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Sleeping in your van: the rule in each city
What the statute or city code says about sleeping in a vehicle on public property, read from the legal text, with the gaps marked. Figures as of October 2026.
The rule, city by city
These entries come from reading the statute or the city code, not from forums. Where the legal text could not be read in full, the city is listed below as not collected rather than summarized from a secondhand source.
| City | In short | What the text says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | State camping ban, vehicles not named | Texas Penal Code 48.05 makes camping in a public place without consent a Class C misdemeanor. Camp means to reside temporarily with shelter, and shelter includes a sleeping bag, bedroll or blankets. Vehicles are not named, so sleeping in a van on a public street is a grey area. Officers must point to a lawful place to camp before citing. | Texas Penal Code 48.05 |
| San Diego, CA | Banned 9 pm to 6 am and near homes | San Diego Municipal Code 86.0137(f) bans using a vehicle for habitation on any street or public property from 9 pm to 6 am, and at any time within 500 feet of a residence or school. Police guidance says sleeping alone is not proof of habitation, and the overnight rule is not enforced when the city's safe parking lots are full or closed. | San Diego Police training bulletin 23-17, Dec 2023 |
| Miami, FL | Lawfully parked vehicles excluded | Florida's public camping statute, section 125.0231, excludes a motor vehicle that is registered, insured and located in a place where it may lawfully be. Overnight stays in a legally parked vehicle are not public camping under state law. City and county parking rules still apply. | Florida Statutes 125.0231 |
| Chattanooga, TN | State camping ban, warning first | Tennessee Code 39-14-414 makes camping on public property that is not designated for camping an offense. Camping includes sleeping or preparing to sleep, such as laying out bedding, at any hour. Vehicles are not named. A person is only guilty after an official has warned them and they stay or return within 24 hours. | Tennessee Code 39-14-414 |
| Nashville, TN | State camping ban, warning first | Tennessee Code 39-14-414 makes camping on public property that is not designated for camping an offense. Camping includes sleeping or preparing to sleep, such as laying out bedding, at any hour. Vehicles are not named. A person is only guilty after an official has warned them and they stay or return within 24 hours. | Tennessee Code 39-14-414 |
| Portland, OR | Vehicles count as camping when shelter is available | Portland City Code 14A.50.140 lists a vehicle among camp materials, so sleeping in a van on public property is camping. Under 14A.50.150 it is unlawful only when the person has access to, can afford, or has refused reasonable alternate shelter. Normal parking time limits apply on top. | Portland City Code 14A.50.140 and 14A.50.150 |
Not collected yet: Denver, CO, Chicago, IL, Las Vegas, NV, Atlanta, GA, Asheville, NC, Tucson, AZ, Anaheim, CA, Riverside, CA. Their code sites could not be read in full; a summary from a blog would not meet this site's sourcing rule.
Three patterns to know
State camping bans that do not name vehicles. Texas and Tennessee both make camping on public property an offense and define camping around shelter and bedding, without mentioning vehicles. A van with a bed in it sits in a grey area, and in Tennessee an officer must warn you first.
State law that excludes a parked vehicle. Florida's public camping statute excludes a motor vehicle that is registered, insured and lawfully parked, so in Miami the question becomes the local parking rules, not the camping law.
City rules written for vehicles. San Diego bans vehicle habitation on streets from 9 pm to 6 am and near homes and schools, with a police bulletin that says sleeping alone is not proof. Portland lists a vehicle among camp materials and makes camping unlawful only when reasonable alternate shelter is available. Those are the two cities where the text answers the question directly.