Parking Rules in Bellingham, WA (2026)
11 verified parking rules for Bellingham, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
RV & Boat Parking
Bellingham regulates on-street parking of recreational vehicles, boats, and trailers through Chapter 11.33 (Parking, Standing, and Stopping) of the Bellingham Municipal Code (BMC), supplemented by Washington state law. Under BMC 11.33.060, vehicles - including motorhomes, travel trailers, boat trailers, and utility trailers - may not remain continuously parked for more than seventy-two hours on any city street. State setbacks under RCW 46.61.570 apply to RVs and trailers regardless of zone: no parking within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant, twenty feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, in any intersection, on a sidewalk, or in front of a public or private driveway. RCW 46.55.085 also authorizes law enforcement to tag and impound an unauthorized vehicle left on a public right-of-way.
RV and Boat Parking in Bellingham
Some RestrictionsDriveway Rules
Driveway approaches and curb cuts in the Bellingham public right-of-way require a permit from the City of Bellingham Public Works Department. On-lot driveway and front-yard parking standards live in BMC Title 20 (Land Use Development). Under BMC 11.33.060, no vehicle may park in front of a public or private driveway or within five feet of the end of the curb leading thereto; a vehicle in violation may be impounded immediately if it obstructs ingress or egress to or from the driveway. State law RCW 46.61.570 also prohibits parking in front of a driveway, on a sidewalk, in any intersection, within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant, and within twenty feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.
Driveway and Curb Cut Rules in Bellingham
Some RestrictionsCommercial Vehicle Restrictions
Bellingham regulates commercial vehicle parking through BMC Title 20 (Land Use Development) for off-street and on-lot standards and through BMC Chapter 11.33 (Parking, Standing, and Stopping) for on-street parking. BMC 11.63.140 designates the limited-use arterial street system for truck traffic; trucks or other vehicles licensed for twenty-eight thousand pounds or over must restrict their travel upon other public ways of the city to only make pickups or deliveries of merchandise or freight to points not accessible by a truck route, and such travel off the system shall be over the shortest practicable route. Residential Parking Zone permits under BMC 11.38 are limited to non-commercial motor vehicles not exceeding 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.
Commercial Vehicle Parking in Bellingham
Some RestrictionsStreet Parking Limits
On-street parking in Bellingham is governed by BMC Chapter 11.33 (Parking, Standing, and Stopping), BMC Chapter 11.36 (Parking Meters), and BMC Chapter 11.38 (Residential Parking Zone), supplemented by state law RCW 46.61.570 for prohibited locations. Paid parking hours on downtown Bellingham metered streets are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday under BMC 11.36.030. The civil penalty for a parking meter or overtime infraction is thirty dollars; an unpaid citation past thirty days adds a twenty-five-dollar late fee. Under BMC 11.33.060, no vehicle may remain continuously parked for more than seventy-two hours on any city street.
Street Parking Rules in Bellingham
Some RestrictionsOvernight Parking
Bellingham does not impose a general citywide overnight parking ban on properly registered passenger vehicles, but under BMC 11.33.060 no vehicle may remain continuously parked for more than seventy-two hours on any city street. Downtown Bellingham paid parking hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday under BMC 11.36.030, so the meters themselves do not run overnight. Residential Parking Zone restrictions under BMC 11.38 apply only between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. State setbacks under RCW 46.61.570 (fifteen feet from a fire hydrant, twenty feet from a crosswalk, no parking on sidewalks, in intersections, or in front of driveways) apply at all hours.
Overnight Parking in Bellingham
Some RestrictionsEV Charging
Bellingham follows Washington state EV-charging law. Under RCW 64.34.395 (Condominium Act, effective until January 1, 2026) and RCW 64.90.513 (Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, effective January 1, 2026), a unit owners' association may not adopt or enforce a restriction that effectively prohibits or unreasonably restricts the installation or use of an electric vehicle charging station for the personal noncommercial use of a unit owner, within the boundaries of a unit or in a designated parking space. The unit owner bears the costs of insurance, electricity, payment facilitation, permit or approval costs, and code compliance. Home Level 2 installations in Bellingham require an electrical permit through City of Bellingham Permit Center under the adopted state electrical code.
