From Betsy Malloy,
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Santa Barbara County Nudity Law

It is the intent of the board of supervisors to prohibit nudity in public places, places open to the public, and places open to public view whether such places are publicly or privately owned, even when such nudity is not sexually motivated or otherwise lewd. (Ord. No. 2507, S 1; Ord. No. 2564, S 1)

Sec. 24-15. Nudity --Offenses numerated; penalties.

(a) It is hereby declared a public nuisance and unlawful for any person to appear on any beach, park, street or in any other public place or place open to the public or exposed to public view, including specifically a view from any private residence or any portion of the real property in the immediate vicinity of such private residence, whether such place is publicly or privately owned, unclothed or in such a state of undress as to expose, in the case of a female, any portion of her breasts below the areolas thereof or in the case of any male or female, any part of his or her pubic or anal region or genitalia.

(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any acts which take place wholly within a fully enclosed building or any portion thereof; and nothing contained herein shall be construed to prohibit any act or acts which are expressly authorized or prohibited by the Penal Code of the state.

(c) Violations of this section shall be an infraction punishable by a fine in the sum of fifty dollars for a first violation; a fine in the sum of one hundred dollars for a second violation of this section within one year after the first violation; and a fine in the sum of two hundred fifty dollars for each additional violation within one year after a second violation and within one year after any subsequent violation of this section thereafter. (Ord. No. 2507, S 1; Ord. No. 2564, S 1; Ord. No. 2931, S 1)

This law applies to locations in Santa Barbara County. See also information about nudity laws on State and Federal Lands, which applies to the state parks and any federally-owned property.

WARNING: In April, 2003, a California state park ranger wrote to warn those frequenting Vista del Mar, Gaviota State Beach and San Onofre (Secret Beach): "All of these area are patrolled regularly by both state park peace officers as well as Santa Barbara County Sheriffs, and recent acts of lewd conduct discovered there have been prosecuted to the highest letter of the law... recent complaints of nudity have met with at a minimum a citation of CCR 4322, and at most arrests for PC 314 Indecent Exposure. PC 314 (Indecent Exposure) is listed as a sex crime in California, and carries with it upon conviction lifetime registration in their community as a sex offender."