Everett, WA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- EMC Chapter 9.54
- Buffer zone size
- Two-block radius
- Sunset date
- December 31, 2027
- Jurisdiction
- City of Everett, Snohomish County, WA
Summary
Everett bans sitting, lying down, or setting up bedding, tents or similar items on city property within designated buffer zones around homeless-service and high-impact locations.
No person shall sit or lie down upon, or place a blanket, sleeping bag, backpack, chair, mattress, couch, stool, or any similar equipment, item, or furniture upon city property, whether improved or unimproved, within a service facility buffer zone.
B. Exceptions. The prohibitions in subsection (A) of this section shall not apply to any person:
1. Temporarily sitting or lying down on a sidewalk or other city property due to a medical emergency;
2. Who, as the result of a disability, utilizes a wheelchair, walker, or similar device to move about the public sidewalk or other city property; or
3. Operating or patronizing an activity on the public sidewalk or other city property pursuant to a city-issued permit for the activity; or a person participating in or attending a parade, festival, performance, rally, demonstration, meeting, or similar event conducted on the public sidewalk or other city property pursuant to a street use or other applicable permit issued by the city. Nothing in any of these exceptions shall be construed to permit any conduct which is prohibited by any city ordinance, code, or regulation.
C. No person shall be cited under this section unless the person engages in conduct prohibited by this section after having been notified by a law enforcement officer that the conduct violates this section and refuses or intentionally fails to cease such activity when ordered to do so.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4194-26, passed July 29, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Everett Municipal Code Chapter 9.54 defines an "encampment" as one or more tents, lean-tos, tarpaulins, pallets or makeshift structures used for habitation, evidenced by bedding, campfires, cooking materials or stored belongings gathered so it appears the site is used for habitation. Within a mayor-designated "service facility buffer zone" (a two-block radius around a designated qualifying service location or high-impact location), EMC 9.54.020 prohibits sitting, lying down, or placing a blanket, sleeping bag, backpack, chair, mattress, couch, stool or similar item on city property. Exceptions cover medical emergencies, disability mobility devices, and permitted activities. A citation requires a prior warning and refusal to comply; violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine. The chapter (Ord. 3957-23) is set to expire December 31, 2027 per the code reviser's note.
Violations & Fines
Misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a fine up to $500, or both (EMC 9.54.020(D)); citation only issues after a law enforcement warning and continued noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is camping banned citywide in Everett?
Does this ordinance expire?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Everett
Compare Everett to another location·View the Washington homelessness & encampment rules overview
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Encampment Sanitation in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle encampment sanitation.