Vancouver, WA Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)

VMC 19.12.100 is the city's prolonged parking rule. Subsection A sets the limit: no vehicles shall remain parked on a highway longer than 24 hours without a valid permit, and vehicles parked longer than 24 hours can be issued a parking citation. The limit is a rolling 24 hours per vehicle, not a nightly curfew, so parking overnight is allowed as long as the vehicle does not sit past the limit.

The process is spelled out. A law enforcement officer discovering an unauthorized vehicle must visibly mark it and attach a readily visible notification tag stating the date and time, the officer's identity, a warning that if the vehicle is not removed within twenty-four hours the officer can issue a citation and the vehicle can be taken into custody and stored at the owner's expense, a warning that unredeemed vehicles under RCW 46.55.120 make the registered owner liable for the traffic infraction of littering, abandoned vehicle, and an address and telephone number for more information. If the vehicle carries current Washington registration plates, the officer checks the records for the last owner of record and makes a reasonable effort to telephone the owner with the tag information.

If the vehicle is not removed within twenty-four hours of the tag, the officer can take custody and provide for removal to a place of safety, which includes the business location of a registered tow truck operator. A vehicle that does not pose a safety hazard can stay on the roadside longer if the owner or operator cannot remove it and notifies law enforcement and requests assistance.

Permits exist for one case. VMC 19.10.070 lets the city manager issue a free special permit for a motor home, trailer or travel trailer on a street for repair or sleeping purposes only, valid seven days and renewable for up to seven additional days in any one calendar year. The permit must be posted and visible from outside the vehicle.