LAMC Section 41.47.2 prohibits urinating or defecating on any public street, sidewalk, alley, park, or other place open to public view in Los Angeles. Violations are infractions, though officers retain discretion to charge a misdemeanor for repeat or aggravated conduct.
Section 41.47.2 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate on any public street, sidewalk, plaza, park, parking lot, or in any place open to public view, including private property visible from a public way. The ordinance excludes use of permanent or portable restrooms. Citations are typically infractions but may be filed as misdemeanors when the conduct is repeated, occurs near schools, or is paired with disorderly behavior. Enforcement spiked alongside expanded LAPD bike patrols in entertainment districts. Skid Row outreach teams generally divert first-time offenders toward sanitation services rather than booking.
Infractions start around $100 plus court fees. Misdemeanor filings, used for repeat or aggravated cases, carry up to six months jail and possible sex-offender screening if minors witnessed it.
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See how Los Angeles's public urination rules stack up against other locations.
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