From SFWiki

Nudity is something celebrated throughout the San Francisco Bay area.

Simply being naked on the street is not a crime in San Francisco," said Debbie Mesloh, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office. "To bring a case, a person would have to exhibit lewd behavior, block traffic or impede pedestrians on a sidewalk, something along those lines."

Below is a collection of events and locations that allow you to freely express yourself.

Contents 1 Nudity Calendar 1.1 May 1.2 June 1.3 October 2 Nudity Locations 2.1 Naked Exhibition 2.2 Beaches 3 The Laws 3.1 Federal law 3.2 State law 3.3 Local law

Nudity Calendar

May

• Bare to Breakers: Third Sunday in May
  • website: http://www.baretobreakers.com/

June

• World Naked Bike Ride,
  • website: http://www.worldnakedbikeride.org/sanfrancisco/

October

• Halloween

Nudity Locations

Naked Exhibition

• Pier 39: The Naked Yoga guy likes to strip and show how yoga can help you stay very limber.

Beaches

• Baker Beach -- The Richmond
• Bass Lake -- Bolinas
• Bonny Doon Beach -- Santa Cruz
• Gray Whale Cove -- Montara
• Land's End -- The Richmond
• Limantour Beach -- Point Reyes
• Muir Beach -- Marin
• Point Reyes National Seashore -- Marin
• Red Rock Beach -- Stinson Beach
• Red, White and Blue Beach -- Santa Cruz

The Laws

(from: http://www.bayareanaturists.org/resource.html

Federal law

There is no federal law against nudity. Nude beaches, such as Baker Beach in San Francisco, operate within federal park lands in California. However, under a provision called concurrent jurisdiction, federal park rangers may enforce state and local laws, or invite local authorities to do so.

State law

A 1972 California Supreme Court decision In re Smith held that simple beach nudity (absent sexual or shock motives) does not constitute the crime of indecent exposure.

The California State Park system is a special case. Simple nudity is illegal in state parks except in areas designated for the purpose. Although the state has declined to officially designate any nude beaches, traditional use has un-officially designated them, according to the Cahill policy.

It is widely believed that health laws require shoes in a restaurant or food store. However, such laws apply only to the food-handling staff. There is no California state health law requiring customers or patrons to wear anything at all. Dress codes are at the discretion of private business management. See letter from California Department of Health Services.

Finally, California Penal Code section 647(a) states: 647. Every person who commits any of the following acts is guilty of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor: (a) Who solicits anyone to engage in or who engages in lewd or dissolute conduct in any public place or in any place open to the public or exposed to public view.

However, it would be quite a stretch to apply this law against nudists, since simple nudity is not a lewd act.

Local law

Various counties and municipalities may enact their own dress codes, and many have.