RV Parking: How Long Can a Motorhome Be Parked on the Street?
Owning an RV is great. You get to go where you want, see what you want and you do not need to worry about a vacancy. You have your room with you all the time. But there is a downside to owning an RV. It is bigger than a car and it may not be welcome in your neighborhood.
How long can a motorhome be parked on the street? Because an RV is a licensed vehicle, it is allowed on city streets and can be parked there. How long you get to park your RV in front of yours or your neighbor’s home depends a lot on the city you live in.
Your city may have its own local laws governing how long your RV can be parked on the street. The rules may also be different if you are actually sleeping in your RV while it is parked on the street. To find out more about RV street parking just continue to read our article.
It is filled with the information you need to know before you purchase an RV.
How Long Can a Motorhome Be Parked on the Street 101
Can You Park an RV on The Street
Yes, you can as there are not any state laws in an of the 50 states saying otherwise. You can also park them long term on the street if you want and you still won't be breaking any state laws. On the other hand, you have to check with the city you live in to see what they have to say about the issue.
In some cities, you can park your car and RV on the street during the day but not at night. You can get an overnight permit for your car but not your RV. If you live in an HOA neighborhood, you may be facing a lawsuit if you try to park your RV on the street.
There is no blanket law that can be quoted here as every city is different as HOAs and other neighborhood associations. You are going to have to do some research to find out the rules in your town.
Can You Park an RV on a Residential Street
As we stated earlier, you can park your RV on a city street because an RV is a licensed vehicle. The real question that needs to be answered is for how long can you park your RV on a city street? That length of time will depend on your community, town and city rules and laws.
Some city residential streets may not be metered but they still have set hours vehicles, including RVs can be parked on their streets. There are other times where parking on the street may not be allowed. Those times include when construction work or street cleaning needs to be done.
If you park your RV on the street during those times, you can expect to pay a fine. Another common-sense restriction is when you live on a small residential street or it is a one way only road.
If the road is too narrow and your RV will block traffic, then it makes sense that you would not be able to park your RV in front of your home.
Parking an RV on a Residential Street
This is legal to do although it may not always be prudent. There are certain logical and reasonable reasons why you can’t park on your street and these restrictions should be abided by without creating an issue.
The problem that comes in is if you decide to sleep in your RV while parked on the street. If you have temporary guests, then they would be allowed to sleep in their RVs overnight for a few days.
This practice becomes illegal when the temporary sleeping arrangement turns into long term. To avoid the legality, some RV owners come in late at night when everyone is asleep and then move their RV before the neighbors wake up.
Usually, you can park your RV in your driveway, in your backyard and if you have a garage that will house your vehicle for long periods of time. But HOAs can be a hassle especially when the wrong person is in charge of the association.
Can You Park an RV on The Street in NYC
You would think that parking your RV in New York City would be against the law. If you thought that way, you would be mistaken. New York City laws state that you can park your RV in one city space for 24 hours, then you will have to find a new spot for the next night.
It doesn’t always seem that this law is strictly enforced but if you do stay too long, the neighbors may get angry and do something or you may be opening yourself up to criminal activity.
Also, in some areas you may have to get up at about 2:30 a.m. and switch to the other side of the road. The law makes parking on one side legal til 3 a.m. and at that time it switches to the other side.
Your other hassle will be parking your rig. But that is a story for another time.
Can You Park an RV on The Street in Chicago
The bad news is that you really can’t park on the city streets of Chicago except where certain exemptions apply. Here is a link to the city rules on motor homes and other vehicles.
You can read about the exceptions there and follow a built-in link to the actual long form of the city rules. But there is a little good news. You can park your RV at the largest convention center in North America, McCormick Park.
There is an approx. $22 a night fee, and you may have to move to another location if there is a special event being held at the center or the Bears are playing in town. McCormick Center has 2 locations where you can park your RV.
