Oxnard, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Oxnard Code § 7-143
- Prohibited locations
- Street, sidewalk, parkway, alley, public view
- Adopted by
- Ordinance No. 2452 ('64 Code Sec. 20-22)
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 6 months jail
- Infraction fines
- $100 / $200 / $500, 1st/2nd/3rd offense
Summary
Oxnard bans urinating or defecating on any street, sidewalk, parkway, alley, or other place exposed to public view. Sec. 7-143 requires no complaint of indecent exposure; the act itself, done where visible to the public, violates the code and is punishable under the general penalty clause, Sec. 1-10.
No person shall urinate or defecate upon any street, sidewalk, parkway, alley or other place exposed to public view within the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Contains Supplement current through 1-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' The section, carried forward from the 1964 Code (Sec. 20-22) under Ordinance No. 2452, does not require that anyone actually see the act or file a complaint of indecent exposure; the trigger is that the location is 'exposed to public view,' which covers the ordinary public rights-of-way named in the section as well as any other spot within the city that is open to being seen. Because the section carries no separate fine schedule of its own, a violation is enforced through the code's general penalty clause, Sec.
1-10, which makes any code violation a general misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. The city attorney has the discretion instead to prosecute the act as an infraction, in which case the fines step up with repeat conduct at the same location or by the same person: not more than $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second violation of the same code section within a year, and $500 for a third or later violation within that year.
Sec. 1-10(D) also treats each day a violation continues as a new and separate offense, and Sec. 1-10(F) allows the city to treat a continuing violation as a public nuisance subject to summary abatement by the city manager.
Violations & Fines
A Sec. 7-143 violation is enforced under the code's general penalty clause, Sec. 1-10: chargeable as a misdemeanor with up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, or, at the city attorney's discretion, as an infraction with fines of $100, $200, and $500 for a first, second, and third offense within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination illegal everywhere in Oxnard?
What is the penalty for public urination in Oxnard?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oxnard
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