Marietta, GA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Section 10-4-055 of Marietta's General Offenses chapter, adopted by Ordinance No. 7124 on January 9, 2008, prohibits urinating, defecating, or otherwise discarding or disposing of human waste or excretion in any area exposed to public view or in any public place. The only carve-out is a toilet receptacle provided for that purpose inside the structure of a restroom, bathroom, or other enclosure; there is no exception for outdoor events, festivals, or job sites without portable facilities. Because the section defines no minimum distance or zone, a violation can be charged anywhere within city limits, not just downtown, from park restroom exteriors to alleys and parking lots.

The section carries no fine of its own, so like the rest of Chapter 10-4 it is enforced through Section 10-4-160's general penalty: a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment of not more than six months, for each offense. Marietta Police officers issue the citation, and the case is tried in Marietta Municipal Court alongside other General Offenses chapter violations such as public drunkenness under Section 10-4-050 and disorderly conduct under Section 10-4-010, both of which sit in the same chapter and can be charged together when officers respond to the same complaint in the historic Marietta Square and Glover Park area.