Lakewood's Parking Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In Lakewood, Washington, there are 8 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

Lakewood, Washington limits residential properties to storing one recreational, utility or sporting vehicle outdoors under LMC 18A.60.160, and it must sit on a paved or gravel parking pad or in the driveway, not the public right-of-way. Occupying a stored RV as living quarters is barred except for short-term guest use.

Key details: Max outdoor vehicles: 1 per residential lot (LMC 18A.60.160(B)). Location required: Parking pad or driveway, never right-of-way. Guest occupancy limit: 21 days per 90-day period, Director's approval. Pad surface required: Asphalt, concrete, pavers, or 3" gravel. Governing section: LMC 18A.60.160.

Storing more than one recreational, utility or sporting vehicle outdoors on a single-family lot, parking it in the right-of-way, or occupying it as living quarters beyond the 21-day window without the Director's written authorization violates LMC 18A.60.160. Absent a more specific fine, LMC 1.44.040's general civil penalty of up to $500.00 per day of violation applies, and the City can issue a notice of violation or stop-work/cease-and-desist order under Chapter 1.44 LMC.

Abandoned Vehicles

Lakewood, Washington bans storing junk, wrecked, or apparently inoperable vehicles, plus stray vehicle parts and body panels, on any property in the city under LMC 8.26.030. The rule reaches vacant lots as well as occupied ones and covers public and private property alike. Code enforcement or police can declare the vehicle a public nuisance, and violators face a $500 civil infraction for every day the vehicle sits.

Key details: Governing section: LMC 8.26.030. Junk vehicle test: Meets 3 of 4 criteria in LMC 8.26.020. Fine: $500 civil infraction per violation, per day. Sole-vehicle exemption: Must be operable and registered to an occupant. Enforcement: Police or code enforcement officers.

Violating LMC 8.26.030 is a civil infraction carrying a $500 fine per violation, and LMC 8.26.060 makes each day the vehicle remains a separate violation, so fines accumulate daily until it is removed. The City can also charge the same conduct as a misdemeanor as an alternative penalty. Abatement and towing costs the City incurs become a debt against the responsible party and can be recorded as a lien against the property under LMC 8.26.120.

Compared to other cities, Lakewood takes a harder line on abandoned vehicles. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Street Parking Limits

It's unlawful in Lakewood, Washington to stop, park, or leave any vehicle, attended or not, on the travel portion of a public roadway, including medians and turn lanes, if doing so impedes travel under LMC 10.16.010. Violators face a $145.00 traffic infraction, and police may immediately tow a blocking vehicle without notifying the driver or owner.

Key details: Max fine: $145.00 per infraction. Covers: Travel lanes, medians, turn lanes. Tow authority: Immediate, no notice required. Exceptions: Transit stops, waste collection vehicles. Governing section: LMC 10.16.010.

Blocking the travel portion of a Lakewood street, including a median, center lane, or turn lane, is a traffic infraction capped at $145.00 under LMC 10.16.010, plus state court costs and assessments. Because the section allows immediate removal, an officer does not have to warn the driver before towing; the vehicle can be hauled away as soon as it is found blocking or unsafely parked.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Lakewood, Washington bars parking any vehicle wider than 80 inches, or any commercial vehicle bigger than a three-quarter-ton pickup, on residential streets, alleys, or public rights-of-way under LMC 10.16.030. The rule applies wherever most nearby property is zoned or used for residential or open-space purposes, and each violation costs $145.00, with every 24-hour period treated as a separate infraction.

Key details: Size trigger: Over 80 inches wide. Weight trigger: Over 3/4-ton commercial vehicle. Fine: $145.00 per 24-hour violation. Defense: Adjacent commercial property or active delivery. Governing section: LMC 10.16.030.

Parking an oversize or commercial vehicle on a Lakewood residential street without a qualifying defense is an infraction punishable by $145.00 per violation, plus state costs and assessments, under LMC 10.16.030. Because the code treats each 24-hour period as a separate infraction, leaving the vehicle parked for multiple days multiplies the fine rather than capping it at a single citation.

