Homelessness & Encampment Rules in Orange County, CA (2026)

1 county-level rule, plus city-specific rules for 10 cities in Orange County, California.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Orange County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Encampment Sanitation

Orange County bans camping, encampments and non-essential property storage on public property in unincorporated areas, with a 500-foot no-return rule and civil or criminal penalties for violators.

Orange County Bans Public Camping Encampments

Significant Restrictions

Orange County Codified Ordinances § 3-21-3

(b)To camp on public property, including but not limited to using, placing or maintaining a tent, sleeping bag, blanket, or other materials for the purpose of sleeping, lying, or sheltering one or more persons in the same location. For purposes of this section, the same location shall mean within five hundred (500) feet of the location in which the person camped on the previous day or night.(d)...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