Homelessness & Encampment Rules in Miami, FL (2026)
3 verified homelessness & encampment rules for Miami, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
LAMC §41.18 Encampment Rule
Miami's camping enforcement was shaped by the Pottinger v. City of Miami consent decree (1998-2018), which limited arrests of unsheltered people for life-sustaining acts. Florida HB 1365 (2024) now requires cities to ban public camping, ending the Pottinger-era equilibrium.
Miami Camping Rules and the Pottinger Legacy
Some RestrictionsFlorida HB 1365 (2024) — Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping, Chapter No. 2024-11
CS/CS/HB 1365: Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping. Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping; Prohibits counties & municipalities from authorizing or otherwise allowing public camping or sleeping on public property without certification of designated public property by DCF; authorizes counties to designate public property for such uses for specified time period; requires coun...
Sit-Lie Rules
City law makes it unlawful to sit, lie, stand, loiter or camp on any Miami sidewalk, street or public right-of-way if doing so blocks passage and you refuse a police officer's order to move on.
Miami Sidewalk Sit-Lie/Obstruction Ban
Significant RestrictionsMiami Code of Ordinances § 54-2(c)(1)
(c)Prohibited behavior. It is unlawful for any person or any number of persons:(1)To so stand, loiter, walk, sit, lie, or camp upon any street, sidewalk or public right-of-way in the city so as to obstruct free passage over, on or along said street, sidewalk or public right-of-way, after a request by a law enforcement officer to move on so as to cease blocking or obstructing free passage thereo...
Encampment Sanitation
Miami Code § 37-16 makes camping, sleeping under a tent, or accumulating belongings in parks, sidewalks, and rights-of-way unlawful, with a citation or arrest issued only after a written warning and, before any arrest, a confirmed shelter-bed offer.
Miami Bans Encampments on Public Property
Significant RestrictionsMiami Code of Ordinances § 37-16
(b)Prohibitions.(1)Encampment in a public place in the city is unlawful.(2)Any person who violates this section shall be punished as provided in section 1-13 of the Code or as a civil violation as set forth in chapter 2, article X of the Code.(c)Procedure for enforcement.(1)A police officer or code inspector may issue a citation for a violation of this article if prior to issuing the citation:a...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Miami city rules.
Homelessness & Encampment Rules in Miami-Dade County →