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SUBJECTS › LEGAL › NUISANCES › Parking and Storage of Oversized Vehicles (Commercial Vehicles, RV's, Boats)
Updated 01/07

Parking and Storage of Oversized Vehicles (Commercial Vehicles, RV's, Boats)

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About Parking and Storage of Oversized Vehicles

Restrictions for on-street and off-street parking of oversized vehicles and  recreational vehicles vary from community to community.  The definitions of "oversized vehicles" vary, as do the length of time such vehicles are allowed to park, if at all.  Some jurisdictions define oversized and commercial vehicles by  gross weight,  such as 12,000 lbs, or 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating.  Others may define them in terms of length and height, for example 12 feet long, or in the case of  Seattle,  80 inches wide.  Even more specific are combinations of height and weight such as a commercial vehicle not more than nine feet in height and 22 feet long, or, in the North Bend code provisions,  a truck-tractor, truck and/or trailer, truck-tractor and/or semitrailer combination over 32,000 pounds licensed gross weight, over 80 inches in width, or over 30 feet in length.

Most communities prohibit overnight parking of trucks in residential areas.  A few, such as Edmonds, provide for off-street parking in a residential zone by permit, or in the example from Federal Way (below), in accordance with specific zoning requirements.  Vehicles, such as campers and RVs are allowed in residential areas under various zoning requirements.  A few cities allow temporary on-street parking, such as Burlington, which limits the parking to two consecutive days or no more than two days in any seven-day period. Tacoma allows a maximum of  7 calendar days for a vehicle, boat trailer, recreation trailer, camper, or other licensed or unlicensed vehicle or device on the street.    Most cities require boats to be stored off-street and to be sight screened.  Some allow temporary on-street parking of a short duration.

Ordinance Provisions

  • Battle Ground Municipal Code  Chapter 10.12 - Truck and Trailer Parking on Residential Streets
  • Bellevue Land Use Code  Section 20.20.720 - Recreational Vehicles, Watercraft, and Utility Trailers
  • Burlington Municipal Code  Section 10.12.170 - Parking Restrictions for Commercial and Recreational Vehicles
  • Clark County Code  Chapter 10.10 - Truck and Trailer Parking on Residential Streets
  • Des Moines Municipal Code  Section 18.44.110 - Parking and Storage of Recreational, Utility, and Commercial Vehicles in Residential Neighborhoods
  • Edmonds Municipal Code  Section 17.50.100 - Commercial Vehicle Regulations - Storage in R zoned districts
  • Federal Way Municipal Code   Chapter 22, Article XII  Division 11.  - Commercial Vehicles, Recreational Vehicles, and Boats
  • Issaquah Land Use Code  Section 18.07.210 - Parking and Storage of Vehicles and Boats
  • Lake Forest Park Ordinance No. 960 - Regulates parking of commercial truck, trailer, or any type of construction equipment in residential zone except for loading or unloading, passed 8-07.
  • North Bend Municipal Code Chapter 10.06 - Parking (Trucks in Multi-family Zones, Time Limits for Large Commercial Vehicles)
  • Olympia Unified Development Code Section 18.40.060(F)  - Pleasure Boat Storage
  • Pullman Municipal Code  Chapter 17.105 ( 72 KB) -  See  17.105.035 Recreational Vehicle and Trailer Parking and Storage Regulations  and 17.105.037 Camper and Canopy Storage Regulations
  • Puyallup Municipal Code Section 20.20.040(3) - Performance Standards – RS Zones - Outdoor Storage of Vehicles
  • Redmond Community Development Code Section 20D.130.10-050 - Parking and Storage of Recreational, Utility and Commercial Vehicles in Residential Neighborhoods
  • Renton Municipal Code Title X, Section 10-10-13  - Parking of Certain Commercial Vehicles or Vehicles over Twelve Thousand Pounds Gross Vehicle Weight Regulations
  • Seattle Municipal Code Section 11.72.070  - Commercial and Large Size Vehicles
  • Sequim
    • Sequim Municipal Code Section 10.12.017 (182 KB)  - Recreational Vehicles, Boats and Trailers - parked on street
    • Sequim Municipal Code Chapter 10.14 ( 182 KB) - Commercial Vehicle Parking Regulations
    • Sequim Municipal Code Section 18.48.100 (Adobe Acrobat Document 1.2 MB) - Parking and Storage of Recreational Vehicles, Boats and Trailers on Residential Property
  • Tacoma Municipal Code Section 11.05.200 through 11.05.230 ( 3.50 MB) - MTO -Covers commercial vehicles and time restrictions on recreational vehicles