Rochester, MN Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Rochester City Code § 8-7-5 prohibits urinating or defecating in any of several public locations: a public street, alley, sidewalk, or the floor of any public building, and it extends further to any building where the public gathers or has access, and to any other place, public or private, where the act could be observed by a member of the public. The only carve-out is a location that has been designated as a restroom; using an actual restroom is not a violation. The section, adopted by Ordinance No.

031, does not require proof that anyone actually saw the act, only that it occurred somewhere a member of the public could have observed it, so an alley behind a bar at closing time or a parking ramp stairwell both qualify even if no one happens to be looking at that instant. The city lists public urination among its administrative offenses in § 1-2-3(14), which means officers do not have to pursue a straight criminal case. A police officer, community service officer, animal control officer, or another person authorized by the city administrator can instead issue an administrative citation under § 1-2-5, and the recipient has ten calendar days to pay the scheduled civil fine or request a hearing before an independent hearing officer under § 1-2-6.

Payment of the civil fine is treated as an admission of the violation. The city can also pursue the offense as a straight misdemeanor instead of, or in addition to, the administrative track, subject to the Code's general penalty in § 1-1-11(c).