Kennewick's Parking Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In Kennewick, Washington, there are 7 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

RV & Boat Parking

RV, boat, camper, travel trailer and similar recreational vehicle storage in Kennewick residential districts is regulated by KMC 18.12.260 (Trailers, Boats, Camper Tops, Travel Trailers, Recreational Vehicles), which is referenced as an allowed accessory use only in the residential zones (RMH, RS, RL, RM, RH) per Table 18.12.010 A.1. On-street parking of any vehicle - including a recreational vehicle - is capped at 72 hours under Kennewick's parking rules administered by Kennewick Police; state law backs the on-street framework through RCW 46.61 (Rules of the Road) and RCW 46.55 (Towing and Impoundment).

Key details: On-Lot Code: KMC 18.12.260. Allowed Districts: RMH, RS, RL, RM, RH only. Review Process: Process I (staff review). On-Street Cap: 72 hours (City policy). State Tow Law: RCW 46.55.

On-street RV, boat or trailer parking that exceeds the 72-hour cap is enforceable by Kennewick Police as a parking violation, with citation and tow under the City's parking-fine schedule and RCW 46.55 (Towing and Impoundment). On-lot storage violations of KMC 18.12.260 in the RMH, RS, RL, RM or RH districts (or storage in any non-residential district where it is not listed as a permitted use) are enforced by Kennewick Code Enforcement under the KMC 18.12 framework, with notice, citation and abatement. Reports may be filed via the City's online Code Enforcement reporting form or by calling the Kennewick Police business line at 509-585-4208.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Kennewick actively enforces its rv & boat parking requirements.

Driveway Rules

Driveway construction and design in Kennewick is regulated by Chapter 18.36 KMC (Off-Street Parking). KMC 18.36.100 requires that the driveway to the primary parking structure in any residential zoning district be surfaced with asphalt or Portland cement binder pavement (or an alternative hard surface approved by the Planning Director); accessory-structure driveways may use a minimum three-inch compacted gravel. In C, UMU and I districts, driveways must be at least 28 feet from pedestrian crosswalks and at least 30 feet in width. Curb-cut work in the public right-of-way requires a permit from Kennewick Public Works.

Key details: Code: KMC 18.36.100 + 18.36.040. R-District Surfacing: Asphalt/PCC (primary driveway). Accessory-Structure: 3" compacted gravel min.. C/UMU/I Driveway Width: 30 ft min. (KMC 18.36.100(6)). Crosswalk Setback: 28 ft min. (C/UMU/I).

Cutting a curb, installing an apron or working in the public right-of-way without a Kennewick Public Works permit is enforceable by the City Engineer, with stop-work orders and restoration at the owner's expense. Driveway and parking-area violations of KMC 18.36.100 and KMC 18.36.040 are enforced by Kennewick Code Enforcement and the Planning Department, with refusal of a Certificate of Occupancy, notice, citation and abatement under the general penalty provisions of the Kennewick Municipal Code. Building permits, inspection and building-code violations on driveway-related structures are enforced under Chapter 19.27 RCW and the WAC 51-50 building-code series.

Commercial Vehicle Restrictions

Commercial vehicle on-street parking in Kennewick is subject to the City's 72-hour same-location cap and the Model Traffic Ordinance adopted at KMC Chapter 11.90, which incorporates RCW 46.61 (Rules of the Road) by reference. Off-street parking and on-lot storage of commercial vehicles is regulated by Chapter 18.36 KMC (Off-Street Parking), with use-specific requirements in KMC 18.36.060 - including 1 space per 300 gross square feet plus 2 per service bay for automobile/truck/RV/motorcycle service, painting and repair uses.

Key details: On-Street Cap: 72 hours (Kennewick PD). Traffic Code: KMC 11.90 (adopts RCW 46.61). Off-Street Code: KMC 18.36.060. Auto Repair Use: 1/300 sf + 2/bay. Loading Spaces: KMC 18.36.110.

Commercial vehicle violations of the 72-hour on-street cap or KMC Chapter 11.90 (Model Traffic Ordinance) are cited by Kennewick Police, with tow and impound authority under RCW 46.55 (Towing and Impoundment). On-lot violations of KMC 18.36.060 (insufficient parking, inadequate fencing, missing loading space) are enforced by Kennewick Code Enforcement and the Planning Department, with refusal of Certificate of Occupancy, notice, citation and abatement under the general penalty provisions of the Kennewick Municipal Code. Disputed citations are processed in Benton County District Court.

This is one of the stricter rules in Kennewick's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Abandoned Vehicles

Abandoned vehicles in Kennewick are addressed through the City's 72-hour same-location parking cap (enforced by Kennewick Police) plus the statewide impound and junk-vehicle framework at RCW Chapter 46.55 (Towing and Impoundment). RCW 46.55.010 defines an abandoned vehicle and a junk vehicle (broken-down, scrapped or three or more years old with major missing or damaged components); RCW 46.55.230 authorizes cities to abate junk vehicles from private property. Reports go to Kennewick Police at 509-585-4208 or via the City's online reporting form.