Electric Vehicle Charging in Bellingham
Few RestrictionsAbandoned Vehicles
Abandoned and unauthorized vehicles in Bellingham are handled under BMC Chapter 11.18 (Vehicle Impoundment) and BMC Chapter 11.33 (Parking, Standing, and Stopping), supplemented by Chapter 46.55 RCW (Towing and Impoundment). Under BMC 11.33.060, no vehicle may remain continuously parked for more than seventy-two hours on any city street; when a complaint is received, a parking technician places an orange warning tag, and the owner has seventy-two hours to move the vehicle before it may be impounded. BMC 11.18.020 authorizes additional impounds beyond RCW 46.55.113, and BMC 11.18.040 requires payment of towing, storage, and an administrative fee under BMC 11.18.070 before redemption. RCW 46.55.085 also allows law enforcement to tag a vehicle and impound it if not moved within twenty-four hours.
Abandoned Vehicles in Bellingham
Heavy RestrictionsCurb Color Rules
Curb markings on Bellingham public streets are installed and maintained only by the City of Bellingham Public Works Department under federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards referenced through BMC Chapter 11.33 (Parking, Standing, and Stopping). Private property owners may not paint, alter, or add markings to a public curb. Underlying state-law setbacks in RCW 46.61.570 apply by default where paint has faded or is unmarked: no parking within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant, twenty feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, in any intersection, on a sidewalk, or in front of a driveway. BMC 11.33.060 also bars parking within five feet of the end of the curb leading to a driveway.
Curb Painting and Colored-Curb Restrictions in Bellingham
Some RestrictionsLoading Zones
Loading zones in Bellingham are installed and signed by the city under BMC Chapter 11.39 (Loading and Loading Zones), following federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards. Under BMC 11.39.020 (Standing in loading zone), no person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle for any purpose or period of time other than for the expeditious unloading and delivery or pickup and loading of property in any place marked as a loading zone during hours when the provisions applicable to such zone are in effect; in no case shall the stop for loading and unloading of property exceed thirty minutes. BMC Title 20 (Land Use Development) also requires off-street loading spaces for uses needing frequent loading or unloading. Loading vehicles must comply with RCW 46.61.570 distance setbacks.
Loading Zones in Bellingham
Some RestrictionsOversized Vehicle Parking
Bellingham regulates oversized vehicles through several BMC layers. Under BMC 11.33.060, no vehicle - including motorhomes, travel trailers, boat trailers, utility trailers, cars, trucks, vans, buses, motorcycles, and motor scooters - may remain continuously parked for more than seventy-two hours on any city street. BMC 11.38.030 (Eligibility for residential parking permits) caps Residential Parking Zone permit-eligible vehicles at a non-commercial motor vehicle not exceeding ten thousand pounds gross vehicle weight. BMC 11.63.140 restricts trucks or other vehicles licensed for twenty-eight thousand pounds or over to the designated truck-route system except for the shortest practicable route to a non-route destination. State law RCW 46.61.570 setbacks and the RCW 46.55.085 tag-and-tow window apply citywide.
Oversized Vehicle Parking in Bellingham
Some RestrictionsSnow Removal Parking Rules
The City of Bellingham does not provide snow and ice control for driveways or public sidewalks; snow and ice control for these areas is the sole responsibility of the abutting property owner or tenant. The city recommends that residents clear sidewalks near their homes during winter weather. Pushing or placing shoveled snow onto a public street is prohibited because it interferes with city plow operations. On the roadway side, Bellingham Public Works operates a tiered snow-and-ice control program covering arterials and bus routes as priority streets, with residential streets sanded as time and conditions permit. State law RCW 46.61.570 distance setbacks (fifteen feet from a fire hydrant, twenty feet from a crosswalk, no parking on sidewalks, in intersections, or in front of driveways) apply at all hours, including during snow events.
Snow and Ice Removal in Bellingham
Some RestrictionsLooking for Whatcom County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Bellingham city rules.
Parking Rules in Whatcom County →