Woodbridge, NJ Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited acts
- Urination, defecation, expectoration
- Where it applies
- Any property in the Township
- Maximum fine
- $1,000
- Maximum jail time
- 90 days
- Adopted by
- Ordinance #92-92
- Enforcement
- Woodbridge Police Department
Summary
Woodbridge Code § 3-31.2 makes it unlawful to urinate, defecate or expectorate in public anywhere in the Township, citing Police and Health Department findings that bodily waste on property spreads contagious bacteria and disease. A violation is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail under § 3-31.3.
No person shall cause oneself, or any other person, to voluntarily emit human body fluids and/or solids onto any property located throughout the Township which can potentially expose the public to any risk of contamination with the discharged body solids and/or fluids. It is expressly noted that included with the proscription is the proscription against urination in public, defecation in public as well as expectoration in public.
Full Breakdown
1 recites the Municipal Council's findings, drawn from Police Department reports of people urinating, defecating and expectorating on property throughout the Township and from the Department of Health's warning that such body fluids and solids spread contagious bacteria and disease. 2 turns those findings into a flat prohibition: no person may cause themselves, or anyone else, to voluntarily emit human body fluids or solids onto any Township property that could expose the public to a risk of contamination, and the section expressly folds in public urination, public defecation and public expectoration as covered conduct.
#92-92, does not carve out any location or time-of-day exception, so it applies on streets, sidewalks, parking lots and any other property throughout Woodbridge, not just designated parks or business districts. Enforcement runs through the Woodbridge Police Department, which can issue a summons for prosecution in Municipal Court. Because the prohibition is written as a public-health measure rather than a disorderly-conduct catch-all, officers do not need to show intent to offend, only that body fluids or solids were voluntarily emitted onto property where the public could be exposed to contamination.
Violations & Fines
A conviction under § 3-31.2 carries a fine of not more than $1,000 and/or up to 90 days in jail under § 3-31.3, a notably steep penalty compared to most Township ordinance offenses, which typically cap out at the general Chapter 1, § 1-5 penalty schedule. There is no separate escalating fine schedule for repeat offenders; the same maximum applies from the first offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination illegal everywhere in Woodbridge?
What is the maximum penalty for public urination in Woodbridge?
Why did Woodbridge adopt a public body-fluid ordinance?
Does the Woodbridge ordinance only cover urination?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Woodbridge
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Public Urination in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle public urination.