Bloomington, IN Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

060(n) regulate what can sit in a driveway or parking area, not just how many spaces a use needs. Subsection (n)(2) bars vehicle parking spaces, required or excess, from being used to store vehicles unrelated to the primary use of the lot, and then sets three flat rules for all outdoor vehicle parking citywide: vehicles and trailers cannot be stored or parked on an unimproved surface such as bare dirt or grass, a parked vehicle cannot block or encroach on a sidewalk, and a stored or parked vehicle cannot be used for other purposes, including as living quarters or for storing materials.

That last point is reinforced separately in subsection (n)(5), which flatly states that vehicles, campers, or tractor-trailers of any type cannot be used for the purpose of storage, occupancy, or a similar use, meaning a resident cannot park an RV in the driveway and live in it or use it as a shed. The rule applies to boats and travel trailers the same way it applies to cars: any trailer parked outdoors has to sit on an improved, hard surface rather than grass or dirt, and it cannot function as a second dwelling or storage unit while parked.

These standards sit inside the same Parking and Loading chapter that also caps how long an unlicensed or inoperable vehicle can sit on a residential lot, so a homeowner with an RV or boat needs to keep it on a paved or similarly improved area and cannot use it to live in or store belongings on the property.