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Rankin County, MS Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

District
Reservoir Community District, Art. XXX, superimposed on underlying zoning
Covered items
Vehicle, motor home, transient trailer, boat or trailer
Barred locations
Any front yard or side yard in a platted residential subdivision
Allowed spots
Paved garage, paved carport, paved apron or paved driveway
Driveway cap
Cannot cover more than 50% of the front yard
Driveway surface
Flagstone, brick, asphalt or concrete
Penalty (Section 714)
Fine up to $1000.00, jail under one year, or both

Summary

In platted residential subdivisions inside the Reservoir Community District, Rankin County, Mississippi bars parking or storing any vehicle, motor home, transient trailer, boat or trailer in a front or side yard unless it sits on a paved garage, carport, apron or driveway. A driveway cannot cover more than 50% of the front yard and must be flagstone, brick, asphalt or concrete.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Rankin County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

3007.01 Prohibited Parking or Storage of Vehicles in Front and Side Yards: No vehicle, motor home, transient trailer, boat or trailer shall be parked or stored in any front yard or side yard within any platted residential subdivision (excluding The Vineyards and all parts of Barnett Bend except Bend III, IIIA and Barnett Bend North Parts I, II, and III), except within a paved garage, paved carport, paved apron or paved driveway. Driveway cannot cover more than 50% of the front yard and a driveway must be paved with flagstone, brick, asphalt, or concrete.

Source: Rankin County Zoning Ordinance (Access) § 501View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.

Full Breakdown

Article XXX of the Rankin County Zoning Ordinance creates the Reservoir Community District to preserve the integrity of the area adjacent to and near the Ross Barnett Reservoir. Under Section 3001 the district is a superimposed designation on a conventionally zoned district, so a lot answers to its underlying zoning and to Article XXX together. Section 3007.01 is the yard and driveway parking rule inside that district. It applies to unincorporated Rankin County only. Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, Richland, Florence, Puckett and Star run their own codes. The text applied here is the edition adopted the 4th day of March, 2024.

The section names five kinds of property that cannot be parked or stored in a front yard or side yard of any platted residential subdivision: a vehicle, a motor home, a transient trailer, a boat and a trailer. The ordinance defines a transient trailer as a portable or mobile living unit for temporary human occupancy and says the term includes pick-up truck campers, motor homes, camping trailers and recreational vehicles. The only permitted spots are a paved garage, a paved carport, a paved apron or a paved driveway. The ordinance defines a carport as a roofed structure enclosed on not more than three sides, and a driveway as a private roadway providing access for vehicles to a parking space, garage, dwelling or other structure.

Two construction limits follow. A driveway cannot cover more than 50% of the front yard, and it must be paved with flagstone, brick, asphalt or concrete. Gravel, dirt and grass do not appear on that list. The ordinance defines the front yard as the required unoccupied and unobstructed space between the front property line and the nearest vertical portion of the main building, running the full width of the lot, and the side yard as the matching space between the side property line and the main building.

The Vineyards are excluded from the rule, as are all parts of Barnett Bend except Bend III, IIIA and Barnett Bend North Parts I, II, and III. Those named Barnett Bend sections stay inside the rule. The section does not address rear yards.

Violations & Fines

Section 714 of the ordinance, citing Section 17-1-27 of the Mississippi Code, makes a knowing and willful violation a misdemeanor. On conviction the penalty is a fine not to exceed $1000.00, incarceration for less than one year, or both. The Zoning Administrator is the official charged with administering and enforcing the ordinance, and Section 805 states that failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I park a boat on a gravel pad beside my house in a Reservoir Community District subdivision?
Section 3007.01 bars parking or storing a boat in any front yard or side yard of a platted residential subdivision except within a paved garage, paved carport, paved apron or paved driveway. A gravel pad is not paved, and the driveway material list names flagstone, brick, asphalt and concrete only. The section does not address rear yards.
How much of my front yard can the driveway cover?
The section prints a cap of 50% of the front yard. The driveway must also be paved with flagstone, brick, asphalt or concrete. The ordinance defines the front yard as the required unoccupied and unobstructed space between the front property line and the nearest vertical portion of the main building, across the full width of the lot.
Do The Vineyards or Barnett Bend follow this rule?
The Vineyards are excluded. All parts of Barnett Bend are excluded except Bend III, IIIA and Barnett Bend North Parts I, II, and III, which remain covered. Check your plat name against that printed list before assuming the rule reaches your street.
Does this rule apply inside Brandon, Pearl or Flowood?
No. The Rankin County Zoning Ordinance governs unincorporated Rankin County, Mississippi. Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, Richland, Florence, Puckett and Star each have their own municipal government and code, so a resident with an address in one of those cities follows that city's rules instead.
Who do I appeal to if I disagree with a zoning interpretation?
Under Section 713.01 a party aggrieved by the Zoning Administrator's administrative interpretation can appeal directly to the Board of Supervisors by written request to the Chancery Clerk one week before a regularly scheduled meeting. Section 713.02 allows an appeal from a Board of Supervisors decision to the Circuit Court of Rankin County.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Rankin County

All Rankin County rules

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