Hanover County, VA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Section 26-19(8) of the Zoning Ordinance, part of the A-1 Agricultural District's list of permitted accessory uses, sets the county's standard rule for storing a recreational vehicle, utility trailer, boat trailer, or similar vehicle at a residence. On every property, the vehicle must display valid license plates and a valid state inspection decal as required for operation on public highways, and it cannot be used for commercial purposes. If the vehicle sits in the driveway rather than the rear yard, it must be located entirely within the improved area, meaning the paved or otherwise constructed surface of the driveway itself, not the grass or gravel shoulder beside it.

The section defines 'driveway' as a single improved roadway that connects a public or private road to a parking space, garage, or dwelling and that has received all required approvals from the Virginia Department of Transportation. Properties of twenty acres or more get one added option: the vehicle may also sit in the front yard, so long as it stays out of the required front yard setback area. Nearly identical wording, including the same 'located entirely within the improved area' requirement, is repeated in the accessory-use sections covering Hanover's other residential zoning districts, so the driveway rule applies broadly across the county outside the Town of Ashland, not just in A-1.