California Nudity Laws

Category: Nudity Laws

California

* SECTION 314. Every person who willfully and lewdly, either: 1. Exposes his person, or the private parts thereof, in any public place, or in any place where there are present other persons to be offended or annoyed thereby; or, 2. Procures, counsels, or assists any person so to expose himself or take part in any model artist exhibition, or to make any other exhibition of himself to public view, or the view of any number of persons, such as is offensive to decency, or is adapted to excite to or thoughts or acts, is guilty of a misdemeanor.


* In 2006 a letter to a California attorney from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department stated that "hiking in the forest, in the nude, is not a violation of the law."
* There is also the Cahill Policy which states "it shall be the policy of the Department that enforcement of nude sunbathing regulations within the State Park System shall be made only upon the complaint of a private citizen. Citations or arrests shall be made only after attempts are made to elicit voluntary compliance with the regulations."
* There are many nude beaches and resorts in California but local ordinances vary for nudity on public beaches so check with each community before disrobing.