Tennessee HB 1320 (2024) makes camping on local public property a Class C misdemeanor and on state property a Class E felony, sharply restricting tolerated encampments in Chattanooga.
Tennessee HB 1320, effective 2024, criminalizes unauthorized camping on public property statewide. Camping on local public property such as Chattanooga parks, sidewalks, or city-owned lots is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by fines and up to 30 days in jail. Camping on state-owned property such as highway rights-of-way or state parks elevates to a Class E felony. The law preempts more permissive local approaches. Chattanooga Police Department enforces alongside the Homeless Outreach Team, which connects unhoused residents with shelter referrals before citation when feasible. Advocates have challenged the law as cruel under Eighth Amendment standards.
Local camping is a Class C misdemeanor; state-property camping is a Class E felony with up to six years incarceration plus fines.
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See how Chattanooga's encampment sanitation rules stack up against other locations.
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