How to find public restrooms in San Francisco

Where to go when you've got to go?

These are common places in SF where you can find restrooms that are open to the public.

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1. Parks

Majority of parks in San Francisco have public restrooms. Data SF maintains public list with 214 restrooms. These toilets are mostly maintained by SF Recreation & Parks and are open 8am to 8pm daily. During the winter, they can close as early as 5pm.

Occasionally, parks may have self-cleaning toilets, which are maintained by SF Public Works via the Pit Stop Program.

2. Libraries

There are 28 public libraries in SF with public restrooms! The downside is that the hours are limited, but the upside is that you don't need to buy an $8 latte.

3. SF Police Department

Wait..no way, the SFPD is useful?! They are at least 60% of the time in this case. Out of the 10 locations, 6 have public restrooms:

• Bayview
• Park
• Northern
• Mission
• Richmond
• Southern

4. SF Fire Department

This is going to upset some people, but yes you technically can use SFFD's bathrooms. Their official stance is that the ground-floor bathrooms are open to the public 9am-6pm every day, as mentioned in this memo.

You'll need to ring the buzzer and firefighters will let you in. If they get called, you'll also need to leave - so please only use this option if you have no other choice. There are 47 fire stations spread out throughout the city, that's a lot of toilets!

5. Museums

You might be surprised to learn that museums often have bathrooms in the lobby that you can access without buying a ticket. They're usually near the gift shop. For example, the Exploratorium and MoMA have beautiful bathrooms anyone can use!

6. Shopping

Malls, large grocery stores(Target, TJ's, Safeway) and high-end luxury stores (Saks 5th, Tiffanys) will have bathrooms you can use without requiring purchase. You're typically considered a customer by being present in the store/mall, so you can usually use the bathroom for free.

7. Other Private Businesses

Obviously, these are public restrooms but it still felt worth mentioning. Most private businesses will expect you to purchase before they give you access to their bathrooms. Better to pay than poop yourself I'd say (and it's good etiquette). Here's what I'll usually look for:

• Hotels - Larger, fancier hotels have the nicest bathrooms and are the most lenient around who gets to use them. Hyatt Regency, Marriot Marquis, Westin and Ritz-Carlton are a few of my go-to spots.
• Bars - Get ID'd and walk in. On weekends, use bathroom at your own risk.
• Cafes - Typically requires a code. Sometimes employees give it for free and some places don't require it (e.g. Dandelion Chocolate)
• Restaurants - Large chain restaurants are the best option here (Cheesecake Factory, Applebees, Boudin Bakery etc.).

Hope this helps!

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