Mendocino County, CA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Camping banned on
- Parks, sidewalks, streets, beaches, floodways
- Homeless exemption hours
- 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. only
- Exempt camp area
- 64 sq ft per person max
- RV parking limit (unposted)
- 12 hours in same spot
- County park RV/camping cap
- 14 nights, posted areas only
- First offense penalty
- Infraction, Gov. Code § 25132
- Repeat offense penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $500, 6 months jail
Summary
Camping is banned at any time on public parks, sidewalks, streets, floodways, ocean beaches and private property without consent, with a narrow homeless exemption between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Unauthorized storage of camp gear on public property is also a nuisance.
Except as provided in the MCC, it is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to camp, or to establish, maintain, operate or occupy a camp site or camp facilities, including a recreational vehicle or motor vehicle used as camp facilities, or store or use camp paraphernalia in or upon the following areas, at any time, unless expressly authorized by the MCC:(1)Any public park;(2)Any sidewalk;(3)Any street or road;(4)Any other public property not specifically mentioned in this Section;(5)Any floodway;(6)Any private property;(7)Any beach contiguous to the Pacific Ocean
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
Mendocino County Code Sec. 030 makes it unlawful and a public nuisance to camp or establish, maintain, operate or occupy a camp site or camp facilities, including an RV used for that purpose, on any public park, sidewalk, street, floodway, private property, ocean beach, or the Mendocino Historical Preservation District, among other listed locations, at any time. Limited exceptions exist: consensual family or friend camping on private residential property, licensed campgrounds and mobile home parks, permitted special events, and RVs legally parked in their own footprint for up to 12 hours or, in a posted County park space such as Indian Creek Campground near Philo, up to 14 nights.
Sec. , limits the area used to 64 square feet per person, and does not block ordinary use of the sidewalk. Access to shelter is presumed reasonable once the person is informed of an available, accessible shelter, safe camping, or safe parking site that does not require objectionable religious participation and they refuse it. Sec. 050 separately bans storing camp paraphernalia on any public property, in a floodway, or outside a structure on private property without the owner's consent. Sec. 060 lets a peace officer arrest for chapter misdemeanors, with citations that may be affixed to a conspicuous object, vehicle or structure when personal service fails, and Sec. 070 sets penalties.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of the camping restrictions in Chapter 14.32 is an infraction under Government Code Section 25132. A second or subsequent violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to six months in County jail, or both, with each continuing day a separate offense; the County may also pursue civil penalties under Chapter 1.08 instead of or alongside criminal enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is camping on Mendocino County sidewalks or public land illegal?
Does the County exempt homeless individuals from the camping ban?
Can I store a tent or sleeping gear on public property even if I'm not camping there?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mendocino County
California rules heatmap·Compare Mendocino County to another location·View the California homelessness & encampment rules overview
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