Georgetown, TX Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Sit-Lie Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 9.12.030
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 2025-30, June 24, 2025
- Geographic scope
- Downtown Overlay District only
- Trigger
- Repeat conduct after prior 12-month warning
- Listed exceptions
- 6, incl. medical emergency, ADA disability
Summary
In Georgetown's Downtown Overlay District, Section 9.12.030 makes it unlawful to sit or lie down on a public sidewalk, street, alley, or property once a person has already received a warning from law enforcement for that conduct within the prior 12 months.
A.Applicability. This Section applies in the Downtown Overlay District.B.If after having been notified by a law enforcement officer within the previous 12 months that the conduct violates this Section then it shall be unlawful for a person to sit or lay down on a public sidewalk, street, alleyway, or property.C.This Section does not apply to a person who:1.Sits or lies down because of a medical emergency;2.Operates or patronizes a commercial establishment that conducts business on the sidewalk;...D.It is an affirmative defense to prosecution if a person sits or lies down as the result of a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 15).
Full Breakdown
030, adopted by Ord. No. 2025-30 on June 24, 2025, applies only within the Downtown Overlay District. It does not ban sitting or lying down outright on a first occasion; instead, subsection B makes it unlawful only after a law enforcement officer has already notified the person within the previous 12 months that the conduct violates the section, effectively a warning-then-citation structure. Subsection C carves out six exceptions: a medical emergency; operating or patronizing a commercial establishment doing business on the sidewalk; participating in or viewing a parade, festival, performance, rally, demonstration, or similar event; sitting on a chair or bench supplied by a public agency or the abutting property owner; sitting in a bus stop zone waiting for transportation; and waiting in line for goods, services, or a public event.
Subsection D provides an affirmative defense for a person sitting or lying down because of a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. This section replaced a former "sleeping in public place" provision (former Ord. 040).
Violations & Fines
Violations of Section 9.12.030 are prosecuted under the Chapter 9.12 penalty structure at Section 9.12.050, which applies the general penalties prescribed by Section 1.08.010 of the Code of Ordinances. Because the offense only attaches after a prior officer notification within 12 months, first-time conduct in the Downtown Overlay District draws a warning rather than a citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Georgetown's sit-lie rule apply?
Can I be cited the first time I sit on a downtown sidewalk?
Are there exceptions to Georgetown's sit-lie ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Georgetown
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