Worcester County, MD Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)

Section CG 4-404, amended 5-20-2025 by Bill No. 25-02, is the County's camping and encampment rule for property in unincorporated Worcester County, Maryland. Subsection (a) defines CAMP broadly: using an area for living accommodation purposes, including pitching, erecting or occupying an encampment, creating outdoor sheltering, using camp paraphernalia to facilitate outdoor sheltering, or remaining outdoors overnight. CAMP PARAPHERNALIA covers personal property used to facilitate occupancy, such as tarps, cots, beds, sleeping bags, hammocks, bedding, camp stoves, cooking equipment, buckets, luggage, clothing, bicycles, mattresses, couches, dressers and other furniture.

Subsection (b)(1) prohibits inhabiting, camping on or sleeping on seven locations: any roadside of a County road, any right-of-way of a County road, any County park, any County landing or boat ramp, any other County-owned property, any school, college, university or other education institution, and any bus stop or transportation facility. The only exception is a written resolution of the County Commissioners. A separate rule in § CG 4-405(c)(3) makes it unlawful to camp, tent, park overnight or inhabit the parking area of the county boat ramp at West Ocean City Harbor.

The cleanup protocol is in subsection (b)(4). Storage or use of personal property or camp paraphernalia in the listed areas is prohibited. Items stored in violation must be removed within 24 hours of duly authorized notice by an agent of the County. Items not removed in that time can be removed and disposed of by the County Commissioners or other authorized agents at the owner's expense. Items posing an immediate threat to the health or safety of the public can be removed and disposed of immediately, at the owner's expense, without notice. The rule covers County and listed public property only. Ocean City, Berlin, Snow Hill and Pocomoke City regulate their own streets and parks.