Parking Rules in Roanoke, VA (2026)
9 verified parking rules for Roanoke, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
RV & Boat Parking
Roanoke allows an RV, boat, or trailer to be parked or stored (not lived in) on a residential lot if it's currently licensed, no closer to the street than the house, and no longer than 32 feet or taller than 9 feet. On streets or alleys, the same vehicles may sit for only 10 days per three months.
Roanoke RV, Boat, and Trailer Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsRoanoke City Code § 36.2-425(a), (b)
(a)A motor home, boat, truck camper, inhabitable bus, recreational vehicle, travel trailer, boat trailer, or other trailer may be parked or stored on a lot, but not inhabited for a period exceeding twenty-four (24) hours, in a residential district or in a CN or MX District, provided that such motor vehicle or equipment shall be:(1)Licensed for the current year;(2)Located no closer to any street...
Driveway Rules
Roanoke bars parking on turf or landscaped areas that denudes the soil, treating it as an unpermitted parking area under Section 36.2-651, and requires every off-street parking surface to be paved, capping front-yard coverage by driveways and parking at 30 percent of the area between the right-of-way and the building line under Section 36.2-654.
Roanoke Driveway Paving and Front-Yard Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsRoanoke Zoning Ordinance § 36.2-651; § 36.2-654(a)(1), (b)(1), Table 654-1
The repetitive parking of a vehicle or vehicles in a turf grass area or landscaped area that results in denuded or partially denuded soil shall constitute the establishment of a parking area that does not meet the construction standards of this section. ... All off-street parking areas shall be limited to improved surfaces as defined in Section 36.2-654(b)(1). ... Improved surface shall mean co...
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
City Code § 20-71 bars parking a commercial motor vehicle, truck, bus, tow truck or similar, on a residential street or alley for more than 2 hours, with exceptions for school buses, emergency vehicles and vehicles actively working nearby; hazmat trucks can never park overnight there.
Roanoke Commercial Vehicle Residential Parking Limit
Some RestrictionsRoanoke City Code § 20-71
(a)For purposes of this section, a commercial motor vehicle shall be any motor vehicle or trailer used, designed or maintained for the transportation of persons or property for compensation or profit, and which is one of the following types of vehicles: trucks, tractor cabs, farm tractors, construction equipment, motor passenger buses, trailers, semi-trailers, taxis, limousines, tow trucks, dum...
Street Parking Limits
City Code § 20-65 bars parking on sidewalks, within 5 feet of a driveway, in intersections, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, within 20 feet of a corner, or anywhere it blocks traffic; violations are a traffic infraction fined up to $200 under § 20-1.
Roanoke On-Street Parking Prohibited Locations
Some RestrictionsRoanoke City Code § 20-65(a)
(a)General provisions. No person shall park or leave standing a motor vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, in any of the following places:(1)On or upon a sidewalk...or in or on a pedestrian crosswalk or safety zone.(2)On a highway or street within five (5) feet in any direction of ...
Overnight Parking
Roanoke doesn't ban overnight parking outright, but City Code § 20-67(d) makes it unlawful to leave any vehicle parked and standing on a public highway for more than 48 consecutive hours, the citywide backstop on how long a car, including one left overnight, may sit in one spot.
Roanoke 48-Hour Street Parking Time Limit
Some RestrictionsRoanoke City Code § 20-67(d)
(d)No vehicle shall be parked and left standing on any highway for more than forty-eight (48) consecutive hours.
EV Charging
Roanoke allows electric vehicle charging stations to encroach into the front yard but requires an evergreen landscaping strip between the station and the right-of-way, caps station signage at 4 square feet per bollard, and requires a working contact number on the equipment.
Roanoke EV Charging Station Zoning Rules
Light RestrictionsRoanoke City Code Sec. 36.2-403(f)
(f)Electrical vehicle charging stations shall be subject to the following supplemental regulations:(1)Any electrical vehicle charging station shall provide and maintain a landscaping strip consisting of evergreen shrubs as defined further in Section 36.2-649, between the electrical vehicle charging station and the adjacent right-of-way. The trees and shrubs shall meet the minimum planting size ...
Abandoned Vehicles
Roanoke treats a vehicle as abandoned if it's inoperable on public property for more than 48 hours, illegally on public property for more than 48 hours, or left over 48 hours on private property without the owner's consent. The chief of police can take it into custody and sell it if unclaimed.
Roanoke Rules for Abandoned Vehicles
Significant RestrictionsRoanoke City Code § 20-101; § 20-102
Abandoned motor vehicle means a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer or part of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer that: (1) Is inoperable and is left unattended on public property, other than an interstate highway or primary highway, for more than forty-eight (48) hours; or (2) Has remained illegally on public property for more than forty-eight (48) hours; or (3) Has remained for more ...
Loading Zones
City Code § 20-65(a)(8) reserves designated loading zones for active loading and unloading only; § 20-67(f) lets a passenger car stop briefly for passengers or bundles, but not in a zone marked "truck loading zone," and never while blocking a waiting delivery vehicle.
Roanoke Loading Zone Parking Restrictions
Some RestrictionsRoanoke City Code §§ 20-65(a)(8), 20-67(f)
(8)Within a designated loading zone, except for the immediate and continuous loading or unloading of passengers or materials to or from such vehicles within permitted time periods as posted. [Sec. 20-65(a)(8)] ... (f)The operator of a passenger vehicle may stop temporarily in a space marked as a loading zone, except loading zones specifically marked "truck loading zone," for the purpose for and...
Preferential Parking Districts
Roanoke's city manager can designate any block or street, including inside the downtown service district, as a parking permit area after a study and community meeting. Only vehicles displaying a valid annual permit or visitor's pass may park there without violating the posted restriction.
Roanoke Residential Parking Permit Areas
Some RestrictionsRoanoke City Code § 20-79
The city manager may designate, by written directive, parking permit areas within the city. Prior to making such designation, the city manager may call for a parking study and shall conduct a community meeting(s) at which interested parties may be heard on the proposal to designate the subject area as a parking permit area. At least seven (7) days prior to the meeting, public notice shall be pu...