Simi Valley, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SVMC 5-44.04
- Covered locations
- Streets, sidewalks, parks, parking lots, public view
- Exception
- Enclosed restroom or portable toilet only
- Penalty class
- Misdemeanor or infraction
- Chapter adopted
- Ord. No. 1283, effective Feb. 8, 2018
Summary
Simi Valley bans urinating or defecating on any street, sidewalk, parking lot, park or other public area, or anywhere exposed to public view. The only exception is a restroom, portable toilet, or other enclosed facility built for sanitary waste disposal.
No person shall urinate or defecate in or upon any public street, sidewalk, parking lot, alley, right-of-way, crosswalk, parkway, plaza, park, public building or other publicly maintained facility, public place or other public area or in any place open to the public or exposed to public view, except when using a urinal, toilet or commode located in a restroom, or when using a portable or temporary toilet or other facility designed for the sanitary disposal of human waste and which is enclosed from public view.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
04 makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate in or upon any public street, sidewalk, parking lot, alley, right-of-way, crosswalk, parkway, plaza, park, public building or other publicly maintained facility, or in any place open to the public or exposed to public view. The exception is narrow: a person may only relieve themselves in a urinal, toilet or commode inside a restroom, or in a portable or temporary toilet enclosed from public view. 01. Chapter 44 also regulates leaving personal property unattended in public areas for more than ten minutes and abandoning unattended packages near public buildings, so a public urination citation often arrives alongside other public-property conduct enforcement.
04, is punishable as a misdemeanor or an infraction, with the City Attorney deciding which charge to file based on the circumstances. Because the ordinance turns on location and public exposure rather than intent, it reaches conduct on sidewalks, in parks, in parking lots and anywhere else within public view, not just downtown streets.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Section 5-44.04 is chargeable as a misdemeanor or an infraction under Section 5-44.05, at the City Attorney's discretion. Simi Valley Police Department officers issue citations for conduct occurring on any street, sidewalk, alley, park, parking lot or other public area, or any place exposed to public view. There is no fixed fine schedule in the chapter itself; penalty amounts follow the City's general misdemeanor and infraction fine structure set elsewhere in the Municipal Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination illegal in Simi Valley?
What is the penalty for public urination in Simi Valley?
Are there any exceptions to the ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Simi Valley
California rules heatmap·Compare Simi Valley to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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Public Urination in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle public urination.