Bellingham, WA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Bellingham addresses driveway parking through two layers of authority. First, BMC Title 20 (Land Use Development) sets the on-lot residential standards for where vehicles may park, the surfacing and dimensional requirements for driveways and parking pads, and the share of a front yard that can be improved as parking surface. Second, any new or expanded driveway approach or curb cut connecting a private drive to the public right-of-way requires a right-of-way construction permit from the City of Bellingham Public Works Department, with inspection against city standards. Constructing or widening a driveway approach without a permit is a code violation that may require restoration to city standards plus penalties. On the street side, BMC 11.33.060 specifies that no vehicle may park in front of a public or private driveway or within five feet of the end of the curb leading thereto, and a vehicle in violation may be impounded immediately under BMC Chapter 11.18 if it obstructs ingress or egress to or from the driveway. The state-law backbone in RCW 46.61.570 (Stopping, standing, or parking prohibited in specified places) sets a fifteen-foot fire hydrant setback, a twenty-foot setback from a crosswalk at an intersection, and citywide prohibitions on parking on sidewalks, in intersections, or in front of public or private driveways. Complaints about blocked driveways or unpermitted curb cuts can be reported to Bellingham Parking Services at (360) 778-7780 or to Public Works for right-of-way permitting questions.