Rancho Cucamonga, CA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 9.38.040
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 1037, April 2, 2025
- Covers
- Camping and unauthorized fires on public property
- Vehicle camping factor
- Remaining parked in one spot 2+ hours
- Re-siting rule
- Return within 1,000 ft/30 days still counts as storing
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 or 6 months jail
Summary
Rancho Cucamonga bans camping in any "prohibited public place," meaning public property the city council hasn't designated for camping by resolution, under Municipal Code Section 9.38.040. The same section bars starting or using a fire there for warming or cooking unless the city council, city manager, or another Code provision authorizes it.
A. No person shall camp in a prohibited public place. B. No person shall start, build, or use a fire in a prohibited public place for any purpose including, but not limited to, warming or cooking, unless authorized or permitted to do so by formal action of the city council, the written consent of the city manager, or the provisions of this Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4999536; v21 updated 2026-07-15).
Full Breakdown
38, adopted by Ordinance No. 010 to cover sleeping, preparing to sleep with bedding or a tent, or storing personal belongings on public property in a way that shows the space is being used as a living accommodation. A vehicle counts as being used for camping if, among other factors, someone remains inside it at the same spot for two hours or more, sleeps in it, or has so many belongings stored inside that the seating can't be used. 040 itself makes it unlawful to camp in a "prohibited public place," defined as any public property the city council has not designated for camping by resolution, and separately bars building or using a fire there for warming, cooking or any other purpose without city council action, the city manager's written consent, or other Code authorization.
020 within the past 30 days, which prevents someone from dodging enforcement by shuffling a camp a short distance away. "Public property" for purposes of the chapter reaches parks, plazas, parking structures, sidewalks, medians, greenbelts and rights-of-way owned or controlled by the city, county or state.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 9.38 does not spell out its own fine schedule, so a camping violation defaults to the city's general Title 1 penalty in Section 1.12.010: a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000.00, up to six months in jail, or both, unless the city attorney instead charges it as an infraction or a civil administrative citation, with each day the camp remains in place treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a public place "prohibited" for camping in Rancho Cucamonga?
Does sleeping in a car count as camping under this ordinance?
Can someone avoid a citation by moving camp a short distance away?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rancho Cucamonga
California rules heatmap·Compare Rancho Cucamonga to another location·View the California homelessness & encampment rules overview
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Encampment Sanitation in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle encampment sanitation.