A person generally commits the criminal offense of public lewdness or lewd conduct in public if the person knowingly engages in any of the following acts in a public place—or, if not in a public place, the person is reckless about whether another is present who will be offended or alarmed by the person’s (1) act of sexual intercourse; (2) act of deviate sexual intercourse; (3) act of sexual contact with a person’s own private parts or those of another.

Public lewdness laws vary from state to state, and some states define and charge such criminal offenses under indecent exposure laws. Public lewdness is usually a misdemeanor offense, but may be a felony offense under some circumstances. And in some states a conviction for public lewdness may require the defendant to register as a sex offender.

In Connecticut, public lewdness is addressed under the state's public indecency laws, specifically under Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-186. A person commits the offense of public indecency when they perform any of the following acts in a public place, or where they might reasonably be expected to be observed by others: (1) an act of sexual intercourse; (2) an act of deviate sexual intercourse; (3) a lewd exposure of the body with intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desire of the person or any other person; or (4) a lewd fondling or caress of the body of another person. Public indecency in Connecticut is generally classified as a Class B misdemeanor. However, if the offender has a prior conviction of the same offense or certain other sexual offenses, the charge can be elevated to a Class A misdemeanor. While a conviction for public indecency does not automatically require registration as a sex offender, under certain circumstances, such as if the act was committed in the presence of a minor or if the individual has prior relevant convictions, the court may require registration under Connecticut's sex offender registry laws.