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Austin voters passed Proposition B in May 2021, restoring the public camping ban repealed in 2019.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.
See how Austin's lamc §41.18 encampment rule rules stack up against other locations.
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