7 rules for unincorporated Elkhart County, Indiana.
Verified from official government sources
In the RV Capital of the World, storing your own camper is common, but the rules split by location. Unincorporated Elkhart County zoning is fairly open, while the cities of Elkhart and Goshen restrict where an RV, boat, or trailer may sit on a residential lot.
Vehicles parked in a driveway may not block the public sidewalk, and city lots generally require parking on a paved or improved surface rather than the front lawn. Connecting a new driveway to a county road needs a Highway Department permit.
The cities of Elkhart and Goshen restrict parking heavy commercial vehicles, semi-tractors, and trailers in residential zones, while unincorporated county land and farms accommodate work trucks more freely. State size and weight limits apply on public roads.
Indiana sets no statewide street-parking time limit, so rules come from the cities and from IC 9-21-16 clearance requirements. Lake-effect snow makes winter parking bans a real factor in Elkhart and Goshen, where posted snow routes must be cleared for plows.
There is no countywide overnight-parking ban, but the cities of Elkhart and Goshen impose overnight and snow-route restrictions, especially in winter when lake-effect snow triggers emergency parking orders that clear streets for plowing.
Installing a home Level 2 EV charger in Elkhart County requires an electrical permit and inspection from the relevant building authority. Indiana has no statute barring HOAs from restricting chargers, so subdivision covenants can still limit placement.
Indiana's abandoned-vehicle law, IC 9-22-1, lets police tag and tow vehicles left on public property, and inoperable or unplated junk vehicles left in view on private land are separately cited as a nuisance by city and county code enforcement.
See every category we cover for Elkhart County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Elkhart County Ordinance Hub →