Manchester, NH Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Fine
- Up to $250 per violation
- Enforcing authority
- Board of Mayor and Aldermen
- Covers
- Streets, sidewalks, square, public places
- Parks
- Governed separately under Chapter 96
- Permit
- Prior written permission required
Summary
Manchester prohibits camping on streets, sidewalks, the square, and other public places without prior written permission from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, with violators facing fines up to $250.
It shall be unlawful for any person to use or cause to be used any of the streets, sidewalks, square or any other public place, excepting parks as governed by Chapter 96, as a camping place absent prior written permission from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen or its designee. As used in this section, the term CAMP or CAMPING shall mean the use of public property as a temporary or permanent place of dwelling, lodging or residence, or as a living accommodation at any time as defined on the date of offense by the official government record, or as a sojourn that has not been authorized by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen or its designee. Indicia of camping may include, but are not limited to, any one or more of the following: storage of personal belongings; using tents, tarps or other temporary structures for sleeping or storage of personal belongings; hanging clothes line; carrying on cooking activities or making any fire in an unauthorized area; or any of such activities in combination with either sleeping or making preparations to sleep (including but not limited to the laying down of cots, cushions, sheets, blankets, sleeping bags or other bedding for the purpose of sleeping).
(B) Exceptions. This section does not affect any other provision of the City of Manchester Code of Ordinances.
(C) Penalty. Any person who violates this provision shall be subject to a fine of up to $250. (Ord. passed 1-19-21; Am. Ord. passed 5-4-21; Am. Ord. passed 7- 2-24)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: current through Ord. passed 6-3-2025).
Full Breakdown
Manchester's Code makes it unlawful to use any street, sidewalk, square, or other public place, except parks, which fall under Chapter 96, as a camping site without prior written permission from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen or its designee. The ordinance defines camping broadly: storing personal belongings, pitching tents or tarps, stringing a clothesline, cooking or lighting a fire without authorization, or laying down cots, sleeping bags, or bedding to sleep. Manchester's park rules apply the same indicia-of-camping test to city parks, with a narrow carve-out for parents sheltering young children during a park visit. Violators face a fine up to $250.
Violations & Fines
Camping on streets, sidewalks, or the square without written city permission, including storing belongings, pitching tents, or bedding down to sleep, draws a fine up to $250.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone camp in a Manchester park?
What counts as "camping" under this ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Manchester
Compare Manchester to another location·View the New Hampshire homelessness & encampment rules overview
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Encampment Sanitation in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle encampment sanitation.