The 18th street location is north of Soldier’s Field and the 31st street location is south of it. The latter lot has on site 24 hour 7 day a week security while the former does not.
Can You Park Your RV on The Street in San Diego
The city of San Diego instituted The Neighborhood Parking Protection Ordinance which is designed to keep the streets of the city safer and cut down on any negative effects an RV may have on those streets and neighborhoods.
City law states that you cannot park an RV on the street between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. However, there is a temporary parking permit you can get if you need to park your RV on the same block as your home if you have the need.
The cost of the permit is a non-refundable $1 charge and you can get up to 72 temporary permits per year. The longest a single permit will last is 3 days or 72 continuous hours.
All the details and requirements can be found at this link
Can You Park Your RV on The Street in Denver
This city has been a little more difficult to get up-to-date information. Some people have stated that it is okay to park temporarily on the city streets of Denver while others have said that you cannot.
But those that say you cannot have stated that you can park in different lots throughout the city. The city ordinance is quite complicated, and you can read it here, to see if you can park your RV temporarily on Denver streets.
This link will give you a little more information on how you can park your RV on Denver’s city streets. The best you can do is talk to Denver City officials in charge of parking to get the best and most up-to-date information possible.
Can You Park an RV on The Street in Los Angeles
Parking your RV on the streets of Los Angeles can be done, but it is also quite complicated. With over 7,000 people living in their cars or other vehicles because of the rental situation, Los Angeles officials have done what they could to ease the issue.
One rule you should know is that if you are parking near a school, daycare and other children facilities, you cannot do so between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. But laws change.
Here is a link to a 2017 website that listed the current rules and maps for where you can park your RV legally. Check with the city office to see if those rules have changed at all.
Can You Park Your RV on The Streets of Portland
Bad news for you if you think Portland Oregon is a hip place to be. You cannot park an RV of any size on its city streets. There are 3 exceptions but none of them have to do with staying overnight or staying inside the RV and sleeping the night away.
You cannot even park it for 8 hours at a time either. Here is a link to the Portland Oregon city laws governing parking an RV in their city limits. If you do, and the neighbors complain, then you get a warning sticker. After that you can get a ticket or towed.
Depending on the neighbors, you may get away with parking for a few days, but it is not recommended that you do so. If you are in a residential area, you may have 8 hours of parking. Here is a link to Frequently asked questions on Portland parking.
Can You Park an RV on The Streets in New Orleans
Parking in the French Quarter is a definite no-no. You would need a very valid reason, special permission and permits to even try. You can park your RV at the French Quarter hotels where you are staying, but you may be charged up to $50 a day in order to do so.
You can park your RV at the French Quarter RV resort located in the French Quarter and at Pontchartrain Landing on Industrial Canal. As for other areas of New Orleans, it may not be a good idea to park outside of a good RV park.
The city does charge for RV parking and it has few free parking spots. Again, the best thing to do is check with the City of New Orleans to find out where you can park your RV and for how much. Check this link for additional help.
Can You Park an RV Anywhere
No, you cannot do that. Some Walmarts allow rig owners to park in their large parking lots while others do not. The same will go with a variety of other box stores and large open spaces. It will depend a lot on the city or town you happen to be in at the time.
If you want to know of some good parking spots for your RV, just continue to read our list:
1. Private property - this is always a good bet if you have permission from the owner and the local laws allow it.
2. Schools - this is a last resort option and you may not be able to park there. Some schools will consider it trespassing if you are not careful.
3. Casinos - do allow RV parking and some may charge a small fee. Check with the individual casino and do not assume the policies are all the same.
4. Truck Stops - are always a good bet. They also have some great facilities. Just obey the rules.
Some Final Words
RVing in a city is not the most ideal situation you can come across. As you can see, the rules and local laws vary. You should do some research on the city you intend to visit to make sure you can park your RV where you need it.
You may be surprised at where you can park in those cities you always wanted to visit. So get on your computer and check things out before you start to head to your favorite city.
