King County, WA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Surfacing
- Dust-free, all-weather required
- Driveway/setback
- Driveways may cross front setbacks
- Vehicle cap, R-1-R-8
- 6 or 8 vehicles stored outside
- Scope
- Unincorporated King County only
- Enforced by
- County permitting at occupancy review
Summary
Unincorporated King County requires off-street parking areas, including driveways used for parking, to have dust-free, all-weather surfacing rather than bare dirt or loose gravel.
A. Off-street parking areas shall have dust-free, all-weather surfacing. Typical approved sections are illustrated below.
1. Frequently used (at least five days a week) off-street parking areas shall conform to the surfacing standards shown in A below or an approved equivalent.
2. If the parking area is to be used more than thirty days per year but less than five days a week, then the standards to be used shall conform to the standards shown in subsection B. of this section or an approved equivalent. An exception to these surfacing requirements may be made for certain uses that require intermittent use of their parking facilities less than thirty days per year.
3. Any surface treatment other than those graphically illustrated below must be approved by the director. MINIMUM SURFACING REQUIREMENTS
B. Parking areas shall meet the grading standards in K.C.C. chapter 16.82 and drainage and erosion((/sedimentation control facilities shall be provided in accordance with)) control standards in K.C.C. chapter 9.04.
C. Internal access roads and driveways shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the road standards in K.C.C. chapter 14.42.
Full Breakdown
King County Code 21A.18.120.A requires off-street parking areas to have dust-free, all-weather surfacing, with stricter paving standards for areas used five or more days a week. Separately, 21A.18.110.K.1 lets single-family driveways cross required front-yard setbacks and be used for parking, while 21A.18.110.L caps vehicles stored outside a building at six (lots up to 12,500 sq ft) or eight (larger lots) in R-1 through R-8 zones. This is county code for unincorporated areas only. Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, Auburn, Redmond, Kirkland, Sammamish and other cities set their own driveway and parking rules.
Violations & Fines
The county's permitting division withholds occupancy permits for new, enlarged, or changed-use buildings until off-street parking meets the surfacing, setback, and dimensional standards in K.C.C. chapter 21A.18; noncompliant unpaved parking areas are subject to code enforcement correction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park on a gravel or dirt driveway in unincorporated King County?
Can I park in my front-yard setback?
Does this King County code apply inside Seattle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
Compare King County to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview
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