Livermore, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- Citywide, no zone exception
- Allowed location
- Enclosed restroom fixture only
- Penalty
- Infraction under LMC §1.16.010
- Adopted
- Ordinance 1492, 1996; penalty amended 2012
- Escalation
- 4th infraction becomes a misdemeanor
Summary
Livermore Municipal Code Section 9.30.010 makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate in public anywhere in the City except inside a urinal, toilet or commode located in a bathroom, restroom or other structure enclosed from public view. There is no size-of-crowd or business-district limit: the ban is citywide, and violating it is charged as an infraction under Section 9.30.020.
No person shall urinate or defecate in public except when using a urinal, toilet or commode located in a bathroom, restroom or other structure enclosed from public view. (Ord. 1492 § 1, 1996) § 9.30.020. Penalty. Any person who violates any provision of LMC § 9.30.010 shall be deemed guilty of an infraction. If charged as an infraction, the penalty upon conviction of such person shall be a fine as set forth in LMC § 1.16.010. (Ord. 1971 § 1(J), 2012)
Full Breakdown
30, Public Urination and Defecation, was added by Ordinance 1492 in 1996 as a two-section chapter dealing solely with this conduct, sitting in Part IV, Offenses Against Public Peace, alongside the disorderly-assembly and noise chapters. 010 states the prohibition in absolute terms, covering any public place in the City and permitting the act only inside an enclosed restroom-type fixture screened from public view; nothing in the text carves out exceptions for emergencies, homelessness, special events or any other circumstance, and the prohibition applies equally to public streets, parks, parking lots and sidewalks.
010(B) reclassifies the offense as a misdemeanor punishable under Penal Code Section 19. 030, the City can also pursue civil abatement in addition to citing the individual responsible.
Violations & Fines
A first, second or third public urination or defecation citation under Section 9.30.010 is an infraction, fined per the general schedule in Section 1.16.010 and Government Code Section 36900. A fourth or later citation is treated as a misdemeanor under Section 1.16.010(B), exposing the person to Penal Code Section 19 misdemeanor penalties rather than a simple fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination actually illegal in Livermore, or just frowned upon?
What is the penalty for a public urination citation?
Does the ban apply only to certain areas like downtown or parks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Livermore
California rules heatmap·Compare Livermore to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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Public Urination in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle public urination.