Lakewood, NJ Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Section 3-24 of the Township of Lakewood Code, adopted by Ordinance No. 2006-20, prohibits urinating in any public place anywhere in the township. The code defines "public place" expansively: a public street, road, thoroughfare, sidewalk, bridge, alley, plaza, park, recreation or shopping area, a public transportation facility, a vehicle used for public transportation, a parking lot, or any other public building, structure or area. Because the definition sweeps in parking lots and shopping-area walkways alongside parks and sidewalks, the prohibition reaches most outdoor commercial and public spaces in the township, not just municipal parks or rights-of-way.

The section carries no stand-alone fine schedule of its own. 1, which authorizes the Municipal Court to impose a fine of up to $1,000, up to 90 days in the Ocean County jail, up to 90 days of community service, or a combination of these. 5 treats each day a violation continues as a separate offense. Enforcement runs through the Lakewood Township Police Department and the Municipal Court, the same bodies that enforce the neighboring public-camping and open-container sections in Chapter 3. Because the ordinance sits in Chapter 3, Police Regulations, alongside littering, defacement of property, and public alcohol consumption, officers who encounter public urination during a patrol can charge it directly without needing a separate County-level statute.