Bozeman, MT Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Where camping is banned
- City property, city easements, leased property, all public rights-of-way
- Criminal penalty
- Misdemeanor: fine up to $500.00, up to ten days in county jail
- Repeat days
- Each day a violation occurs is a separate offense
- Abatement notice
- Conspicuously posted 72-hour notice of abatement
- No-notice cases
- Waste, debris, trash, traffic impediment, imminent health or safety risk
- Who enforces
- City law enforcement officers and code enforcement officers
- Permit status
- Right-of-way camping permit sunset; no camping permitted after November 1, 2025
Summary
In the City of Bozeman, Montana, Bozeman Municipal Code § 2.08.210 prohibits camping on city owned property, city easements, leased property and every public right-of-way. A violation is a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500.00, up to ten days in the county jail, or both, and the city clears sites after a posted 72-hour notice of abatement.
Camping is prohibited on city owned property, easements granted to the city for any purpose, public rights-of-way regardless of the legal status of the right-of-way, and on property leased by the city. ... A.A violation of section 2.08.210 is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.00 or by a term of imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed ten days, or both. Each day a violation occurs constitutes a separate offense. ... D.The city may abate or cause to be abated any unpermitted camp facility, property, or other personal items in the public right-of-way by conspicuously posting a 72-hour notice of abatement. After the 72-hour notice period, any items remaining will be considered abandoned and subject to disposal. No notice is required to abate waste, debris, trash, or abate a condition impeding traffic or when the condition poses an imminent risk to public health or safety.
Full Breakdown
The Bozeman City Commission adopted the camping rules in Ordinance No. 2172 on October 22, 2024. They sit in Chapter 2, Division 2 of the Bozeman Municipal Code, titled Prohibitions on City Property. Section 2.08.200 defines camping as to pitch, erect, create, use, occupy or otherwise inhabit camp facilities. Camp facilities include tents, huts, temporary shelters, structures, vehicles as defined in section 36.01.020, recreational vehicles, motor homes, camping trailers, tent trailers, truck campers, camper vans, and any other item used for the purpose of camping. Public right-of-way covers streets, roads, bridges, alleys, sidewalks, boulevards, trails, paths and other public ways, including land held by easement or dedication.
Section 2.08.210 then bars camping on city owned property, easements granted to the city for any purpose, public rights-of-way regardless of their legal status, and property leased by the city. The ordinance briefly created a right-of-way permit system for persons experiencing homelessness, but the Editor's note states that Ord. No. 2172, § 5 sunset that permit section on October 1, 2025 and that in no event will camping be permitted after November 1, 2025. Nothing in the code now offers a camping permit.
Cleanup runs through section 2.08.230. For an unpermitted camp facility, property or personal items in the public right-of-way, the city posts a conspicuous 72-hour notice of abatement, and anything left after that period is treated as abandoned and subject to disposal. No notice is required to abate waste, debris or trash, to clear a condition impeding traffic, or when the condition poses an imminent risk to public health or safety. The city can seek the costs of abatement, including towing and impoundment, as restitution in a criminal case or as part of a civil judgment. Any city law enforcement officer or code enforcement officer can enforce the article. The director of transportation and engineering or the director of parks and recreation, as appropriate, decides on abatement or emergency removal without notice.
Violations & Fines
Camping in violation of section 2.08.210 is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.00, a term in the county jail not to exceed ten days, or both, and each day a violation occurs is a separate offense. The same penalty reaches anyone, or the principal of a company, who rents, sublets, provides or exchanges for a service a camp facility so a person can reside on the public right-of-way. Towing and impoundment costs can be assessed against the owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bozeman
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