Kitsap County, WA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- KCC § 17.490.020(F), (H)
- Front-yard parking
- Barred except single-family/duplex driveways
- Auto sales lots
- Up to 25% of front setback
- Surface standard
- Durable, dustless, all-weather
- Screening
- Required for lots over 5 vehicles
- Applies
- Unincorporated Kitsap County only
Summary
Kitsap County bars parking and loading spaces from required front, side and rear yard setbacks countywide, with an exception for single-family and duplex driveways, and requires every vehicle standing area, paved or not, to have a durable and dustless surface maintained for all-weather use, draining away from sidewalks, under KCC § 17.490.020.
F. Parking in Required Front, Side, Rear Yards or Setbacks. Unless otherwise provided, required parking and loading spaces shall not be located in a required yard or setback, except for development of single-family dwellings or duplexes. Automobile sales may be allowed in no more than twenty-five percent of the front yard setback, as shown on an approved site plan. ... H. Development of and Maintenance Standards for Off-Street Parking Areas. In addition to requirements of Chapters 17.490 and 17.500 and the Kitsap Stormwater Design Manual, every parcel of land hereafter used as a public or private parking area, including commercial parking lots, shall be developed as follows: ... 4. Areas used for standing and maneuvering of vehicles shall have durable and dustless surfaces maintained adequately for all-weather use, and so drained as to avoid flow of water across sidewalks. Permeable pavements are encouraged where feasible;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4864424; v0 updated 2025-12-08; through 12-08-2025).
Full Breakdown
020 sets general provisions that apply to every off-street parking area in unincorporated Kitsap County. 060 and may occupy no more than fifty percent of the site's arterial frontage. Automobile dealerships get a separate, narrower carve-out: sales lots may use up to twenty-five percent of the front yard setback for display parking if shown on an approved site plan. Subsection H sets maintenance standards for every parking area, including driveways serving more than a handful of vehicles: areas used for standing and maneuvering must have durable and dustless surfaces maintained adequately for all-weather use, and must be drained so water does not flow across sidewalks; the code specifically encourages permeable pavement as a compliant surface where feasible, so gravel or dirt can qualify only if engineered to stay dustless and well-drained through every season.
Parking areas built for more than five vehicles must also be screened from adjoining residential property or schools with a sight-obscuring fence, hedge or planting, and lighting cannot exceed one foot-candle of illumination at the property boundary.
Violations & Fines
A driveway or parking surface that violates § 17.490.020, such as parking equipment or vehicles inside a commercial front setback or leaving a lot as bare, muddy dirt that fails the durable-and-dustless standard, is a Class I civil infraction under KCC § 17.610.020, with each day of the condition charged as a separate infraction under Chapter 2.116 and RCW 7.80; the director may first issue a correction order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park my car in my front yard in unincorporated Kitsap County?
Does Kitsap County allow a gravel driveway?
What is the penalty for an unauthorized parking area in Kitsap County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kitsap County
Compare Kitsap County to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview
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