Santa Cruz County, CA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- SCCC Ch. 10.16, adopted 1984 (Ord. 3651)
- Designation authority
- Board of Supervisors, after public hearing
- Camping defined
- Outdoors, in vehicles, in unoccupied structures
- Current zones
- Several designated, incl. Paradise Park area
- Penalty
- Infraction, up to $100/$200/$500 per § 1.12.040
- Continuing violation
- Separate offense each day
Summary
Santa Cruz County doesn't ban camping countywide; it lets the Board of Supervisors designate specific 'no camping zones' in the unincorporated area, and once a zone is designated under Santa Cruz County Code § 10.16.030, § 10.16.040 makes camping there unlawful. Camping is broadly defined at § 10.16.020 to include sleeping in a parked vehicle, an unoccupied structure or outdoors, and violators face a separate infraction for every day the violation continues.
'To camp,' and 'camping' mean to establish or maintain at any time a temporary or permanent place for cooking and/or sleeping: (A) Outdoors, with or without the use of shelter; (B) In, on or under any structure not intended for human occupancy; (C) In, on or under any parked vehicle, including an automobile, bus, truck, camper, trailer or recreational vehicle; or (D) In, on or under any abandoned or unoccupied structure. ... No person shall camp in any zone designated by the Board of Supervisors as a 'no camping zone' except as otherwise permitted by this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5004302; v11 updated 2026-05-19; through 05-19-2026).
Full Breakdown
16, 'No Camping Zones,' was adopted in 1984 (Ord. 3651) because the Board of Supervisors found that unauthorized camping may result in trespassing, unattended fires, public disturbances or other public health and safety problems. 030 lets the Board designate specific zones within the unincorporated County as no camping zones, but only after a noticed public hearing preceded by at least 10 days' notice, posted in at least five public locations within the proposed zone and published once as a display advertisement in a local newspaper.
040 makes it unlawful to camp there. 020 defines 'camp' and 'camping' broadly: establishing a temporary or permanent place for cooking or sleeping outdoors, in a structure not built for human occupancy, in a parked vehicle including a car, bus, camper or RV, or in an abandoned or unoccupied structure. H. Cowell Foundation/Ocean Street Extension area near Henry Cowell State Park and the Paradise Park area along the San Lorenzo River. 070, and in a residential yard or on open unimproved land with the owner's written or verifiable consent.
080 separately protects a motorist who is only resting or sleeping in a parked vehicle along a road shoulder that isn't posted as a no-parking area.
Violations & Fines
Camping inside a designated no-camping zone without an exception violates § 10.16.040 and is an infraction under § 10.16.090, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense. An infraction in Santa Cruz County carries a fine of up to $100 for a first violation, up to $200 for a second violation of the same provision within a year, and up to $500 for each additional violation within that year, under the countywide infraction schedule at § 1.12.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is camping banned everywhere in unincorporated Santa Cruz County?
Does sleeping in my car in a no camping zone count as camping?
What's the penalty for camping in a no camping zone?
Are there any exceptions to a no camping zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Cruz County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Cruz County to another location·View the California homelessness & encampment rules overview
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