Overnight Parking

Lakewood, Washington does not set a fixed overnight curfew for street parking, but LMC 10.16.015 lets police tag any unauthorized vehicle left on the public right-of-way, day or night, with a 48-hour removal sticker. If the owner does not move it within 48 hours, the vehicle can be impounded and stored at the owner's expense, and leaving it can also be charged as littering.

Key details: Removal window: 48 hours after sticker attached. Infraction cap: $145.00 in addition to towing. Criminal exposure: Littering, a gross misdemeanor. Enforcers: Police, code enforcement, community service officers. Governing section: LMC 10.16.015.

Leaving an unauthorized vehicle on a Lakewood right-of-way past the 48-hour window on the notification sticker exposes the owner to impoundment and storage costs at the owner's expense, plus a traffic infraction of up to $145.00 under LMC 10.16.015. The code also warns that failing to remove the vehicle constitutes littering, a gross misdemeanor under state law, on top of the parking penalty.

Driveway Rules

Every residential garage or carport in Lakewood needs a paved apron in front of it, at least 20 feet deep and as wide as the garage opening, under LMC 18A.60.090(E)(1). The rule applies citywide to residential development and is checked through the building and land-use permit process.

Key details: Governing section: LMC 18A.60.090(E)(1). Minimum paving depth: 20 feet from garage/carport front. Minimum paving width: Width of garage/carport opening. RV/utility pad surface: Asphalt, concrete, pavers or 3" gravel. Right-of-way parking: No vehicle portion allowed in ROW.

Building a residential driveway or garage apron without the required 20-foot paved maneuvering area, or storing a vehicle on an unimproved parking pad, violates LMC 18A.60.090 or LMC 18A.60.160 through .180. Under LMC 18A.20.105(B) that is a Class 2 civil infraction, and LMC 1.48.010 caps the fine at $500.00, with each day of the violation and each vehicle counted separately.

EV Charging

Lakewood, Washington rewards developers who install electric vehicle charging stations with a parking-count credit under LMC 18A.80.060(G): each charging station lets the required parking total drop by one space, capped at 5 percent of the total required spaces for the site. The credit stacks with the code's other parking-reduction incentives up to that same 5 percent ceiling.

Key details: Credit per station: 1 parking space reduction. Reduction cap: 5% of total required parking. Combined incentive cap: 5% across all incentives. Governing section: LMC 18A.80.060(G). Approval process: Site plan review by Director.

Parking counts approved under LMC 18A.80.060, including the EV charging credit, become a binding condition of the site plan approval. Under LMC 18A.20.105, failing to build or maintain the approved parking configuration is a Title 18A violation enforced by the City Manager as a Class 2 civil infraction under Chapter 1.48 LMC, and the Planning and Public Works Director may revoke or modify the permit if the approved conditions go unmet.

The rules around ev charging in Lakewood lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Loading Zones

Lakewood, Washington requires any building that is erected, enlarged, or converted to a new use to provide at least one off-street loading area, sized 250 to 750 square feet depending on gross floor area. Each space must measure 10 by 25 feet with 14 feet of clearance, and loading berths must sit at least 50 feet from residential districts unless screened.

Key details: Minimum loading area: 1 space per building. Size by building: 250-750 sq ft by GSF. Space dimensions: 10 ft x 25 ft, 14 ft clear. Residential setback: 50 ft unless screened. Dock-high maneuvering: 100 ft clearance required.

Under LMC 18A.20.105, failing to provide or maintain a conforming loading area is a violation of Title 18A. The City Manager enforces the title, and except where the code specifies otherwise, a violation is a Class 2 civil infraction under Chapter 1.48 LMC. A loading configuration deemed a public nuisance or safety hazard is instead addressed under the nuisance abatement procedure in Chapter 1.44 LMC, and the Planning and Public Works Director can revoke a development permit for noncompliance with its conditions.

The Bottom Line

Lakewood's parking rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Lakewood is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Lakewood's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.