Miami, FL Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 37-16
- Written warning required first
- yes, before citation or arrest
- Arrest precondition
- confirmed available shelter bed refused
- Personal property limit
- must fit a 3x3x3-foot box
- Enforcing agency
- police officers and code inspectors
Summary
Miami Code § 37-16 makes camping, sleeping under a tent, or accumulating belongings in parks, sidewalks, and rights-of-way unlawful, with a citation or arrest issued only after a written warning and, before any arrest, a confirmed shelter-bed offer.
(b)Prohibitions.(1)Encampment in a public place in the city is unlawful.(2)Any person who violates this section shall be punished as provided in section 1-13 of the Code or as a civil violation as set forth in chapter 2, article X of the Code.(c)Procedure for enforcement.(1)A police officer or code inspector may issue a citation for a violation of this article if prior to issuing the citation:a.The police officer or code inspector has tendered a written warning to the person maintaining an encampment...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 | Ordinance 11000 (Previous Zoning Code): Supplement 22 | Miami 21 (Zoning Code): ?).
Full Breakdown
Miami Code § 37-16 bans encampments in any public place the city owns or controls, including rights-of-way, parks, sidewalks, trails, transit facilities, and parking lots. Encampment covers unauthorized tents or temporary shelters, bed mattresses or bedrolls, heating devices such as camp stoves or grills, and personal property accumulations too large to fit a three-foot cube, excluding durable medical equipment like wheelchairs or oxygen tanks. A police officer or code inspector must first tender a written warning and give reasonable time to comply before issuing a citation. An officer may only arrest after confirming an available shelter bed exists and the person refused it. Violators face the general penalty under section 1-13 or a civil infraction under chapter 2, article X.
Violations & Fines
Camping or sleeping in a tent, using a heating device, or leaving excess belongings in a public place after a written warning; arrest requires a confirmed shelter-bed refusal first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Miami police arrest someone camping outside immediately?
Does the property limit apply to medical equipment?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami to another location·View the Florida homelessness & encampment rules overview
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Encampment Sanitation in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Miami-Dade County handle encampment sanitation.