Whatcom County, WA Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Locust Avenue
- No parking dusk to dawn, WCC 10.24.230(B)
- Euclid Avenue
- No parking 10 p.m.-6 a.m., WCC 10.24.260
- Birch Bay tideland
- Closed 10 p.m.-6:59 a.m. daily, WCC 10.24.220
- Violation
- Civil infraction under WCC 10.24.130
- Signage
- Restriction binds only where signs are posted
- Scope
- Zone-by-zone; no countywide overnight ban
Summary
Unincorporated Whatcom County has no blanket overnight parking curfew; instead, the county council designates specific roads as no-parking zones by ordinance. On Locust Avenue near the railroad tracks, Whatcom County Code (WCC) section 10.24.230 bans parking entirely on one side and imposes a dusk-to-dawn ban on the other, one of more than a dozen street-specific overnight zones enforced under Chapter 10.24.
§ 10.24.220. Birch Bay. A. A no parking zone is established at the second class tideland in front of and adjacent to and abutting upon Government Lot 1, Township 40, Range 1 East, Section 30, and shall be closed from 10:00 p.m. until 6:59 a.m. daily. During the time of closure there shall be no parking of vehicles. ... § 10.24.230. Locust Avenue. B. A zone is established in which no parking from dusk to dawn is allowed on the southeast side of the road on Locust Avenue from Marine Drive to a point 150 feet from the railroad tracks. ... § 10.24.260. Euclid Avenue. A "No Parking" zone is established on Euclid Avenue from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on the east side of Euclid Avenue from approximately 735 feet south of Crescent Street at the north to Glen Cove Lane to the south.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4963078; v4 updated 2026-06-23; through 06-23-2026).
Full Breakdown
Whatcom County does not run a countywide overnight parking ban for its unincorporated area (Birch Bay, Point Roberts, and the rural county outside Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, Everson, Nooksack and Sumas). 24, Parking Restrictions. 230(B) then layers a dusk-to-dawn ban onto the remaining southeast stretch of Locust Avenue between Marine Drive and that 150-foot point, so the exact hours a vehicle may sit there shift with sunset and sunrise rather than a fixed clock time. between a point roughly 735 feet south of Crescent Street and Glen Cove Lane, added by Ordinance 2023-049. daily, and directs that anyone found in the closed area during that window must leave or be cited. 220(C). 24.
Violations & Fines
Parking within a posted overnight zone is a civil infraction under WCC section 10.24.130, punished as provided by law for infractions; section 10.24.220(D) applies the same penalty at Birch Bay. During the Birch Bay closure, section 10.24.220(B) lets officers order anyone present to disperse and cite those who refuse to leave. Vehicles left overnight in a No Parking Any Time or dusk-to-dawn zone risk both the infraction fine and towing at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does unincorporated Whatcom County have a countywide overnight parking ban?
What are the hours of the Locust Avenue overnight parking ban?
Can I be cited for staying overnight at the Birch Bay tideland?
How do I find out if my street has an overnight parking restriction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whatcom County
How Whatcom County compares: Cities with the Strictest Overnight Parking Rules·Compare Whatcom County to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview
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