Seattle, WA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

100 defines the offense broadly: it applies anywhere "generally visible to public view," a list that expressly includes streets, sidewalks, bridges, alleys, plazas, parks, driveways, parking lots, automobiles whether moving or parked, and buildings open to the public such as restaurants and entertainment venues, plus the doorways and entrances to buildings or dwellings and the grounds enclosing them. Only a washroom or toilet room is exempt. 080, a civil infraction carrying a fine or forfeiture of up to $500, with the court also able to order restitution.

Subsection D escalates the penalty: anyone who violates the section a second time, or who fails to appear in court after being cited the first time, is guilty of a misdemeanor rather than facing only the civil fine. 090 makes clear the civil framing does not strip a defendant of constitutional protections except the right to a jury trial. 080 penalty scale, so the park rule and the citywide rule work together rather than creating two different standards. Because the definition of "public place" sweeps in vehicles and building entryways as well as open streets, the ordinance reaches conduct well beyond what many residents assume is only a park or sidewalk issue.