South Bend, IN Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required from
- Board of Public Works and Safety
- Permit cost
- Free
- Max duration
- 7 days
- Form
- Must be issued in writing
- Revocation standard
- Just cause, notice and hearing
- Code origin
- 1962 Code §§ 26-5-26-7
Summary
South Bend requires a free permit from the Board of Public Works and Safety before anyone may camp or live in a tent or other temporary structure anywhere in the city, under Section 13-70. Permits run no more than seven days at a time and must be issued in writing; the Board can deny, suspend, or revoke one for just cause after notice and a hearing.
(a)Permit required. No person shall camp or live in a tent or other temporary structure at any place within the City without first obtaining a permit from the Board of Public Works and Safety.(b)Issuance, cost, term, form. All camping permits shall be issued without cost and for any time not to exceed seven (7) days. The permits shall be issued in writing.(c)Denial, suspension or revocation. The suspension or revocation of any permit or the refusal to issue any permit under this section shall be for just cause, after notice and hearing thereon, pursuant to the provisions of section 1-18.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
' The permit is free and capped at seven days, and must be issued in writing, meaning any unpermitted encampment, tent, or temporary living structure set up in the city, on public or private property, is unlawful regardless of duration. If the Board denies, suspends, or revokes a permit, it must show just cause and provide notice and a hearing under Section 1-18 before the decision takes effect. The provision sits in Chapter 13's general offenses article and predates the current Code (it derives from Sections 26-5 through 26-7 of the 1962 Code), and it applies citywide without carving out an exception for parks, rights-of-way, or vacant lots.
Because the ordinance regulates the act of camping itself rather than a specific piece of property, it is the tool the City relies on to require any unauthorized encampment to either obtain Board authorization or be removed.
Violations & Fines
Camping or living in a tent or temporary structure without a Board of Public Works and Safety permit violates Section 13-70. A permit that is denied, suspended, or revoked must go through a just-cause notice-and-hearing process under Section 1-18, but absent an active written permit, the presence of a tent or temporary living structure anywhere in the city is itself the violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone legally camp anywhere in South Bend without a permit?
How long can a camping permit last in South Bend?
Can the City take away a camping permit once it's issued?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in South Bend
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