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San Rafael, CA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Sit-Lie Rules (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Rule
No obstructions on sidewalks
Citation
SRMC § 8.12.110
Scope
Citywide, all sidewalks
Not sit/lie-specific
General obstruction language only
Penalty basis
Title 1, Ch. 1.42 general penalty

Summary

San Rafael's municipal code broadly bans placing, keeping or maintaining any obstruction on a public sidewalk under §8.12.110: a general provision the city can apply against blocked passage from belongings, encampments or displays, unless another code section separately authorizes it.

It is unlawful for any person to place, keep, maintain or allow any obstruction upon any sidewalk in the city of San Rafael, except as may be otherwise provided in this code.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 37).

Full Breakdown

SRMC §8.12.110 makes it unlawful for any person to "place, keep, maintain or allow any obstruction upon any sidewalk" in San Rafael, except where another provision of the code specifically permits it. The section dates to the city's original Ordinance 11 and does not use "sit" or "lie" language: it is a general-purpose obstruction ban rather than a provision targeted specifically at homeless encampments, but its broad wording ("any obstruction") gives police and code enforcement authority to require belongings, tents, displays or other objects blocking a public sidewalk to be removed. Violations are enforced under the citywide general penalty provisions in Title 1, Chapter 1.42 of the Municipal Code.

Violations & Fines

Placing or leaving any obstruction on a public sidewalk without another code section authorizing it violates §8.12.110, enforced as a general infraction or misdemeanor under Title 1, Chapter 1.42.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does San Rafael have a law specifically against sitting or lying on sidewalks?
Not by that name: its code instead bans "any obstruction" on a sidewalk under §8.12.110, a broader, older provision that isn't written in sit/lie terms.
Can police clear belongings blocking a San Rafael sidewalk?
Yes, §8.12.110's obstruction ban lets the city require anything placed or left on a public sidewalk to be removed unless another code section authorizes it.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in San Rafael

Parking Rules: Overnight ParkingSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsEncampment SanitationSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsSome Restrictions

All San Rafael rules

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