Pleasanton, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- § 9.36.010
- Adopted
- Ord. 1838 § 1, 2001
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Classification
- Misdemeanor, not an infraction
- Exception
- Sanitary restroom facilities
Summary
Pleasanton bans urinating or defecating in any street, alley, plaza, park, public building, publicly maintained facility, public land, or any place open to the public or exposed to public view under Municipal Code § 9.36.010. Restrooms and other sanitary-disposal facilities are expressly exempted, and the offense is prosecuted as a misdemeanor.
No person shall urinate or defecate in or upon any street, alley, plaza, park, public building, publicly maintained facility, public land, or in any place open to the public or exposed to public view. This section shall not apply to urination or defecation which is done in a restroom or other facility designed for the sanitary disposal of human waste.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4955754; v17 updated 2026-06-02).
Full Breakdown
010 sets the operative rule in one sentence: no person may urinate or defecate in or upon any street, alley, plaza, park, public building, publicly maintained facility, public land, or in any place open to the public or exposed to public view. The section carves out an exception only for urination or defecation done in a restroom or other facility designed for the sanitary disposal of human waste, so a portable toilet at a permitted event or a park restroom is not covered. Pleasanton's police department enforces the section citywide, including in downtown, Lions Wayside and Delucchi Parks, and the parking structures and public buildings along Main Street and West Angela Street.
010, which applies to any Pleasanton Municipal Code violation not otherwise classified. 030. 34) in the same title, reflecting a broader public-nuisance enforcement scheme for downtown and park areas.
Violations & Fines
A first offense is a misdemeanor under the code's default penalty, § 1.12.010: a fine up to $1,000.00, imprisonment in county jail for up to six months, or both, because Chapter 9.36 is not on the infraction schedule in § 1.12.020. Each day the conduct continues can be charged as a separate violation under § 1.12.030.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to urinate in public in Pleasanton?
Is there an exception for restrooms?
What is the penalty for a violation?
Does the ban apply on private property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pleasanton
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Public Urination in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle public urination.