Amherst, NY Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Core rule
- Outside RV/camper/boat/trailer storage banned
- Where it applies
- NCD, PRD, PDD and approved PUD districts
- NCD citation
- Zoning Ordinance § 5-2-7I(2)
- PUD citation
- Zoning Ordinance § 6-9-2C(2)
- Not a townwide R-district rule
- Absent from standard Part 3 districts
- Enforcement
- Commissioner of Building, § 8-16-1
Summary
Inside Amherst's planned-development neighborhoods, the Zoning Ordinance flatly bans outside storage or parking of recreation vehicles, campers, boats and trailers on residentially used land. The rule is written into the performance standards for the Town's New Community, Planned Residential, Planned Development and Planned Unit Development districts.
I. Performance Standards. ... (1) Enclosure... (2) Residential Outside Storage. Outside storage or parking of commercial and recreation vehicles, camper bodies, boats and trailers in neighborhood areas on lands occupied for residential purposes shall be prohibited.
Full Breakdown
Amherst's Zoning Ordinance does not put a townwide recreational-vehicle parking rule into the standard R-1, R-2 or R-3 residential district regulations in Part 3. Instead, the restriction lives in the performance standards that apply specifically to the Town's large-scale planned districts. " These are the master-planned, Town-Board-approved communities that make up a meaningful share of Amherst's newer subdivisions near the University at Buffalo North Campus and elsewhere, where the NCD classification requires a minimum 1,000 contiguous acres under § 5-2-6C. Outside those specific planned districts, the Zoning Ordinance's general outdoor storage and display standard at § 7-4-1 confines itself to nonresidential districts, and the accessory-use standards in § 6-8 cover items like moving containers and swimming pools but do not separately restrict recreational vehicle or boat parking.
A homeowner in a conventional residential district should confirm with the Planning Department which zoning classification applies to a specific parcel before assuming this outside-storage ban does, or does not, reach their driveway.
Violations & Fines
Storing or parking a recreational vehicle, camper body, boat or trailer outside on a residentially used lot within an NCD, PRD, PDD or approved PUD is a Zoning Ordinance violation enforced by the Commissioner of Building under § 8-16-1. Penalties run up to $350 for a first offense, $350 to $700 for a second offense within five years, and $700 to $1,000 for a third or later offense within five years, with each week of continued violation a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park my RV in my driveway anywhere in Amherst?
What exactly does the NCD rule say about boats and trailers?
Who enforces the outside storage ban and what is the penalty?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Amherst
How Amherst compares: Cities with the Strictest Parking Rules·New York rules heatmap·Compare Amherst to another location·View the New York parking rules overview
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