Pontiac, MI Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited act
- Urinating/defecating outside a restroom in public
- Places covered
- Streets, sidewalks, parks, private property in public view
- Penalty (general, § 1-25)
- Up to $500 fine or 90 days jail
- Section added
- Ordinance No. 2181, May 2005
- Enforcer
- Oakland County Sheriff's Office (Pontiac contract)
Summary
Public urination and defecation are unlawful anywhere in the City of Pontiac outside a restroom under City Code Section 86-63, covering streets, sidewalks, alleys, parks and any other place open to the public, plus private property when the act is visible to the public. There is no specific fine written into Section 86-63, so a violation falls under the Code's general penalty of up to $500.00 or 90 days in jail, or both.
Except where a restroom is used, it shall be unlawful for any person to urinate or defecate: (1) While on or in any public street, sidewalk, alley, park, parking lot, parking structure, public carrier or any other place open to the public; or (2) While on or in any private property when said act is open to public view. ... Whenever in this Code or in any ordinance of the city any act or failure to do a required act is prohibited or is made or declared to be unlawful or an offense or a misdemeanor, where no specific penalty is provided therefor, the violation of any such provision of this Code or any ordinance shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500.00 or by imprisonment in the city or county jail or other place of legal incarceration for not more than 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.
Full Breakdown
Section 86-63 makes it unlawful for any person to urinate or defecate except where a restroom is used, and it lists two settings: first, while on or in any public street, sidewalk, alley, park, parking lot, parking structure, public carrier or other place open to the public, and second, while on private property when the act is open to public view. The section was added by Ordinance No. 2181 in 2005 and sits in Article III, Division 1 of Chapter 86, the same set of offenses against public morals that also bars indecent exposure and obscene public conduct.
Because Section 86-63 does not spell out its own fine or jail term, Section 1-25's general penalty controls: a fine not exceeding $500.00, imprisonment in the city or county jail for not more than 90 days, or both, at the court's discretion, with a second conviction for the same offense drawing a fine of not less than $500.00 and 90 days imprisonment. Oakland County Sheriff's Office deputies working the Pontiac police contract are the officers who issue citations for this offense downtown and in city parks, where the ordinance sees most use around bars, festivals and the M1 Concourse and Silverdome-site event crowds.
Violations & Fines
A first offense under Section 86-63 is punished under the Code's general penalty in Section 1-25(a): a fine not exceeding $500.00, up to 90 days in jail, or both, at the court's discretion. A repeat conviction for the same violation carries a fine of not less than $500.00 and 90 days imprisonment under Section 1-25(b), since the public urination section itself sets no separate penalty of its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination illegal in Pontiac even if no restroom is nearby?
What is the penalty for public urination in Pontiac?
Does the public urination ban cover private backyards in Pontiac?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pontiac
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