Sonoma, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Sections
- SMC §§ 9.33.010, 9.33.020
- Offense class
- Infraction
- 1st violation fine
- Up to $100.00
- 2nd violation (1 yr)
- Up to $200.00
- 3rd+ violation (1 yr)
- Up to $300.00
- Adopted
- Ordinance 96-12, 1996
Summary
Urinating, expectorating or defecating on public property, or on private property open to the public or visible from public property, is an infraction in the City of Sonoma, with fines rising from $100 to $300 for repeat violations under Sonoma Municipal Code §§ 9.33.010 and 9.33.020.
It is unlawful for any person to urinate, expectorate or defecate on any public property, or upon any private property open to the public or in open view from public property. ... Any person violating any provision of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of an infraction, and: A. Upon the first violation, there shall be imposed a fine not to exceed $100.00; B. Upon the second violation within one year, there shall be imposed a fine not to exceed $200.00; C. Upon the third and additional violations within one year, there shall be imposed a fine not to exceed $300.00.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025).
Full Breakdown
010 for any person to urinate, expectorate or defecate on any public property, or upon private property that is either open to the public or in open view from public property. That reach means the ban covers not just streets, sidewalks and city parks but also a private parking lot, storefront or alley that the public can see into, such as the alleys off Sonoma Plaza or a business parking area behind Broadway. 00. Because the offense is classified as an infraction rather than a misdemeanor, it does not carry jail time under this chapter, unlike some of the other Division IV offenses against public decency in Title 9.
The chapter was adopted in 1996 by Ordinance 96-12 and has not been amended since. Sonoma Police Department officers are the enforcing authority, issuing citations on observation, with the graduated fine structure designed to escalate for repeat offenders within a rolling one-year period rather than resetting after each citation.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of § 9.33.010 is an infraction under § 9.33.020 punishable by a fine up to $100.00. A second violation within one year rises to a fine up to $200.00, and a third or later violation within that same year rises to a fine up to $300.00; no jail time attaches under this chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination a misdemeanor in the City of Sonoma?
Does the public urination ban apply on private property?
How much does a repeat citation for public urination cost in Sonoma?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma
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Public Urination in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle public urination.