Volusia County, FL Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibition
- Blocks camping, sleeping, parking that obstructs ROW traffic
- Definition source
- Imports F.S. § 125.0231 camping/sleeping definition
- Exceptions
- Exempts lawfully registered vehicles, county-designated camp areas
- Amendment date
- Added by Ord. No. 2025-07, effective 2-4-25
- Enforcement
- Enforced under general penalty Sec. 1-7
- Penalty
- Fine up to $500 plus 60 days jail
Summary
Volusia County makes it unlawful to block traffic on a county right-of-way, camping, sleeping, or parking there, without prior written county approval. Section 94-1(c) sweeps in tents, bedding, and unauthorized overnight stays along road shoulders and swales, while carving out a lawfully parked, registered vehicle and county-designated camping areas.
(c)Recreational use. Unless specifically designed for such purpose, the prohibition set out in subsection (a) of this section shall also include camping, sleeping, parking (except for emergency reasons), and any other use that would tend to obstruct traffic along the county rights-of-way, including appendages thereto, and to any other public lands under the authority of the county council, without prior written approval by the county.(1)For purposes of this section, "camping, sleeping" shall include "public camping or sleeping" as defined in F.S. § 125.0231 [...] c.The term does not include:1.Lodging or residing overnight in a motor vehicle that is registered, insured, and located in a place where it may lawfully be; or2.Camping for recreational purposes on property designated by the county or a municipality for such purposes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 108 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 94-1(c) of the county code prohibits camping, sleeping, parking (except for emergency reasons), and any other use of a county right-of-way or public land under county authority that would tend to obstruct traffic, unless the county gives prior written approval. 0231: lodging or residing overnight in a temporary outdoor habitation evidenced by a tent, other temporary shelter, bedding, pillows, or stored personal belongings, or lodging overnight in an outdoor space with no shelter at all. Two exceptions apply: a motor vehicle that is registered, insured, and parked where it may lawfully sit is not "camping" under this rule, nor is recreational camping on property the county or a municipality has designated for that purpose.
The prohibition sits alongside the county's broader consent requirement in subsection (a), which bars any private use of a right-of-way beyond its intended purpose without written county consent, and the commercial-use ban in subsection (b) covering merchandise sales, vehicle repair, storage, and advertising placed in the ROW. Read together, these subsections give code enforcement a direct tool against anything that turns a road shoulder, swale, or median into a campsite, storage yard, or obstruction, reserving the roadway for its intended traffic function. The obstruction language was added by Ord.
No. 2025-07 on February 4, 2025, amending the original 1979 ordinance, showing the county recently sharpened this provision to address unauthorized camping and obstruction along its rights-of-way.
Violations & Fines
Obstructing a county right-of-way, camping, sleeping, or leaving property that blocks traffic without written approval, is punishable under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-7: a fine up to $500.00, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both, with each day of continued obstruction treated as a separate offense. The county can also seek injunctive relief and recover its attorney's fees enforcing this section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sleeping in a tent along a county road shoulder illegal in Volusia County?
Does parking my car on the shoulder count as obstruction?
Can I camp overnight anywhere in the unincorporated county without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Volusia County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Volusia County to another location·View the Florida sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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