Cleveland County, NC Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- Cleveland County Code §§ 6-6, 6-7
- Covers
- All county-owned property, plus rights-of-way, sidewalks
- Permission required from
- County manager or designee, in writing
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $500, Class 3 misdemeanor
- Civil penalty
- $250 per day, due within 72 hours
- Adopted
- March 16, 2021
Summary
Cleveland County bans camping, and pitching a tent, tarp or bedding, on any county-owned property, including rights-of-way and sidewalks, under Sections 6-6 and 6-7, unless the county manager has given written permission, and treats an unauthorized camp as a public nuisance officers can clear on the spot.
Camp or camping means the use of county property for living accommodation purposes such as sleeping, or making preparations to sleep (including the laying down of bedding for the purposes of sleeping), or storing personal belongings, or placing any tent or a temporary shelter on county property for living accommodation purposes. ... (a)Unless otherwise expressly permitted in writing by the county manager or his designee, it is unlawful for any person to camp on any county property, including property located within public rights-of-way and sidewalks.(b)Tents, temporary shelters, or other camping gear are prohibited on county property regardless of whether the tents are occupied and/or contain bedding or camping gear, except in locations designated in writing for camping and permitted for such activity. ... (d)A violation of this section is punishable as a misdemeanor.
Full Breakdown
Sections 6-6 through 6-9 of the Code of Ordinances define and prohibit unlawful camping on 'county property,' meaning any parcel Cleveland County owns that is not covered by the parks and recreation chapter, including public rights-of-way and sidewalks. 'Camp or camping' is defined broadly to reach sleeping, preparing to sleep by laying out bedding, storing personal belongings, or placing a tent or temporary shelter for living-accommodation purposes. Section 6-7 makes it unlawful to camp on county property, or to place or leave a tent, temporary shelter or bedding there, without written permission from the county manager or a designee, and it separately bars lighting or using a campfire or bonfire on county property without a written permit.
Section 6-8 declares unauthorized camping a public nuisance: a law enforcement officer or authorized county employee can order a camper to stop and remove their gear, and can summarily remove any tent, temporary shelter, bedding or personal belongings left behind, or extinguish an unauthorized campfire on sight. Enforcement carries two tracks. § 14-4, punishable by up to a five-hundred-dollar fine, or issued a civil citation carrying a two-hundred-fifty-dollar penalty per day, collectible as a debt if unpaid within seventy-two hours, or both. The article, adopted March 16, 2021, took effect immediately upon adoption under its own severability and effective-date clause in Section 6-9.
Violations & Fines
Camping, leaving a tent or bedding, or lighting a campfire on county property without written permission triggers a Class 3 misdemeanor charge carrying up to a five-hundred-dollar fine under G.S. § 14-4, a civil citation of two hundred fifty dollars per day, or both, under Section 6-8.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone sleep overnight on Cleveland County property?
What can a county officer do about an unauthorized campsite?
What is the penalty for illegal camping in Cleveland County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cleveland County
Compare Cleveland County to another location·View the North Carolina homelessness & encampment rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.