Parking Rules in Whatcom County, WA (2026)
7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Whatcom County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
RV & Boat Parking
Unincorporated Whatcom County confines recreational vehicle and boat parking or storage to side and rear yards under WCC § 20.20.654, one of several district parking sections repeating the identical rule across the county's residential and rural zones. General off-street parking must still meet WCC § 20.80.500, but an RV or boat cannot sit in the front yard.
Whatcom County RV & Boat Yard Parking
Some RestrictionsWhatcom County Code § 20.20.654
Parking shall conform to the requirements of WCC § 20.80.500. However, recreation vehicles, and boat parking and storage shall be limited to side and rear yard areas.
Driveway Rules
Driveways and walkways are allowed inside the front-yard building setback county-wide under WCC § 20.80.220(1)(a), and on parcels inside the Lake Whatcom watershed and other Water Resource Protection Overlay areas, § 20.71.603 lets owners surface a driveway with bark mulch, washed gravel or pervious pavers instead of asphalt if public works approves the design.
Whatcom County Driveway and Surface Rules
Some RestrictionsWCC § 20.80.220(1)(a); § 20.71.603
Appurtenances, including but not limited to: uncovered patios and decks less than 30 inches in height; driveways and walkways; pools and other recreation equipment; utilities, including HVAC equipment, electric vehicle charging station, septic systems, and propane tanks with fuel capacities up to 500 gallons; and fences, walls, and vegetative hedges up to four feet in height may be placed in th...
Street Parking Limits
Unincorporated Whatcom County enforces the state Rules of the Road as its own law: WCC Chapter 10.40, the Whatcom County Traffic Code, adopts RCW 46.61.570 and RCW 46.61.575 by reference. Under those adopted sections, a vehicle cannot stop in front of a driveway or within five feet of its curb radius, and every parked vehicle must sit parallel to the curb, right-hand wheels within twelve inches, facing the direction of traffic.
Whatcom County Street Parking & Driveway Rules
Some RestrictionsRCW 46.61.570(1)(b)(i), 46.61.575(1)-(2), adopted by WCC § 10.40.070
RCW 46.61.570(1)(b): "...no person shall: ... Stand or park a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except momentarily to pick up or discharge a passenger or passengers: (i) In front of a public or private driveway or within five feet of the end of the curb radius leading thereto...; (ii) Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant; (iii) Within 20 feet of a crosswalk..." RCW 46.61.575(1)-(2): "...every vehic...
Overnight Parking
Unincorporated Whatcom County has no blanket overnight parking curfew; instead, the county council designates specific roads as no-parking zones by ordinance. On Locust Avenue near the railroad tracks, Whatcom County Code (WCC) section 10.24.230 bans parking entirely on one side and imposes a dusk-to-dawn ban on the other, one of more than a dozen street-specific overnight zones enforced under Chapter 10.24.
Whatcom County Overnight No-Parking Zones
Some RestrictionsWhatcom County Code §§ 10.24.220, 10.24.230, 10.24.260
§ 10.24.220. Birch Bay. A. A no parking zone is established at the second class tideland in front of and adjacent to and abutting upon Government Lot 1, Township 40, Range 1 East, Section 30, and shall be closed from 10:00 p.m. until 6:59 a.m. daily. During the time of closure there shall be no parking of vehicles. ... § 10.24.230. Locust Avenue. B. A zone is established in which no parking fro...
EV Charging
Unincorporated Whatcom County treats electric vehicle charging stations as an outright accessory use in its commercial and industrial zoning districts, including Rural General Commercial, Neighborhood Commercial, Small Town Commercial, General Commercial, Tourist Commercial, General Manufacturing and Rural Industrial and Manufacturing. No conditional-use review applies; the equipment itself must meet state charging standards.
Whatcom County EV Charging Station Rules
Light RestrictionsWCC § 20.97.050; WCC § 20.59.100(.107)
"Electric vehicle charging station" means a parking space that is served by battery charging equipment that has as its primary purpose the transfer of electric energy (by conductive or inductive means) to a battery or other energy storage device in an electric vehicle and that meets or exceeds any standards, codes, and regulations set forth by Chapter 19.28 RCW and consistent with rules adopted...
Abandoned Vehicles
Whatcom County treats junk, wrecked, or inoperable vehicles stored in public view as a public nuisance. Washington defines a junk vehicle by meeting three of four tests, and abandoned vehicles left on public streets can be impounded after notice.
Whatcom County Abandoned & Junk Vehicle Ordinance
Some RestrictionsRCW 46.55.010(5), definition of 'junk vehicle'
a vehicle certified under RCW 46.55.230 as meeting at least three of the following requirements: (a) Is three years old or older; (b) Is extensively damaged, such damage including but not limited to any of the following: A broken window or windshield, or missing wheels, tires, motor, or transmission; (c) Is apparently inoperable; (d) Has an approximate fair market value equal only to the approx...
Loading Zones
Every commercial, manufacturing or institutional building in unincorporated Whatcom County that generates delivery traffic must provide a dedicated off-street loading space under WCC § 20.80.515, sized at least 14 feet wide, 60 feet long and 15 feet of vertical clearance. Required space count scales with floor area and use, and a loading space can never double as required parking.
Whatcom County Off-Street Loading Space Rules
Some RestrictionsWhatcom County Code § 20.80.515
A loading space shall have minimum dimensions of not less than 14 feet in width, 60 feet in length, exclusive of driveways, aisles, and other circulation areas, and a height of clearance of not less than 15 feet. One off-street loading space shall be provided and maintained on the same lot for every separate occupancy requiring delivery of goods and having a gross floor area of at least 5,000 s...
Parking Rules by City in Whatcom County
1 cities in Whatcom County have their own parking rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Whatcom County ordinances
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