Aliso Viejo, CA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

Chapter 8.22 of the Aliso Viejo Municipal Code, adopted by the City Council for the City of Aliso Viejo in Orange County, California, is titled Unauthorized Camping, Sleeping and Storage of Personal Property on Public Property. Section 8.22.010 states the purpose: to keep public streets and areas readily accessible and clean, because camping or storing property interferes with others' use. Section 8.22.030 is the operative ban: it is unlawful for any person to sleep, camp and/or store personal property on any public property within the city.

Section 8.22.020 supplies the definitions. To camp is to place, erect, maintain, pitch or occupy camp facilities and/or to use camp paraphernalia. Camp facilities include tents, huts, other temporary physical shelters, cots, beds, sleeping bags, hammocks and bedrolls. Sleep means sleeping at any time between 11:00 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. in or on any public property, or in, on or under any parked vehicle on a street, sidewalk, alley, public right-of-way or other public property. Public property covers parks, alleyways, parking lots, passageways, rights-of-way, landscaped areas or greenbelts, sidewalks, curbs, and public educational institutions, including property owned by the Capistrano Unified School District.

Section 8.22.040 exempts a city-designated camping area, which the city council can establish by resolution, any camping event approved or sponsored by the city, and the Aliso Viejo Ranch at 100 and 110 Park Avenue, which Chapter 11.12 regulates. The chapter has no cleanup procedure, but § 8.20.040 bars knowingly interfering with a public officer performing authorized work, including refusing to move from an area that is to be cleaned. Section 9.04.050 separately addresses camping or lodging in vehicles on city streets.