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Skagit County, WA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing sections
SCC 2.04.050 and 2.04.060
Structure ban
No tents/tarps on County property
Exception
Skagit County campgrounds only
Unattended property
May be destroyed if a safety risk
Closure hours
9:30 p.m.-6:00 a.m. weekdays, all day weekends
Exemptions
Employees, authorized activity, written permission

Summary

In unincorporated Skagit County, no tent, tarpaulin or other screening structure may go up on County-owned property except at a designated Skagit County campground. The County can remove unauthorized structures outright, and any personal property left unattended on County property, tents, packs, bedding, may be destroyed if it poses a safety risk, under SCC 2.04.050 and 2.04.060.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Skagit County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

No structure, including but not limited to any tent, tarpaulin, or any assembly of materials arranged with the purpose of screening observation of any portion of individuals who are inside, may be erected on County property except where permitted at a Skagit County campground. The County has the authority to remove any unauthorized structures. ... No personal property shall remain unattended on any County property. Property left unattended which poses a safety risk may be destroyed.

Full Breakdown

04 of the Skagit County Code, "Hours of Operation and Use of County Properties," governs camping and encampment cleanup on County land. 050 bars erecting any structure, explicitly including tents and tarpaulins or any material arranged to screen observation of people inside, on County property, with a single carve-out: a Skagit County campground. The County has express authority to remove any unauthorized structure it finds. 060 separately bans leaving personal property unattended anywhere on County property, and property left unattended that poses a safety risk may be destroyed outright, no storage-and-notice process is written into the section.

on business days and all day on weekends and holidays. 040 exempts only County employees, people engaged in a County-authorized activity, and anyone with advance written permission from the Facilities Management Director. Sheriff's deputies and Facilities Management staff are the practical enforcers on the ground, since the code vests removal authority in "the County" without naming a single department. 030 closure and instead run on hours set by the Parks and Recreation Director.

Violations & Fines

SCC 2.04.050 authorizes the County to remove any structure, tent, tarp or screening material, erected on County property outside a designated campground, with no notice period written into the section. SCC 2.04.060 goes further: unattended property that poses a safety risk "may be destroyed," not merely impounded. Being on closed County property after 9:30 p.m. or before 6:00 a.m. under SCC 2.04.030 without an exemption under SCC 2.04.040 (employee status, authorized activity, or the Facilities Management Director's written permission) is itself a separate violation of the closure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone camp on Skagit County property?
No. SCC 2.04.050 bars erecting a tent, tarpaulin or any screening structure on County property except at a designated Skagit County campground, and the County can remove unauthorized structures on sight.
What happens to belongings left at a camp on County land?
Under SCC 2.04.060, personal property may not remain unattended on County property, and anything left unattended that poses a safety risk may be destroyed, with no impound-and-notice step written into the section.
Are County parks covered by the overnight closure?
No. SCC 2.04.030 closes County building complexes overnight, but the Skagit County Fairgrounds and parks and recreation facilities are excluded and instead operate on hours set by the Parks and Recreation Director.
Who can be on closed County property overnight?
Only County employees, people engaged in a County-authorized activity, or someone with advance written permission from the Facilities Management Director, per SCC 2.04.040.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Skagit County

All Skagit County rules

Compare Skagit County to another location·View the Washington homelessness & encampment rules overview

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