Nashua, NH Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted
- October 28, 2025 (Ord. O-25-079)
- Enforcement notice
- 15 days before sweeps
- Permission needed
- written OK from Board of Aldermen
- General penalty
- up to $1,000/day (§ 1-12)
Summary
Nashua bans camping on streets, sidewalks, and public property without Board of Aldermen approval, requires 15 days' notice before enforcement sweeps, and orders officials to try to return seized personal papers to owners.
It shall be unlawful for any person to use or cause to be used any of the streets, sidewalks, squares or any other public property as a camping place absent prior written permission from the Board of Aldermen or its designee. ... Camping may include, but is not limited to ... 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.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4805762; v29 updated 2026-02-10; through 02-10-2026).
Full Breakdown
Nashua's Article V ordinance, adopted October 28, 2025, makes it unlawful to use any street, sidewalk, square, or other public property as a camping place without prior written permission from the Board of Aldermen or its designee. 'Camping' is defined broadly to include storing personal belongings, pitching tents or tarps, hanging clothes lines, cooking or open fires, and any of these combined with sleeping or preparing to sleep. Before any coordinated enforcement sweep, the city must give occupants 15 days' notice by signage, handbills, or in-person discourse, and officials must make reasonable efforts to return any personal papers or identification documents taken during enforcement to their rightful owners.
Violations & Fines
Section 225-7 sets no penalty of its own, so the citywide general penalty applies: a fine of up to $1,000, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense (§ 1-12).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I camp on public property in Nashua?
Does the city have to warn people before clearing a camp?
What happens to IDs or papers left behind in a swept camp?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nashua
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Encampment Sanitation in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle encampment sanitation.