Camarillo, CA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Sit-Lie Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- CMC § 10.46.020
- Where banned
- Sidewalks, curbs, doorways in commercial zones
- Prerequisite
- Prior warning from enforcement officer required
- Key exceptions
- Disability, medical emergency, permitted assembly
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 1084, 2-26-2014
Summary
Camarillo bans sitting or lying on sidewalks, curbs, doorways and shared public benches in its commercial zones, and separately bans obstructing traffic anywhere, but only after a warning from an enforcement officer.
A. No person may sit or lie down upon a public sidewalk, street, curb, biking or walking path, or in doorways and entrances to buildings; or upon a blanket, chair, stool, or any other object placed upon a public sidewalk, curb, biking or walking path, or in doorways and entrances to buildings in any commercial zone. ... D. ... No person will be cited under this chapter unless the person engages in conduct prohibited by this chapter after having been notified by an enforcement officer that the conduct violates this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
" A second clause bars sitting or lying on a public bench or shared seating facility in a way that prevents other people from using it at the same time, and a third bars intentionally obstructing pedestrian or vehicular traffic by sitting or lying in any public place, not limited to commercial zones. Critically, subsection D requires that "No person will be cited under this chapter unless the person engages in conduct prohibited by this chapter after having been notified by an enforcement officer that the conduct violates this chapter," meaning a warning must precede any citation.
030 then carves out broad exceptions: people who involuntarily sit or lie down due to circumstances like a medical emergency, people using a wheelchair or walker because of a disability, patrons of a sidewalk business under a valid city permit, participants in a permitted parade, festival, rally or protest, conduct on private property with the owner's permission, and any activity that is constitutionally protected, including peaceful protesting, picketing, and leafleting. The chapter was adopted by Ordinance No. 1084 on February 26, 2014, and defines "public place" to include private property open to the public in the city's commercial zones.
Violations & Fines
A first encounter results in a warning from an enforcement officer that the conduct violates the chapter; only a subsequent instance of the same prohibited conduct after that notice can be cited under Section 10.46.020(D). The exceptions in Section 10.46.030 (medical emergency, disability, permitted sidewalk business, permitted assembly, private-property consent, constitutionally protected activity) are complete defenses to a citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to sit on the sidewalk in Camarillo?
Are there exceptions to Camarillo's sit-lie ordinance?
Does Camarillo's sit-lie rule apply outside commercial areas?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Camarillo
California rules heatmap·Compare Camarillo to another location·View the California homelessness & encampment rules overview
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Sit-Lie Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle sit-lie rules.