Austin City Code Section 9-4-11 prohibits camping in public places citywide after Proposition B passed May 2021, reversing the 2019 decriminalization; first offenses bring warnings and outreach offers, repeat violations are class C misdemeanors with up to $500 fine.
Austin voters passed Proposition B in May 2021, restoring the public camping ban repealed in 2019. Austin Code Section 9-4-11 makes it unlawful to camp, sit, or lie in public spaces and to solicit aggressively in many areas. Texas HB 1925 (2021) layered a state-level prohibition with class C penalties, applicable across Texas. APD's HOST teams and Downtown Austin Community Court coordinate phased enforcement: warning, offer of services, then citation. The ordinance excludes designated city sanctioned encampments and special-event areas. Camping, sitting, and lying are also restricted near Lady Bird Lake, Town Lake hike-and-bike trail, and Interstate 35 underpasses. Tenth Circuit and Ninth Circuit caselaw on adequate-shelter availability does not bind Texas courts.
Public camping is a class C misdemeanor under Austin Code Section 9-4-11 and TX HB 1925, with fines up to $500. Repeat violations can be referred to Downtown Austin Community Court for case management. Encampment removals follow 72-hour notices.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Austin, TX
Austin City Code Chapter 9-2 establishes citywide quiet hours from 10:30 PM to 7:00 AM, during which sound plainly audible across a property line in resident...
Austin, TX
Austin enforces Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683 and Austin City Code Chapter 12-5: a vehicle on public right-of-way is abandoned if inoperable for more...
Austin, TX
Austin Land Development Code Chapter 25-2 Subchapter F caps residential fences at 6 feet in side and rear yards and 4 feet in front yards without a permit. C...
Austin, TX
Austin City Code Chapter 3-4 requires dogs in public to be restrained on a leash no longer than 6 feet, with limited exceptions for designated off-leash area...
Austin, TX
Consumer fireworks are illegal to possess, use, or sell within Austin city limits. Violations can carry fines up to $2,000. Permits are issued only for profe...
Austin, TX
Austin imposes no general restriction on year-round lawn ornaments, statuary, or religious displays on private residential property. The sign code (LDC 25-10...
See how Austin's lamc §41.18 encampment rule rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.