Spokane County, WA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Max parking width
- 50% of frontage or 40 ft
- Zones covered
- LDR, LDR-P, MDR, HDR
- Surface required
- Paved (gravel only for existing-home expansion)
- Vehicles outside zone
- Prohibited
- Base parking count
- 2 spaces/single-family dwelling, may stack
- Variance option
- Director modification for odd lots
Summary
Front-yard parking for single-family and duplex homes in Spokane County's residential zones is capped at fifty percent of the lot's frontage or forty feet, whichever is less, under section 14.802.060(9). Parking or storing vehicles outside that defined area is prohibited, and the parking surface itself must be paved, with gravel allowed only when expanding an existing driveway.
9.Within in the LDR, LDR-P, MDR, or HDR zones, outdoor parking areas for single family and two family dwellings, which are located between the existing roadway and the dwelling, shall be consistent with the following standards:a.Parking areas shall be limited in width to fifty percent of the lot frontage or forty feet, whichever is less.b.Parking or storage of vehicles outside the parking area described above is prohibited.c.Parking areas and driveways shall be paved except that expansion of parking areas for existing dwellings may be allowed to utilize gravel surfaces of sufficient material and compaction to prevent erosion or tracking of soil, dirt, mud or debris onto public, private or future public road rights-of-way/easements, stormwater facilities or other public property.d.The director may make modifications in instances where due to a lot's configuration there is not adequate area in the front yard to comply with both minimum parking requirements and the parking width limitations described above.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
060(9) applies specifically to the Low Density Residential, Low Density Residential Plus, Medium Density Residential and High Density Residential zones, and it targets outdoor parking areas sited between the road and the house on single-family and two-family lots. The width cap, fifty percent of lot frontage or forty feet, whichever produces the smaller number, is meant to stop driveways and parking pads from swallowing the entire front yard. Subsection (b) backs that limit up with a blanket ban on parking or storing vehicles anywhere in the front yard outside the defined parking area, closing the loophole of simply parking beyond the paved surface.
Surfacing is mandatory: subsection (c) requires parking areas and driveways to be paved, and only carves out one exception, expansion of parking for an already-existing dwelling may use gravel, provided the material and compaction are sufficient to stop erosion or tracking of soil, dirt, mud or debris onto rights-of-way, easements or stormwater facilities. New construction does not get the gravel option. Where an oddly shaped or narrow lot cannot physically satisfy both the county's minimum parking-space count (two spaces per single-family dwelling under Table 802-1, which may be stacked in the driveway) and the width limit, subsection (d) lets the planning director grant a case-by-case modification rather than leaving the lot noncompliant by design.
Violations & Fines
Paving over more than fifty percent of the lot's frontage (or forty feet, whichever is less), or parking and storing vehicles on unpaved yard areas outside the defined parking zone, is a zoning violation the Spokane County Building and Planning Department can cite through code enforcement, typically requiring removal of the excess parking surface or vehicles and restoration of the yard. Using gravel for a new driveway rather than an approved expansion of an existing one is likewise noncompliant absent a director modification.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my front yard can I pave for parking in Spokane County?
Can I park my car on the grass next to my driveway?
Is gravel allowed for a driveway in unincorporated Spokane County?
What if my lot is too narrow to fit the required parking?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
Compare Spokane County to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview
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