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

Section 15-12(a) makes it unlawful to camp or stay overnight in or on any city park, greenway, street, right-of-way, under a bridge or viaduct, or other city property without first getting a permit from the director of recreation and parks, so long as the city or county continues to run a twenty-four-hour emergency homeless shelter. Camping is defined broadly to include sleeping, storing personal belongings, making fires, digging, or cooking. Sec. 15-12(b) sets a removal protocol for an unattended campsite: the city posts a twenty-four-hour advance notice before removing it, and when that notice goes up must tell a local agency that delivers homeless services so outreach workers can visit and assess needs.

All personal property must go to the police department regardless of whether the notice was required, and must be stored for a minimum of fourteen days during which it stays reasonably available to anyone claiming ownership; anything still unclaimed after fourteen days may be disposed of. The twenty-four-hour notice is waived when there are grounds to believe illegal activity beyond camping is occurring, or in an emergency such as possible hazardous-material contamination or immediate danger to life or safety. Sec. 15-12(c) extends the rule to city-owned property located outside the city. A conviction under the section is a Class 3 misdemeanor, fined up to $500 under G.S. 14-4.