Merced, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Merced Municipal Code Sec. 9.16.020
- Covered locations
- Streets, sidewalks, parkways, alleys exposed to public view
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under Chapter 1.12
- Related offense
- Spitting on a sidewalk, Sec. 9.16.010
- Enforcing agency
- Merced Police Department
Summary
Merced Municipal Code Section 9.16.020 makes it a misdemeanor to urinate or defecate on any street, sidewalk, parkway, alley, or other public place exposed to public view within the city, enforced under the same Chapter 1.12 penalty schedule as other municipal code misdemeanors.
Any person who urinates or defecates upon any street, sidewalk, parkway, alley, or other public place exposed to public view within the city is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 - 1-26).
Full Breakdown
16, titled 'Spitting, Urinating, Defecating in Public,' adopted by Ordinance No. 1181 in 1976 and carried forward from the prior code. ' The 'exposed to public view' language is the operative limit: the conduct has to occur somewhere visible from a public vantage point, matching the location list of streets, sidewalks, parkways, alleys, and other public places. 10. 12's general penalty provision that applies across the Municipal Code, can bring fines and the jail term that chapter sets for a first, second, or repeat municipal code misdemeanor conviction.
Violations & Fines
Public urination or defecation in view of the street, sidewalk, parkway, or any other public place is a misdemeanor under Section 9.16.020, punished under Chapter 1.12's general penalty schedule. Spitting on a sidewalk is charged separately as a misdemeanor under Section 9.16.010. Both offenses are enforced by the Merced Police Department and can result in citation, arrest, and a criminal record on conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination illegal in Merced?
Does the rule only apply if someone actually sees you?
Is spitting on the sidewalk also against the law in Merced?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced
California rules heatmap·Compare Merced to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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