Am I allowed to urinate in public?
No — urinating in public is not allowed in Croatia, even though there is no separate rule literally called a "urination fine". It is dealt with under the Public Order and Peace Offences Act: most often as offending or belittling citizens' moral feelings, carrying 200 to 1,000 euros (Art. 14), and where the conduct is especially brazen and indecent, 700 to 4,000 euros (Art. 6). Here the myth of a token few-euro fine falls: the amount depends on how the police classify the act. In parallel, almost every city bans relieving oneself in public through a communal-order by-law and sets its own, usually lower, fine collected by the communal wardens. The amounts are in euros because the Act was converted in 2022 and partly tightened in 2023.
📋 The rules
- No standalone "public urination" offence: it is handled under the Public Order and Peace Offences Act depending on the circumstances and location.
- Offending morals: whoever offends or belittles citizens' moral feelings in public is fined 200 to 1,000 euros or up to 30 days' imprisonment (Art. 14).
- Brazen and indecent conduct: where the behaviour is especially brazen, the fine is 700 to 4,000 euros or up to 30 days (Art. 6).
- City by-laws: publicly relieving oneself is specifically banned by municipal communal-order by-laws, with the fine imposed by the communal wardens.
- Amounts in euros: the fines were converted to euros (NN 114/22) and partly raised in 2023 (NN 47/23), so the old kuna figures no longer apply.
🔓 Exceptions
- Children and medical situations: with small children or people with a documented condition (e.g. incontinence) the intent to offend is absent, so a penalty is generally not imposed.
- Location and visibility: conduct hidden from view and not disturbing anyone is harder to classify as offending morals than an act in the middle of the street or a terrace.
- Differing city by-laws: the size of the communal fine varies from city to city, and some places (public toilets, fairs) have their own rules and charges.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
For public urination the police usually issue a penalty notice under the Public Order and Peace Offences Act: 200 to 1,000 euros for offending moral feelings (Art. 14) or 700 to 4,000 euros for especially brazen and indecent conduct (Art. 6), with up to 30 days' imprisonment in serious cases. In parallel a fine from the communal wardens may arrive under a city by-law, so the same act can be charged twice. The hidden costs are rarely mentioned: the offence is entered in the record, an unpaid fine goes to enforced collection through FINA with enforcement costs, and a foreigner who refuses to pay on the spot may be held until payment. The biggest misconception is that "everyone does it, so there is no fine" — in nightlife zones supervision is stepped up precisely because of that.
📎 Official sources
- zakon.hr — Public Order and Peace Offences Act (Arts. 6 and 14) [Croatian] →
- Narodne novine — amendments to the Public Order Offences Act (NN 47/23) →
- City of Zagreb — communal-order by-law (example city by-law) →
❓ Frequently asked
Is there a specific fine for urinating on the street in Croatia?
There is no rule dedicated to urination alone; the act is classified as offending morals or indecent conduct under the Public Order and Peace Offences Act. Because of that the fine ranges from 200 to as much as 4,000 euros, depending on how the police classify it.
Can I get two fines for the same act?
Yes, it is possible for the police to issue a penalty notice under the state Act while the communal wardens impose a separate fine under a city by-law. These are two different legal bases, so in practice they can overlap.
How much is the communal fine under a city by-law?
The amount varies from city to city because each local authority sets it in its own communal-order by-law. It is usually lower than the state offence fine, but it is collected by a communal warden on the spot.
Do the old kuna fines still apply?
No; the amounts in the Public Order and Peace Offences Act were converted to euros on the day the euro was adopted, and part were raised by the 2023 amendments. The old kuna figures circulating online no longer match the current text.
What if I do not pay the fine?
An unpaid offence fine is collected by force through FINA, with additional enforcement costs and a possible account freeze. A foreigner who refuses to pay may in some cases have onward travel restricted until the debt is settled.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
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