Homelessness & Encampment Rules in Dallas, TX (2026)
4 verified homelessness & encampment rules for Dallas, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
LAMC §41.18 Encampment Rule
Dallas City Code Section 31-13 prohibits camping, sleeping, or storing personal property on public sidewalks, parks, and rights-of-way, enforced by Dallas Police with diversion through the Office of Homeless Solutions and constitutional limits from Martin v. Boise.
Dallas Anti-Camping Code 31-13 Restricts Public Sleeping
Heavy RestrictionsSit-Lie Rules
Dallas City Code Chapter 31 restricts sitting or lying on public sidewalks in central business district hours and near schools, but Martin v. Boise and the Grants Pass framework limit enforcement when shelter is unavailable, requiring outreach offers first.
Dallas Sit-Lie Limits Under Chapter 31 Constitutional Constraints
Some RestrictionsTexas Penal Code Sec. 42.03 - Obstructing Highway or Other Passageway
Sec. 42.03. OBSTRUCTING HIGHWAY OR OTHER PASSAGEWAY. (a) A person commits an offense if, without legal privilege or authority, he intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly:(1) obstructs a highway, street, sidewalk, railway, waterway, elevator, aisle, hallway, entrance, or exit to which the public or a substantial group of the public has access, or any other place used for the passage of persons, ...
Encampment Sanitation
Dallas Office of Homeless Solutions and Sanitation post 72-hour notices before clearing encampments, bagging personal property for 90-day storage, coordinating with outreach teams to offer shelter placement and reduce repeat encampment formation along Trinity River and downtown.
Dallas Encampment Cleanup Requires 72-Hour Notice
Some RestrictionsBridge Housing Siting
Dallas Bridge Steps shelter and Project Reconnect transitional housing operate under Code Chapter 51A zoning that allows emergency-shelter use in central area subdistricts, with state Project Reconnect funding helping rehouse Texas residents from encampments to stabilization apartments.
Dallas Bridge Housing and Project Reconnect Siting Rules
Some RestrictionsLooking for Dallas County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Dallas city rules.
Homelessness & Encampment Rules in Dallas County →