El Dorado County, CA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code Section 9.55.060
- Public property
- Camping banned unless specifically authorized
- Private property
- Owner, tenant, family, or written permission only
- Pre-removal notice
- 24-hour written notice before removal
- Removal window
- Removal starts within 72 hours after notice
- Storage period
- Impounded property held 95 days
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under Chapter 1.24
Summary
El Dorado County bans camping on public property unless authorized by County ordinance, an emergency declaration from the Chief Administrative Officer, or a Board of Supervisors resolution, and limits camping on private property to the owner, tenant, their family or an invited guest with written permission. Deputies can order an encampment cleared and its stored property impounded under the same 2025 chapter.
Sec. 9.55.060. - Unlawful camping. A.Public property. No person may camp in or upon public property unless any of the following are met:1.Camping is specifically authorized by this Code or any other ordinance, law, or regulation.2.Camping is authorized by a formal declaration of the County Chief Administrative Officer in emergency circumstances.3.Camping is authorized upon passage of a resolution by the Board of Supervisors.B.Private property. No person may camp on private property unless:1.The person camping:a.Is the owner or tenant of the private property;b.Is a family member or relative of an owner or tenant of the private property;c.Is accompanied by an owner or tenant of the private property; ord.Has written permission in his or her possession from an owner or tenant of the private property and the written permission includes the owner's or tenant's name, address, and phone number; and2.The camping is not prohibited under County Title 130 or any other ordinance, law, or regulation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
060, enacted by Ordinance No. 5221 effective January 28, 2025, splits unlawful camping into a public-property track and a private-property track. 32. On private property, only the owner or tenant, their family member or relative, someone accompanied by the owner or tenant, or a person carrying written permission naming the owner or tenant and their address and phone number may camp, and even then only if the camping does not violate the Title 130 zoning code or another law. 86. Perishable items, hazardous materials, weapons and contraband may be discarded immediately without waiting out the notice period.
Violations & Fines
Camping in violation of Section 9.55.060 is a misdemeanor under Section 9.55.110, punished under the general penalty schedule of Chapter 1.24, and each day the encampment continues can be charged separately. Before the County removes an encampment's stored property it must post the written pre-removal notice required by Section 9.55.080, and unclaimed impounded items are disposed of under Chapter 8.86 if not retrieved within 95 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the County clear an encampment without notice?
Is camping ever legal on County property?
What happens to property seized from a cleared campsite?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Dorado County
California rules heatmap·Compare El Dorado County to another location·View the California homelessness & encampment rules overview
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