The section itself does not say which class applies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination illegal in the City of Lacey?
What counts as a public place under the Lacey ordinance?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lacey
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