Marin County, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Open Space District Code § 02.02.110
- Entrance buffer
- 50 feet from any entrance
- Water source buffer
- 100 feet from wells, creeks, streams
- Burial depth required
- Minimum 6 inches
- Penalty class
- Infraction, except wastewater is misdemeanor
- Enforcing agency
- Uniformed open space park rangers
Summary
Marin County Open Space District Code section 02.02.110 bars urinating or defecating within fifty feet of any entrance to district lands, within one hundred feet of any water source such as a well, creek or stream, or anywhere in public view. Hikers who must go elsewhere on the trail must bury waste at least six inches deep.
02.02.110 - Sanitation. No person using district lands shall do any of the following: A.Urinate or defecate, or permit dogs or other domestic animals, including horses, to urinate or defecate, within fifty feet of any entrance to district lands, nor within one hundred feet of any water source, including wells, creeks and streams;B.Urinate or defecate in public view;C.Fail to bury human waste to a minimum depth of six inches;D.Deposit waste water, sewage or effluent from sinks, portable toilets or other fixtures onto district lands or within reservoirs, lakes, streams, waterways or other bodies of water owned, maintained or otherwise managed by the district.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 2026 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
110, the sanitation article of the Marin County Open Space District Code (Appendix A to the county code), sets four specific rules for anyone on land the district owns, maintains or manages. Subsection A bars urinating or defecating, or letting a dog or other domestic animal including a horse do so, within fifty feet of any entrance to district lands or within one hundred feet of any water source, expressly naming wells, creeks and streams. Subsection B separately bars urinating or defecating in public view anywhere on district land, regardless of distance from an entrance or water source.
Subsection C requires that human waste be buried to a minimum depth of six inches when it is deposited outside those buffer zones and out of public view. Subsection D extends the sanitation rule to wastewater, sewage or effluent from sinks, portable toilets or other fixtures, prohibiting its discharge onto district lands or into district reservoirs, lakes, streams or waterways. 060 as a misdemeanor; violations of subsections A through C, including urinating near a trailhead or water source, are infractions under that section's default rule. 070 for repeated or unresolved sanitation violations tied to a specific location on the preserve.
Violations & Fines
Urinating or defecating within fifty feet of a preserve entrance, within one hundred feet of a well, creek or stream, or in public view anywhere on district land is an infraction under Section 02.01.060's default rule, since only the wastewater-discharge provision in Section 02.02.110(D) is listed as a misdemeanor. A uniformed open space park ranger who witnesses the act can issue a citation on the spot under Public Resources Code section 5560.1.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close to a trailhead can I not go to the bathroom on Marin open space land?
Do I have to bury human waste on the trail?
What penalty applies to violating the district's sanitation rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marin County
California rules heatmap·Compare Marin County to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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