Marin County, CA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Ban location
- Bolinas Beach only
- 1st offense fine
- $100 infraction
- 2nd offense fine
- $200 infraction
- 3rd offense fine
- $500 infraction
- 4th+ offense
- Misdemeanor
- Sunbathing/picnicking
- Not considered camping
Summary
Marin County bans all overnight camping on Bolinas Beach to stop the trespassing, litter, fire hazard and sanitation problems that unregulated beach camping caused. Marin County Code §§ 6.90.020 through 6.90.040 define camping broadly, covering sleeping bags, bedding or blankets set up for sleep, and make a violation an infraction starting at a $100 fine.
"To camp" and "camping" means to establish or maintain a temporary place for sleeping, which includes, but is not limited to, the use, or storage for use, of sleeping bags, bedding materials, blankets, sheets, or other nonclothing items utilized or available for use to maintain warmth and comfort for sleep by a Bolinas Beach visitor. ... It is unlawful to camp as defined in this chapter on any Bolinas Beach as defined in this chapter at any time. ... Any person determined to have violated any of the provisions contained in this chapter is guilty of an infraction punishable upon a first offense with a fine of one hundred dollars.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 2026 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
90 after finding that peak-period camping on Bolinas Beach led to public disturbances, trespassing, destruction of private property and sanitation problems because the beach lacks restroom facilities near the camping areas, contributing to dangerous litter and fire hazards. "Bolinas Beach" is defined as the coastal strip between the mean low water line and the top of the bluffs, running from a point 1,200 feet west of the terminus of Brighton Avenue easterly to the terminus of Wharf Avenue. "To camp" means establishing or maintaining a temporary place for sleeping, including the use or storage of sleeping bags, bedding, blankets or sheets for warmth and comfort while sleeping; the definition expressly excludes incidental use of towels or blankets for sunbathing, picnicking, or other nighttime beach use that is not for sleeping. 030 then makes it unlawful to camp on Bolinas Beach "at any time," a flat, location-specific ban rather than a curfew. 060.
Violations & Fines
A first Bolinas Beach camping violation is an infraction punishable by a $100 fine; a second violation within one year draws $200; a third within one year draws $500; a fourth or additional violation within one year becomes a misdemeanor under Marin County Code § 1.04.160, exposing the violator to higher fines and possible jail time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is all beach camping banned in unincorporated Marin County?
What counts as "camping" under the Bolinas Beach ordinance?
What happens if I'm caught camping on Bolinas Beach more than once?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marin County
California rules heatmap·Compare Marin County to another location·View the California homelessness & encampment rules overview
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