Birmingham's Off-Street Parking ordinance (Zoning Ordinance Title 1, Chapter 5, adopted 2024) treats RVs, campers, boats, trailers and similar non-daily-use vehicles as stored vehicles. When such vehicles are kept on a storage lot, the City Engineer may approve an improved surface such as compacted gravel, but the perimeter must be curbed to confine the gravel. On public streets, the 48-hour limit of City Code Sec. 10-9-12 applies.
Birmingham regulates recreational and oversized vehicles primarily through its Off-Street Parking provisions (Birmingham Zoning Ordinance Title 1, Chapter 5: Off-street Parking and Loading Regulations, adopted in 2024 as part of the Right Size Parking Initiative). The ordinance distinguishes 'storage lots for commercial vehicles and trailers (other than passenger vehicles) not used for daily transportation,' expressly listing truck trailers, moving trailers, RVs, campers, farm implements and construction vehicles. For these storage lots the City Engineer may approve a substitute improved surface (for example, compacted gravel) rather than full asphalt or concrete, provided the lot has concrete curbing or an approved alternative around the perimeter to confine the gravel. Designated off-street parking spaces, by contrast, must be used exclusively for operative motor vehicles, and no outdoor storage is permitted within a designated parking area. On public streets, an RV, boat trailer or camper is subject to the same 48-hour maximum-parking rule (City Code Sec. 10-9-12) as any other vehicle.
Storing recreational or oversized vehicles on a parking surface or in a manner that violates the Off-Street Parking ordinance is a zoning violation handled by Planning, Engineering and Permits and code enforcement. Leaving an RV, camper or boat trailer parked on a public street more than 48 hours violates City Code Sec. 10-9-12 and may result in citation and towing.
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