Parking Rules in Yakima, WA (2026)
11 verified parking rules for Yakima, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
RV & Boat Parking
Yakima regulates on-street parking of recreational vehicles, boats, and trailers through Chapter 9.50 (Parking and Rules of the Road) of the Yakima Municipal Code, supplemented by Washington state law. RCW 46.55.085 allows law enforcement to tag and impound an unauthorized vehicle, including a trailer or boat trailer, that is left on a public right-of-way for more than twenty-four hours after tagging. Statewide setbacks under RCW 46.61.570 (no parking within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant, twenty feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, in any intersection, or on a sidewalk) apply to RVs, boats, and trailers regardless of zone. On private property, Title 15 (Yakima Urban Area Zoning Ordinance) limits outdoor storage of recreational vehicles in residential districts.
RV and Boat Parking in Yakima
Some RestrictionsDriveway Rules
Driveway approaches and curb cuts in the Yakima public right-of-way require a permit from the City of Yakima Engineering Division. On-lot driveway and front-yard parking standards live in the Yakima Urban Area Zoning Ordinance (Title 15 YMC), which sets surfacing and dimensional requirements. State law RCW 46.61.570 prohibits parking in front of a public or private driveway, on a sidewalk, in any intersection, within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant, and within twenty feet of a crosswalk at an intersection. These rules apply citywide through Yakima Municipal Code Chapter 9.50 (Parking and Rules of the Road).
Driveway and Curb Cut Rules in Yakima
Some RestrictionsCommercial Vehicle Restrictions
Yakima regulates commercial vehicle parking through the Yakima Urban Area Zoning Ordinance (Title 15 YMC), which limits where cargo containers and semi-truck trailers may be placed in residential and commercial zones, and through YMC Chapter 9.50 (Parking and Rules of the Road) for on-street parking. Cargo containers may be placed on properties in residential zones for a maximum of two consecutive weeks at a time; cargo and semi-truck trailers are allowed as an accessory use to a permitted business in the B-1, B-2, SCC, LCC, AS, GC, RD, M-1, and M-2 zoning districts. Statewide distance setbacks under RCW 46.61.570 apply to commercial vehicles.
Commercial Vehicle Parking in Yakima
Some RestrictionsStreet Parking Limits
On-street parking in Yakima is governed by Chapter 9.50 (Parking and Rules of the Road) of the Yakima Municipal Code, supplemented by state law RCW 46.61.570 for prohibited locations. On-street parking in downtown Yakima is free for two hours, with the two-hour limit enforced between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays; parking is free before 8 a.m., after 5 p.m., and on weekends. The fine for violating a parking time limit is twenty dollars. Statewide distance setbacks apply citywide: 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.
Street Parking Rules in Yakima
Some RestrictionsOvernight Parking
Yakima does not impose a general citywide overnight parking ban on properly registered passenger vehicles parked on residential streets. Downtown Yakima's two-hour on-street limit applies only between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, so overnight parking is allowed downtown after 5 p.m. through the next morning. State law RCW 46.55.085 still allows law enforcement to tag a vehicle left on a public right-of-way and impound it if not moved within twenty-four hours of the tag. Distance setbacks under RCW 46.61.570 (fifteen feet from a fire hydrant, twenty feet from a crosswalk at an intersection, no parking on sidewalks, in intersections, or in front of driveways) apply at all hours.
Overnight Parking in Yakima
Few RestrictionsEV Charging
Yakima 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 Yakima require an electrical permit through City of Yakima Code Administration.
Electric Vehicle Charging in Yakima
Few RestrictionsAbandoned Vehicles
Abandoned and unauthorized vehicles in Yakima are handled under YMC Chapter 9.47 (Vehicle Impounds) and Washington state Chapter 46.55 RCW (Towing and Impoundment). Under YMC 9.47, any unlicensed vehicle parked on a public street or parking lot in Yakima may be towed and impounded at owner's risk and expense by a registered tow truck operator after the owner is provided forty-eight hours notice of impoundment, at the direction of a law enforcement officer or authorized designee. RCW 46.55.085 allows law enforcement to tag a vehicle on a public right-of-way and impound it if not moved within twenty-four hours. Junk vehicles on private property follow a separate written-notice and municipal-court hearing process; the civil infraction penalty is fifty dollars.
Abandoned Vehicles in Yakima
Heavy RestrictionsCurb Color Rules
Curb markings on Yakima public streets are installed and maintained only by the City of Yakima Streets and Traffic Operations Division under federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards referenced through YMC Chapter 9.50 (Parking and Rules of the Road). 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.
Curb Painting and Colored-Curb Restrictions in Yakima
Some RestrictionsLoading Zones
Loading zones in Yakima are installed and signed by the city under YMC Chapter 9.50 (Parking and Rules of the Road), following federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards. Title 15 (Yakima Urban Area Zoning Ordinance) requires off-street loading and unloading spaces for any use needing frequent loading or unloading from trucks or other large vehicles. Loading vehicles must still comply with RCW 46.61.570 distance setbacks (fifteen feet from a fire hydrant, twenty feet from a crosswalk at an intersection, no parking on sidewalks, in intersections, or in front of driveways).
Loading Zones in Yakima
Some RestrictionsOversized Vehicle Parking
Yakima regulates oversized vehicles primarily through zoning. Title 15 (Yakima Urban Area Zoning Ordinance) limits cargo containers on residentially zoned property to a maximum of two consecutive weeks at a time, and allows cargo and semi-truck trailers as an accessory use to a permitted business only in the B-1, B-2, SCC, LCC, AS, GC, RD, M-1, and M-2 zoning districts. The downtown Residential Parking Permit framework caps eligible vehicles at eight thousand pounds gross weight, indirectly defining 'oversized' for permit purposes. State law RCW 46.61.570 distance setbacks and the RCW 46.55.085 tag-and-tow window apply citywide.
Oversized Vehicle Parking in Yakima
Some RestrictionsSnow Removal Parking Rules
Yakima places primary responsibility for sidewalk snow and ice removal on the abutting property owner or occupant. Under YMC Chapter 8.88 (Snow and Ice Removal), every owner or occupant of property in the city adjacent to a public sidewalk is responsible for the removal of snow and ice that may fall or accumulate on the sidewalks immediately adjacent to the primary entrance of the property. Property owners or occupants must make a reasonable effort to have those sidewalks cleared of snow and ice by nine a.m. of every day after snowfall. Where complete removal is not practical, the owner or occupant must disperse sand or other suitable material on the sidewalk. It is a civil infraction to place snow and ice removed from sidewalk areas into the public rights-of-way, alleys, city streets, pathways, or thoroughfares. Each day a sidewalk remains uncleared is a separate civil infraction with a fine of up to $50.
Snow and Ice Removal in Yakima
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for Yakima County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Yakima city rules.
Parking Rules in Yakima County →