Issaquah, WA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Subsection E.3 of section 18.604.150 sets the front-yard rule in one sentence: motorized vehicles shall not park in the pervious surface areas of front or streetside setbacks of a residential use property unless such pervious surface is a driveway or is located under or within a carport or garage. Streetside setbacks matter on corner lots, where the side yard facing the street is covered along with the front yard. The test is the surface: pervious ground in the setback is closed to parked motor vehicles, and the permitted surfaces are the driveway and the space under or within a carport or garage. The section prints no separate distance or material test for what makes a surface pervious.

The section's intent clause explains the reasoning. Standards for outdoor residential uses and vehicle activities are meant to protect property values by reducing visual blight, aid in emergency access and fire safety, guard against rodent and pest harborage, and reduce the impact on the natural environment from the leaking of motor vehicle fluids.

Several neighboring subsections apply to anything parked on a driveway. Subsection D requires all vehicles and boats kept on site to be operational, currently registered and licensed, and maintained in a clean, well-kept condition that does not detract from the appearance of the surrounding area. Subsection C prohibits keeping a disabled or unlicensed vehicle or boat on privately owned residential property unless it is stored outside public view within a fully enclosed building, and a vehicle is disabled when it has not been operated or repaired for over 30 days. Subsection B adds that no recreational or utility vehicle, boat or trailer may be parked in a manner that obstructs visibility from adjacent driveways or street corners.