Pico Rivera, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage
- Public property and publicly visible private property
- Only exception
- Bathroom/restroom fixtures
- Adopted
- Ordinance 1185, July 9, 2024
- Amended
- Ordinance 1188, February 11, 2025
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 6 months jail
- Infraction schedule
- $100 / $200 / $500 for repeats
- Default penalty section
- Pico Rivera Municipal Code § 1.20.010
Summary
It is unlawful to urinate or defecate on any Pico Rivera street, sidewalk, alley, parking lot or other public property, and the ban extends to private property visible to the public. Section 9.54.040 exempts only proper use of a bathroom fixture, and a violation is prosecuted under the citywide penalty schedule.
§ 1.20.010. Penalties for code violations—Public nuisance abatement. ... Any person convicted of a misdemeanor under the provisions of this code shall be punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment in the city or county jail for a period not exceeding six months, or both such fine and imprisonment. ... § 9.54.040. Public urination and defecation prohibited. No person shall urinate or defecate on any public street, roadway, boulevard, alley, parking lot, sidewalk, or any other property owned, controlled and/or operated by the city, county or any public agency, or on private property in any area exposed to the public view, except when using a urinal, toilet, or commode located in a bathroom, restroom, or other structure specifically designated for the purpose of urination and defecation.
Full Breakdown
Section 9.54.040, part of Chapter 9.54's Prohibition Against Certain Conduct on Public Property, bars urinating or defecating on any public street, roadway, boulevard, alley, parking lot, sidewalk, or property owned, controlled or operated by the city, county or any public agency. The prohibition reaches beyond city land: it also covers private property when the act happens in an area exposed to public view, so a business parking lot or an open yard visible from the sidewalk is covered just like a city street. The only exception is using a urinal, toilet or commode inside a bathroom, restroom or other structure built for that purpose.
Chapter 9.54 was adopted by Ordinance 1185 on July 9, 2024 and amended by Ordinance 1188 on February 11, 2025 as part of a broader package addressing conduct on public property, alongside companion sections restricting free-passage obstruction and vehicle habitation. Section 9.54.060 limits the chapter so it cannot be applied in a way that violates state or federal constitutional protections. Section 9.54.070 preserves other enforcement tools, so an officer citing this section can also enforce parking, littering and illegal-dumping laws against the same person and location.
Because Chapter 9.54 does not set its own penalty, a violation falls back to the citywide default in Section 1.20.010, which lets prosecutors charge it as a misdemeanor or reduce it to an infraction.
Violations & Fines
A misdemeanor conviction under the citywide penalty schedule in Section 1.20.010 carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in county or city jail, or both. If the city attorney reduces the charge to an infraction instead, fines run $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for a third within a year, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination illegal everywhere in Pico Rivera or just on city streets?
What is the penalty for a first public urination citation?
Are there any exceptions to the ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pico Rivera
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Public Urination in Nearby Cities
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