Key details: On-Street Threshold: 72 hours (City policy). State Definition: RCW 46.55.010. Junk-Vehicle Abatement: RCW 46.55.230. Impound Notice: RCW 46.55.100. Private-Property Code: KMC Title 9 (9.44/9.48).

Vehicles in violation of the 72-hour rule on a Kennewick public street are tagged, ticketed and subject to tow and impound under RCW 46.55 (Towing and Impoundment), with the RCW 46.55.100 impound-notice and RCW 46.55.110 owner-notification process. Junk and inoperable vehicles on private property are enforced by Kennewick Code Enforcement under the City's nuisance framework (KMC Title 9, including KMC 9.44 / 9.48) and the abatement authority in RCW 46.55.230, with costs assessed against the owner. Owners must pay accrued tow and storage fees to reclaim a vehicle; unclaimed vehicles are disposed of through the registered-tow-truck-operator auction process under RCW 46.55.130.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Kennewick actively enforces its abandoned vehicles requirements.

Street Parking Limits

On-street parking in Kennewick is regulated by KMC Title 11 (Vehicles and Traffic), with Chapter 11.90 (Model Traffic Ordinance) adopting RCW 46.61 (Rules of the Road) and related statutes by reference. The City of Kennewick caps any vehicle at 72 hours in a single location on a public street, enforced by the Kennewick Police Department. Boats, campers and trailers are subject to the same 72-hour rule. State law at RCW 46.55 (Towing and Impoundment) authorizes tow and impound for vehicles in violation.

Key details: Traffic Code: KMC Title 11 / Ch. 11.90. Adopted RCW: RCW 46.61 (by reference). On-Street Cap: 72 hours (City policy). Tow Authority: RCW 46.55. Hydrant Setback: 5 ft (RCW 46.61).

Parking citations are processed under the City's parking-fine schedule and the Model Traffic Ordinance adopted at KMC Chapter 11.90. Vehicles in violation of the 72-hour rule or signed no-parking / tow-away zones are subject to tow and impound under RCW 46.55 (Towing and Impoundment). Contested citations are heard in Benton County District Court. State-law parking violations of RCW 46.61 (Rules of the Road) - fire-hydrant setback, crosswalk, driveway block, intersection, sidewalk - are independently enforceable by Kennewick Police and the Washington State Patrol.

Overnight Parking

Kennewick does not impose a blanket citywide overnight parking ban on passenger vehicles, but on-street overnight parking is subject to the City's 72-hour same-location cap (enforced by Kennewick Police) and the Model Traffic Ordinance at KMC Chapter 11.90, which adopts RCW 46.61 (Rules of the Road) by reference. Boats, campers and trailers are subject to the same 72-hour rule. Signed no-parking and snow / weather-emergency zones are enforced at any hour.

Key details: Citywide Overnight Ban: None (passenger vehicles). 72-Hour Cap: Applies overnight too. Heavy Trucks/RVs: Same 72-hr cap on street. On-Lot RV Storage: RMH/RS/RL/RM/RH only (KMC 18.12.260). Snow Emergency: Posted zones, any hour.

Vehicles in violation of the 72-hour rule are tagged, ticketed and may be towed under RCW 46.55 (Towing and Impoundment). Signed no-parking and tow-away zone violations are enforced by Kennewick Police at any hour. Snow- or weather-emergency violations carry separate tow authority under the City's declared-emergency procedures. On-lot RV / boat / trailer storage in a non-residential zoning district is enforced by Kennewick Code Enforcement as a zoning violation under KMC 18.12.260, with notice, citation and abatement.

EV Charging

Washington has adopted a statewide EV-Ready / EV Charging Station mandate for new commercial buildings under WAC 51-50-0429 (Section 429, Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure) - generally 10% of accessible parking spaces as EV Charging Stations plus an additional 10% as EV Ready, with a 40-amp 208/240-volt dedicated branch circuit per EV-Ready stall. The statewide requirement is authorized by RCW 19.27 / 19.27A and applies in Kennewick through the State Building Code. Local EVSE installations require an electrical permit from the Kennewick Permit Center.

Key details: State Code: WAC 51-50-0429 (Section 429). Commercial EV Charging: 10% of accessible spaces. Commercial EV-Ready: Additional 10% of accessible. Circuit Standard: 40-amp 208/240V per stall. State Authority: Ch. 19.27 / 19.27A RCW.

Installing EVSE without the required electrical permit is enforceable by the Kennewick Permit Center / Building Official with stop-work orders, fines and refusal to issue a Certificate of Occupancy or final inspection until the work is permitted, performed by a Washington-licensed electrician under RCW 19.28, and inspected to NEC Article 625 standards. Commercial buildings that fail to meet the WAC 51-50-0429 EV-Ready and EV Charging Station percentages are not eligible for Certificate of Occupancy under the State Building Code. Site-plan changes to commercial parking lots may also trigger Planning Department review under KMC 18.36.

The Bottom Line

Kennewick is tougher than many cities when it comes to parking rules. Out of the 7 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Kennewick, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Kennewick can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.