St. Petersburg, FL Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 20-74
- Scope
- Citywide right-of-way, not just downtown
- State tie-in
- F.S. § 125.0231 public camping
- Shelter-first rule
- Officer must offer known shelter
- Last amended
- Ord. No. 596-H, 11-7-2024
- Max penalty
- $500 fine or 60 days jail
Summary
St. Petersburg bans sleeping or camping in the right-of-way, including sidewalks, and public camping as defined by Florida Statutes § 125.0231, citywide. Before citing anyone, an officer must ask about available shelter space and let the person travel there instead of facing charges, under section 20-74.
(a)It shall be unlawful and a violation of the Code for any person to:(1)Sleep in or on (i) any part of the right-of-way, which shall include any public sidewalk, or (ii) any public path for vehicular or pedestrian travel within the municipal pier district; or,(2)Engage in public camping as defined by F.S. § 125.0231.(b)A Law Enforcement Officer observing a violation of subsection (a) of this section, shall inquire of the person violating this section if the person has legally existing available shelter space, either owned or available for use by the individual, and if the person has such available space and agrees to travel, begins to travel immediately and continues to travel until reaching such shelter space, the person shall not be charged with a violation of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
0231: the 2024 state law that required cities and counties to prohibit camping on public property. Before anyone can be charged, subsection (b) requires the officer to ask whether the person has "legally existing available shelter space, either owned or available for use," and if the person has it and agrees to travel there immediately, no citation follows. Subsection (c) goes further: if the officer knows of open shelter space within the City or within three miles of its borders, the officer must offer to transport the person there along with any personal items the person wants removed, and the person avoids a citation by accepting the ride, provided the shelter will accept them; if the nearest space is outside the City, the City must instead arrange transportation so the person can reach locations inside the City they need.
A sleeping passenger being legally transported through the right-of-way is exempt under subsection (d). The section was last amended by Ordinance No. 596-H on November 7, 2024, aligning it with the current statutory shelter-first sequence, and only after that sequence is followed does subsection (e) allow the general penalty under section 1-7 to apply.
Violations & Fines
Only after the shelter inquiry and any available transport offer are completed does section 20-74(e) allow enforcement under section 1-7's general penalty: a fine up to $500.00, imprisonment up to 60 days, or both, with a continuing violation charged separately for each day. A person who accepts shelter or begins traveling to it immediately is never charged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public camping banned everywhere in St. Petersburg, not just downtown?
Do police have to offer shelter before citing someone under this section?
What if the nearest shelter is outside St. Petersburg?
What is "public camping" under this section?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Petersburg
Florida rules heatmap·Compare St. Petersburg to another location·View the Florida homelessness & encampment rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Encampment Sanitation in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pinellas County handle encampment sanitation.