7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Wake County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Wake County the UDO does not impose a separate RV, boat, or trailer-storage rule on single-family residential lots beyond the general off-street parking and front-yard standards of Article 15. The cities of Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest and other Wake municipalities each impose their own residential RV/boat parking limits.
Any new driveway or expanded driveway that ties into an NCDOT-maintained road in unincorporated Wake County requires an NCDOT Driveway Permit under 19A NCAC 02B .0610 and the NCDOT Policy on Street and Driveway Access to North Carolina Highways. Wake County itself does not issue separate driveway permits in the unincorporated areas because the county does not maintain a public street system.
NCDOT Policy on Street and Driveway Access to North Carolina Highways (July 2003), Chapter 1.D (Permit Classifications) and Definitions
Private Residential Driveway - A driveway connecting to a State-maintained street or highway to provide entrance to and/or exit from a private residential dwelling for the exclusive use and benefit of those residing within. Residential Subdivision Driveway - A driveway connecting to a State-maintained street or highway to provide entrance to and/or exit form residential subdivisions, apartment ...
The Wake County Unified Development Ordinance does not prohibit parking commercial vehicles at a residence in the unincorporated county; it instead regulates off-street parking quantity and design in Article 15. Inside Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, Garner, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Morrisville and other towns, each municipality limits parking of commercial trucks, tractor-trailers, and rated-weight vehicles in residential zoning districts.
Wake County does not own or maintain a public street system in its unincorporated areas — those roads are NCDOT right-of-way governed by NCGS Chapter 20. Inside Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, Garner, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wendell, and Zebulon, each town's police department enforces its own on-street parking ordinance.
Wake County GIS — Public and Private Streets
Public streets are maintained by the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) or the city or town where it is located. Streets without an SR that are outside city or town limits are maintained by agreements that have been made between the owners. The recorded plat for the property usually indicates whether the street is public or private. Wake County does not maintain streets. The county also re...
Wake County does not impose a general overnight parking ban. NCDOT roads in the unincorporated county follow NCGS §20-161 (no parking on the traveled portion of the highway), but there is no county-wide overnight street-parking prohibition. Municipal rules vary: Raleigh, Cary, and Wake Forest each restrict overnight parking only in specific zones marked by signs or in permit-parking districts.
Installing a home Level 2 EV charging station in unincorporated Wake County requires a standard electrical permit from Wake County Permits & Inspections under the NC State Electrical Code (NEC Article 625). Public/commercial EV chargers also need a building/electrical permit and must follow the NC Accessibility Code for accessible spaces.
Wake County's authority to remove abandoned and junked motor vehicles comes from NCGS §153A-132. The statute defines an abandoned vehicle as one left on public grounds in violation of a parking law, left more than 24 hours on county property, left more than 2 hours on private property without consent, or left more than 7 days on public grounds.
NCGS §153A-132(b)(1)
An 'abandoned motor vehicle' is one that: a. Is left upon a public grounds or county-owned property in violation of a law or ordinance prohibiting parking; b. Is left for longer than 24 hours on property owned or operated by the county; c. Is left for longer than two hours on private property without the consent of the owner, occupant, or lessee of the property; or d. Is left for longer than se...
3 cities in Wake County have their own parking rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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Wake County Ordinance Hub →