Jacksonville, FL Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

Ordinance Code Sec. 614.138 makes it unlawful to publicly camp or sleep, to lodge overnight in a parked vehicle not designed for that use, or to erect a tent, tarp, or structure for housing accommodations on public property, in a public building, or in the right-of-way anywhere in the City, unless the property has been formally designated for that purpose under F.S. § 125.0231, Florida's 2024 law requiring local governments to either ban public camping or set up a certified encampment site. Jacksonville chose the ban. Violations are a class B offense enforced by the Sheriff's Office; anyone arrested has their retained personal property held by the City for up to 35 days, with weapons, drug paraphernalia, and suspected stolen items kept as evidence.