Indio, CA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Where banned
- all city public property
- Private-property camping
- 14 days max per 90 days
- Storage grace period
- 30 days before discard
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine / 6 months jail
- Adopted
- Ord. 1816, Aug. 2024
Summary
Indio bans camping and storing personal property on public property citywide, with enforcement officers required to give notice and hold removed belongings for 30 days before discarding them.
Camping on public property prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to camp on any public property within the city, except as otherwise provided herein.
(D) Storage of personal property on public property prohibited.
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to store any personal property, including camp facilities and camp paraphernalia, on any public property within the city, except as otherwise provided herein.
(2) Before removing any personal property, the enforcement officer, or their designee, shall attempt to provide any readily apparent owners with notice of the intent to remove the personal property and a reasonable opportunity to remove the personal property from public property. If there is no readily apparent owner, or if the readily apparent owner refuses to remove the personal property from public property, then the enforcement officer, or their designee, may cause the personal property to be removed from public property. The enforcement officer, or their designee, shall post a notice on or near the personal property so as to reasonably communicate the notice to the owner the following information:
(a) The location of where the personal property was located;
(b) The date and time notice was served or posted;
(c) A statement that the storage of personal property violates this section;
(d)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4796010; v13 updated 2026-02-04; through 02-04-2026).
Full Breakdown
Indio Municipal Code § 130.020 makes it unlawful to camp -- sleeping, erecting shelter, or storing personal belongings for living purposes -- on any public property in the city, and separately bans storing personal property like tents or bedding there. Before removing property, an enforcement officer must try to notify the owner and give a reasonable chance to remove it; unclaimed items are impounded at no charge for at least 30 days before being discarded, unless they pose an immediate health or safety threat. Camping on private property is allowed only with the owner's consent, capped at 14 consecutive days per 90-day period, and that exception drops away during a temporary use or special event of 10,000-plus people that includes permitted camping.
Violations & Fines
Camping or storing property on public land is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, though the City Attorney can reduce a charge to an infraction with escalating fines up to $500.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone camp on their own property in Indio?
What happens to belongings removed from a public camp in Indio?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Indio
California rules heatmap·Compare Indio to another location·View the California homelessness & encampment rules overview
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Encampment Sanitation in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle encampment sanitation.