West Covina, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Sec. 15-17 reaches further than most cities' public urination laws because it does not limit itself to public property. The ordinance also covers a person's own private property if the act happens in an area exposed to public view, such as a front yard visible from the sidewalk, in addition to covering any other private lot, street, sidewalk, alley, park or public place. The only safe harbor is relieving yourself in a fixture designed for that purpose inside a restroom; there is no exception for emergencies or for areas screened from immediate passersby if the location still counts as exposed to public view.

Unlike Sec. 15-5's public drinking ban, Sec. 15-17 states its own penalty directly in the text: a violation is an infraction, not a misdemeanor, so it does not require a fourth offense to keep the lighter classification. As an infraction, the fine is capped at the limits set by California Government Code Section 36900, which the Code's own general penalty section, Sec. 1-37(b), cross-references for all infractions citywide. West Covina police officers and the city's code enforcement officer, empowered under Sec. 2, can issue a citation on the spot for a violation witnessed in a public place, park or street.

Parks are explicitly named among the covered public places, so the rule applies at every West Covina park, athletic field or public restroom facility, not just streets and sidewalks.