Homelessness & Encampment Rules in Washington (2026)

Auburn bans sitting or lying on public sidewalks in the downtown and neighborhood commercial zones between 7:00 a.m…

Bellingham bars sitting or lying on public sidewalks from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the downtown and Fairhaven business…

Everett bans sitting, lying down, or placing bedding, backpacks, or furniture on designated public sidewalks and…

Kennewick bars sitting or lying on a public sidewalk or right-of-way between 6:00 a.m. and midnight inside four…

Marysville bans sitting or lying on public sidewalks in the downtown core, downtown commercial, main street, and flex…

Between 6 a.m. and midnight, PMC 9.80.035 bars sitting or lying on a sidewalk or right-of-way across specific downtown…

Puyallup bars sitting or lying on public sidewalks in its central business district zones from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m…

In Renton's Downtown and neighborhood commercial zones, sitting or lying on a public sidewalk between 7:00 a.m. and…

Sammamish makes it a misdemeanor to block a sidewalk by walking, standing, sitting, lying or placing an object in the…

Seattle bars sitting or lying on a public sidewalk, or on a blanket, chair, or stool placed on one, between 7 a.m. and…

Tacoma bans intentionally blocking sidewalks or streets by walking, standing, sitting, or lying in a way that forces…

Lynnwood Municipal Code § 10.02.140 makes it a misdemeanor to intentionally walk, stand, sit, lie, or place an object…

Yakima fines anyone who sits, lies or stands on a sidewalk in a way that blocks passage badly enough that others must…

Camping, sleeping overnight, or storing gear on Kennewick's rights-of-way, parks, trails, or other City property is…

Lynnwood bans camping and storing camp property in any park, street or publicly owned lot citywide under LMC 10.17.010…

In unincorporated Skagit County, no tent, tarpaulin or other screening structure may go up on County-owned property…

Auburn lets a religious organization host a homeless encampment on its property only under a detailed sanitation and…

Bellevue makes it a misdemeanor to camp on nonresidential public property between sunset and sunrise unless the city…

Bellingham permits temporary homeless building encampments only with mandated trash patrols, county-approved toilet…

Edmonds allows temporary homeless encampments as a secondary use anywhere churches or public facilities are permitted…

Everett bans sitting, lying down, or setting up bedding, tents or similar items on city property within designated…

Grant County has no stand-alone anti-camping ordinance for unincorporated areas, but GCC Chapter 6.46 treats camping on…

Kent bans camping on public property under KCC 8.09.030, with encampment cleanup governed by KCC 8.09.070. Camps in…

Kirkland permits temporary homeless encampments only under a Planning and Building Department permit that caps…

Lakewood, Washington bans occupying a campsite on sidewalks, streets, parks or other public property without City…

Pasco bars camping and storing personal property on any street, sidewalk, park, or public place unless the…

Pierce County bans camping and overnight parking on any county-owned property outside of areas the county specifically…

Port Townsend makes it unlawful to camp overnight in any city park, though the public works director can issue…

Puyallup permits religious-sponsored homeless encampments for up to 90 days under Chapter 20.73 PMC, and §…

Renton allows temporary homeless encampments only at religious institutions under a Tier III temporary use permit…

Camping anywhere on Snohomish County-owned property is unlawful unless it's in a designated park camping area, an…

Two or more camp facilities within roughly 300 feet of each other on public property meet Spokane County's definition…

Spokane Valley lets police, city staff or a contracted agent clear an unauthorized encampment after a 48-hour posted…

Tacoma bans camping and storing belongings on public property within set distances of shelters, schools, parks…

Thurston County confines all camping, including unauthorized encampments, to campsites the parks director has…

Yakima bans erecting tents, tarps, or other camping structures on any street, sidewalk, park, or other city-owned…

Yakima County bans camping, storing camp gear, or occupying camp facilities on county-owned property under YCC §…

Unincorporated King County permits sanctioned homeless encampments only under a temporary use permit that mandates…

Seattle Municipal Code 23.42.054 lets a transitional encampment operate as an accessory use on property owned or…

Whatcom County only allows a temporary homeless encampment, tent camp, safe-parking area or tiny-house camp inside an…