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Chelan County, WA Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Combined outdoor storage cap
5 cars/boats/trucks/RVs per dwelling unit
Inoperable vehicle cap
No more than 3 of the 5
Agricultural exemption
Operable ag equipment doesn't count
Front yard storage
Prohibited
Temporary RV occupancy
Max 2 units, 10 days per 60-day period, no rent
Inoperable vehicle removal deadline
14 days after notice

Summary

Outside a municipal urban growth area, unincorporated Chelan County caps outdoor vehicle storage at a combined five cars, boats, trucks or RVs per dwelling unit, with no more than three of those inoperable, under Chelan County Code Section 11.88.170(10)(E). Operable farm equipment is exempt, and a recreational vehicle can only be lived in temporarily for up to ten days in any sixty-day stretch.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Chelan County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

§ 11.88.170. Accessory uses and structures. ... (10) Vehicle and Other Storage. (A) Outside storage shall be maintained in an orderly manner and shall create no fire, safety, health or sanitary hazard; (B) Required front yard areas shall not be used for storage; ... (E) Vehicles. Unless addressed within a municipal urban growth area, no more than a combined total of five cars, boats, trucks or recreational vehicles per dwelling unit may be stored outside of an enclosed building on any lot, with no more than three of the five being inoperable vehicles regulated under Section 11.88.100. An exemption to this provision is the storage of operable agricultural equipment used for agricultural purpose.

Full Breakdown

170(10) of the Chelan County Code governs vehicle and other outdoor storage on residential property. 100. Operable agricultural equipment used for an agricultural purpose is exempt from the count entirely. Required front yard areas cannot be used for any outside storage under subsection (B), and whatever is stored outside, under subsection (A), has to be kept orderly enough that it creates no fire, safety, health or sanitary hazard. 100 separately limits hulk, abandoned or derelict vehicles and trailers to three per lot, and the owner has fourteen days after official notice to remove them before the county can remove them at the owner's expense; screening a vehicle inside an enclosed structure or behind a visual screen from public view lets an owner keep it regardless of that cap.

Temporary storage containers brought in during construction of a permanent residence are capped at 288 square feet and must be removed before final inspection or certificate of occupancy under subsection (F). 170(6) allows temporary occupancy of up to two recreational vehicles per lot for no more than ten days in any sixty-day period, parked on an off-street space outside any required front or side yard, as long as no rent is charged.

Violations & Fines

Exceeding the five-vehicle storage cap, storing vehicles in a required front yard, or leaving more than three inoperable vehicles on a lot is a zoning violation Community Development enforces with a notice and order under Chapter 16.06. An inoperable vehicle not removed within fourteen days of notice can be removed by the county at the owner's expense under Section 11.88.100, and an unresolved violation brings a $750 civil fine for a first offense and $1,500 for a repeat offense under Chapter 16.16.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many vehicles can I store outside on my property in unincorporated Chelan County?
Up to a combined five cars, boats, trucks or recreational vehicles per dwelling unit stored outside an enclosed building, under Chelan County Code Section 11.88.170(10)(E). No more than three of those five can be inoperable, and operable agricultural equipment used for farming doesn't count toward the limit at all.
Can I park my RV in the front yard?
No. Section 11.88.170(10)(B) prohibits using a required front yard area for any outside storage, and that applies to recreational vehicles the same as any other stored vehicle or equipment. Vehicles have to be kept elsewhere on the lot outside the front setback.
Can I live in my RV temporarily on my property?
Only briefly. Section 11.88.170(6) allows temporary occupancy of up to two recreational vehicles per lot for no more than ten days in any sixty-day period, provided each unit sits on an off-street parking space outside a required front or side yard and no rental fee is charged for the stay.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Chelan County

All Chelan County rules

How Chelan County compares: Cities with the Strictest Parking Rules·Compare Chelan County to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview

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