Monterey, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Monterey City Code § 22-15, part of Chapter 22's Offenses/Nuisances article, prohibits any person age ten or older from willfully and knowingly urinating or defecating in a public place other than a restroom, in any place open to public view, or on the private property of another person without that owner's consent. The rule applies citywide, not just in the tourist corridor around Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf and the Recreation Trail, where enforcement pressure is highest given the volume of visitors and limited public restroom access after bars and restaurants close.

There is no carve-out in the text for medical necessity, homelessness, or nighttime hours; the prohibition applies at any time the conduct occurs somewhere the public can see it or on property the owner has not consented to. 06, which makes any code violation a misdemeanor unless the City Attorney elects to charge it as an infraction. A misdemeanor conviction can carry a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in the Monterey County jail, or both. If charged as an infraction instead, fines are capped at $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense of the same section within a year, and $500 for a third or later offense within that same year.

Monterey Police Department officers are the enforcing authority, and a citation typically issues after direct observation or a citizen complaint, since the statute requires the act occur in public view or on another's property.