Sacramento, CA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Sacramento City Code §§ 12.100.010–12.100.060 (Ord. 2022-0011)
- Encampment defined
- 4+ unrelated people camping within 50 feet, no permitted utilities
- Prohibited act
- Camping or failing to properly dispose of waste in encampment
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor; city attorney can pursue separate civil nuisance abatement
- Family exception
- One overnight guest on private residential property with owner consent
- Special-event permit
- City manager can permit encampment for events on fee payment
- Resident remedy
- Notice-and-demand to city clerk if city fails to abate
Summary
Sacramento City Code § 12.100.040 makes it unlawful and a public nuisance to camp in an encampment of four or more unrelated people on any public or private property, or to accumulate or fail to properly dispose of waste there: including hazardous waste, human waste, garbage, debris, and used needles. A violation is a misdemeanor, and the city attorney may separately sue to abate the nuisance.
It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to do the following in an encampment located on any public or private property: 1. Camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia; or 2. Accumulate or fail to properly dispose of waste including, but not limited to hazardous waste, human waste, garbage, debris, and used needles.
Full Breakdown
100, the Emergency Shelter and Enforcement Act of 2022 (Ord. 010). 040(A), it is unlawful and a public nuisance to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia within such an encampment, or to accumulate or fail to properly dispose of waste there, including hazardous waste, human waste, garbage, debris, and used needles. The rule reaches both public and private property. Subsection B exempts private residential property where the owner's friends or family camp with consent, but only for one consecutive night; subsection C preserves otherwise-lawful private-property activities already authorized by the Planning and Development Code.
Under subsection D, the city manager can issue a permit allowing a temporary encampment tied to a special event, a marathon, scouting activity, or city-run program, after consulting city departments and the health officer, on payment of a council-set fee that is refunded if the permit is denied. 030. 04.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 12.100.040 is a misdemeanor, on top of any state nuisance remedy under Penal Code § 370, and the city attorney can file a separate civil action to abate the encampment as a public nuisance. Where the violation sits on city-owned property, a harmed resident can force action through the § 12.100.050 notice-and-demand process: city inspection within 20 days, abatement within 45 days if the city agrees a violation exists, and appeal to a hearing examiner under Chapter 8.04 if it does not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the encampment sanitation rule apply on private property in Sacramento?
What counts as an unlawful encampment under Sacramento's code?
Can Sacramento's city manager permit a temporary encampment for an event?
What can I do if Sacramento won't clear an encampment on city property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento to another location·View the California homelessness & encampment rules overview
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Encampment Sanitation in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle encampment sanitation.