Elko County, NV Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

The rule is town-specific. Section 7-1-1 covers only the unincorporated town of Mountain City and the unincorporated town of Montello, and it reaches private property as well as every street, alley and other public property. The definition turns on sleep: "camping" is sleeping for more than four hours at a time in a trailer, camper vehicle, other vehicle, tent or similar item, or in the open. Bedding down overnight in a car, in a tent or on the ground falls inside that definition.

Three carve-outs apply. The section does not apply to a vehicle or structure allowed by the prevailing zoning ordinance that complies with the Elko County building codes. It does not apply to a land occupier, a member of the occupier's family, or up to six guests camping on the occupier's land so long as the camping is reasonable in all respects. Camping that continues for more than seven days in succession is not considered reasonable.

A separate chapter covers the townsite of Jarbidge, Nevada. Section 10-6-1 makes overnight camping unlawful there, and 10-6-2 counts staying overnight in motor vehicles of any type, in tents, trailers, mobile homes or similar shelter, and sleeping overnight without shelter or protection. Section 10-6-3 exempts staying overnight in a residence in the townsite and a Jarbidge resident staying overnight on his own property. Section 7-1-28 also makes it unlawful to intentionally urinate or defecate in a public place, other than a washroom or toilet room, under circumstances where a member of the public could observe it.

The Elko County Code does not use the word encampment and prints no cleanup procedure, advance posting period or property-storage rule for removing a camp. Section 7-1-1 sits in Title 7, Police Regulations, and was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in 1990.