Palmdale, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited conduct
- Urinating or defecating outside a restroom in public view
- Adopted
- Ordinance 1634, § 20, 2024
- Enforcement path
- Public nuisance abatement under PMC Chapter 8.36
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- No exception listed
- Only restrooms are excluded from the prohibition
Summary
Urinating or defecating anywhere in Palmdale other than a restroom is illegal under PMC § 9.11.010, whether in a public place, on publicly owned property, in a spot open to public view, or on someone else's private property without consent. The Chapter 9.11 ban, added in 2024, is enforced as both a public nuisance and a misdemeanor.
§ 9.11.010. Prohibition. It is unlawful for any person to urinate or defecate in a public place or publicly owned property other than a restroom, or in a place open to public view, or upon the private property of another without the consent of the owner or person in lawful possession. ... § 9.11.030. Public nuisance. Any violation of this Chapter shall constitute a public nuisance subject to all enforcement methods, abatement procedures, other remedies, and cost recovery as prescribed in PMC Chapter 8.36 (Regulation of Property Maintenance)... § 9.11.040. Penalties. Violations of any provision of this Chapter shall be punishable as set forth in PMC Chapter 1.12 (Penalty Provisions). Each day that a violation of this Chapter occurs shall constitute a new and separate offense as provided in PMC § 1.12.030 (Continuing violations).
Full Breakdown
Palmdale added a dedicated public urination and defecation ordinance, PMC Chapter 9.11, through Ordinance 1634 in 2024. Section 9.11.010 makes it unlawful for any person to urinate or defecate in a public place, on publicly owned property, in any location open to public view, or on the private property of another person without the consent of the owner or whoever is in lawful possession of it. The only carve-out in the text is a restroom; there is no permit process or time-of-day exception written into the section.
The City treats every violation as a public nuisance under § 9.11.030, which lets it use the same abatement toolkit set out in PMC Chapter 8.36 (Regulation of Property Maintenance): civil enforcement such as a restraining order or nuisance-abatement injunction, criminal enforcement, and administrative enforcement, all of which the code says are cumulative and may be used together rather than as an either-or choice. Enforcement authority under § 9.11.020 is not limited to any one City department; whichever officer or agency handles the complaint can act.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 9.11 is punishable under PMC Chapter 1.12, and each day the conduct continues, or each separate instance, is treated as its own offense under § 1.12.030. Under the default misdemeanor schedule in § 1.12.020, a first conviction can bring a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in County Jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can the City treat public urination as a nuisance in Palmdale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palmdale
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Public Urination in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle public urination.