Mesa, AZ Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Section 6-1-13 of the Mesa City Code, titled "Obscene Conduct," states flatly that it is unlawful for any person to urinate or stool in any place open to public view. The section sits in Title 6, Chapter 1, General Offenses, alongside the City's broader nuisance and public-order rules, and it applies anywhere within Mesa's corporate limits: streets, sidewalks, parks, parking lots, alleys, or any other space visible to the public, not just downtown or commercial areas. The ordinance does not require proof of intent to offend; the act itself, if visible to the public, is the violation.

00) or imprisonment not to exceed six (6) months, or both. Mesa police officers and code enforcement personnel can issue citations directly for observed violations, and each incident is treated as a separate offense rather than a continuing one. A person convicted may also be placed on probation for up to three years under Section 6-1-19, with the court authorized to impose restitution to any affected victim in addition to a fine. The rule traces to the City's 1957-era code (Ordinance references 1635) and has not been repealed, unlike several neighboring sections in the same chapter (Sections 6-1-8 through 6-1-11 and 6-1-14, which were repealed by Ordinance No. 2568 and No. 4145 respectively).