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Bellingham, WA Parking Rules: Commercial & Oversized Vehicles (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Width trigger
Over 80 inches wide
Allowed zones
Manufacturing or industrial districts only
Alley commercial stop limit
30 minutes, state-licensed vehicle
Alley passenger stop limit
5 minutes
Civil penalty
$60.00 (BMC 11.33.230(C))
Governing section
BMC 11.33.060(A)(3), (A)(8)

Summary

Bellingham bars parking any vehicle wider than 80 inches on a public street outside active loading or unloading, unless the street sits in a zone the code designates manufacturing or industrial, under BMC 11.33.060(A)(8). A companion rule, BMC 11.33.060(A)(3), caps commercial-vehicle loading stops in alleys at 30 minutes for a state-licensed commercial vehicle.

A. Except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or official traffic control device, no person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle: ... 3. No person shall stand or park a commercial vehicle in any alley for any purpose or length of time other than the expeditious loading and unloading of goods and then in no case shall the stop for loading or unloading of materials exceed 30 minutes; provided, that any such vehicle is properly licensed as a commercial vehicle by the State of Washington Department of Motor Vehicles; ... 8. Upon any street, except when loading or unloading property if the vehicle is over 80 inches in width; provided, that such stopping, standing, or parking is permitted in areas zoned by this code as a manufacturing or industrial use district;

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-06-015, passed June 1, 2026).

Full Breakdown

' Because most residential and many commercial streets in Bellingham are not zoned manufacturing or industrial, an oversized commercial truck, RV, or trailer wider than 80 inches (six feet eight inches) cannot be left parked on those streets outside an active loading or unloading stop. 060(A)(2). 33 BMC, enforced citywide by Bellingham's parking services division and prosecuted as civil infractions in Bellingham Municipal Court in Whatcom County.

Violations & Fines

A width or alley-loading violation under BMC 11.33.060 is a civil infraction carrying the standard $60.00 penalty set by BMC 11.33.230(C) for 'all other parking infractions' not otherwise assigned a specific fee. A vehicle blocking traffic movement can also be cited under the alley clearance rule, BMC 11.33.060(A)(1), which bars leaving less than eight feet of alley roadway open. Citations may be paid within 15 days or contested by notifying municipal court within seven days under BMC 11.33.220.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I park a work truck or RV on my Bellingham street?
Not if it's over 80 inches wide, unless you're actively loading or unloading. BMC 11.33.060(A)(8) bars stopping, standing or parking a vehicle that wide on any street outside that window, except in areas zoned manufacturing or industrial, which excludes nearly all residential streets.
How long can a commercial truck park in a Bellingham alley?
Up to 30 minutes for expeditious loading or unloading, and only if the vehicle is properly licensed as a commercial vehicle with the Washington Department of Motor Vehicles, per BMC 11.33.060(A)(3). Passenger vehicles get just five minutes in an alley under BMC 11.33.060(A)(2).
What's the fine for illegally parking an oversized vehicle in Bellingham?
$60.00, the standard civil penalty under BMC 11.33.230(C) for parking infractions not otherwise assigned a specific fee. The ticket can be paid at municipal court, by mail, online, or at an authorized collection box within 15 days, or contested within seven days under BMC 11.33.220.
Are manufacturing and industrial zones exempt from the width limit?
Yes. BMC 11.33.060(A)(8) permits stopping, standing or parking a vehicle over 80 inches wide 'in areas zoned by this code as a manufacturing or industrial use district,' the only exception the ordinance carves out beyond active loading or unloading.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Bellingham

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All Bellingham rules

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