Lynnwood, WA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Loose materials (gravel/dirt)
- prohibited
- Allowed materials
- asphalt, concrete, grasscrete, pavers, bricks, stone
- Nonconforming gravel grandfather cap
- 6 spaces
- Wheel-strip driveways allowed
- up to 3 units per lot
- Shared driveway minimum width
- 12 ft
Summary
Residential parking surfaces in Lynnwood must be paved with asphalt, concrete, grasscrete, pavers, bricks or interlocking stone; gravel, dirt and other loose surfacing are barred outright, with only a narrow grandfather clause letting legally nonconforming gravel lots keep up to six parking spaces.
1. All required parking surfaces must utilize materials of long-term durability, such as: a. Asphalt. b. Concrete. c. Grasscrete. d. Pavers, bricks, or interlocking stone. e. Other similar surfaces, as approved by the administrator. 2. Gravel, dirt, and other loose surfacing materials are not permitted. a. Where existing legally nonconforming gravel surfacing in designated parking areas is present, a maximum of six parking spaces may be maintained to meet parking requirements.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3512, passed May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
0730(C), Parking Stall Materials, requires all required residential parking surfaces to use materials of long-term durability, listing asphalt, concrete, grasscrete, pavers, bricks or interlocking stone, or another similar surface approved by the administrator. Subsection (C)(2) then flatly bars gravel, dirt and other loose surfacing materials, carving out only a grandfather clause: where legally nonconforming gravel surfacing already exists in a designated parking area, up to six parking spaces may still be maintained to satisfy parking requirements. The same section's single-family and middle housing standards, subsection (D), let driveways sit within setbacks, encourage pervious paving or grasscrete, and permit 'ribbon,' 'Hollywood' or 'California' driveways paved only in wheel strips for up to three units on a lot, including parking for accessory units, though any driveway apron within the public right-of-way must still be paved to city standards.
30 LMC. This section sits in Title 8, the Unified Development Code that took over Lynnwood's land-use regulation after Title 21 zoning expired June 30, 2025, and was most recently amended by Ord. 3507 in 2026.
Violations & Fines
Installing or maintaining a gravel, dirt or other loose-surface driveway beyond the six-space nonconforming allowance violates LMC 8.40.0730(C)(2) and is enforced as a zoning violation through the city's code compliance process under Chapter 8.90 LMC; a parking surface that fails the durability standard can also hold up final building or occupancy approval on the underlying residential permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put gravel in my Lynnwood driveway?
What if my driveway already has gravel on it?
Are permeable pavers allowed for a Lynnwood driveway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynnwood
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Driveway Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle driveway rules.