Raleigh, NC Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Sec. 13-3013 of the Code of Ordinances draws the line at two things: City property and public view. It is unlawful to urinate or defecate on any City right-of-way, street, sidewalk, park, or other City building or facility, and separately unlawful to urinate or defecate outdoors in view of the public on any property at all, the second clause is not limited to City-owned land, so a backyard visible from a sidewalk or a parking lot in plain sight of passersby can trigger the same violation.

The only exception is relieving oneself into an approved toilet facility provided for that purpose. The section was adopted by Ord. No. 1988-270 in 1988 and amended twice since, most recently by Ord. No. 2022-339 in February 2022, which added the modern civil-enforcement language. Violation is expressly declared a misdemeanor, and the ordinance also authorizes enforcement through a civil penalty under Sec. 14-1005 (the Code's default civil penalty is $250 unless a section sets its own), through injunctive or other equitable relief, or any combination of those remedies, giving the Police Department and Code Enforcement more than one enforcement track for the same conduct.

This section is frequently the charge used against public urination connected to downtown nightlife enforcement and unsanctioned outdoor encampments, since it applies regardless of the underlying reason a person relieved themselves outdoors.