Salem, OR Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SRC Sec. 95.720
- Established campsite
- In place 72+ hours
- Shelter buffer
- 600 feet from emergency shelter
- Building entry buffer
- 10 feet
- Sidewalk path requirement
- 36 inches, unobstructed
- Enforcement mechanism
- Public nuisance abatement, SRC 50.800-50.880
- Effective date
- Dec. 16, 2019; amended May 22, 2023
Summary
Salem bans camping on posted public property, in vehicle and bicycle right-of-way, within ten feet of driveways or building entries, in designated parks, inside public buildings, on residentially zoned public land, and within 600 feet of an emergency shelter. Violations are treated as a public nuisance subject to City abatement.
Camping Prohibited on Public Property. It is unlawful for any person to camp in or upon: (1) Any public property posted with a "No Camping" sign, (2) Any public right-of-way used for vehicular or bicycle transportation. (3) Within ten feet of the intersection of a street and a driveway or a private pedestrian path, or within ten feet of a building entry. (4) Any area designated as a park in the Salem Park System Master Plan, (5) The interior of any publicly owned building or structure, (6) Public property zoned single-family or multi-family residential or adjacent to those zones. (7) Within 600 feet of an authorized emergency shelter, day center, managed temporary village, or safe parking shelter location, (8) Within the area subject to a Permit of Entry issued by the City, (9) All campsites shall maintain a minimum 36-inch pedestrian path within a public sidewalk, free of any obstruction.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Salem Revised Code Sec. 720(a) defines "to camp" as setting up or remaining at a campsite to establish or maintain a temporary place to live, and a "campsite" as any place where bedding, a stove, or fire is placed or maintained, with or without a tent, structure or vehicle. An "established campsite" is one in place at least 72 hours. Subsection (b) lists nine specific no-camping zones: property posted with a "No Camping" sign; public right-of-way used for vehicular or bicycle transportation; within ten feet of a street-driveway or private pedestrian-path intersection, or within ten feet of a building entry; any area designated a park under the Salem Park System Master Plan; the interior of any publicly owned building; public property zoned single-family or multi-family residential or adjacent to those zones; within 600 feet of an authorized emergency shelter, day center, managed temporary village, or safe parking shelter; areas subject to a City-issued Permit of Entry; and every campsite must maintain a minimum 36-inch pedestrian path within a public sidewalk, free of obstruction.
Subsection (c) lets the City Council exempt a special event by resolution, and subsection (d) authorizes the City Manager or designee to designate additional no-camping locations, including high-traffic areas, environmentally sensitive areas, and areas at risk of becoming a chronic-encampment threat to public health or safety, such as near schools or social service providers, with those locations posted with a "No Camping" sign. 880, subject to City abatement rather than only criminal prosecution, and subsection (f) clarifies the camping rules do not authorize conduct otherwise barred under the pedestrian interference ordinance, Sec.
700. The current version was enacted by Ordinance No. 10-19 (effective December 16, 2019) and amended by Ordinance No. 9-23 (May 22, 2023), which repealed the former Sec. 770 exclusion-zone scheme entirely and replaced it with the current camping-specific framework.
Violations & Fines
Camping in a prohibited location under Sec. 95.720(b) is declared a public nuisance under SRC 50.800-50.880 and is subject to abatement by the City, rather than only a criminal citation. The City Manager or designee can additionally designate and post further no-camping locations under subsection (d), expanding enforcement beyond the nine listed zones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where in Salem is camping on public property banned?
How is a Salem camping violation enforced?
Can the City add more no-camping areas beyond the listed zones?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salem
Compare Salem to another location·View the Oregon homelessness & encampment rules overview
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