Bozeman bans urban camping Nov. 1, 2025, fining up to $500 daily, to push homeless toward housing.

Bozeman will enforce a strict ban on urban camping starting November 1, 2025, eliminating all permits for living in vehicles or tents on city rights-of-way, with fines up to $500 per day. The move follows Ordinance 2172, passed in November 2024, which initially restricted but did not fully prohibit vehicle living. Many former campers, like Carina, have sold their campers, though some still rely on them for independence. City officials say the goal is not to criminalize homelessness but to guide people toward housing through nonprofits offering rental assistance, condos, and temporary shelter options like the fairgrounds.