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Clearwater, FL Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

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

Key Facts

Covered vehicles
boats, boat trailers, hauling trailers, RVs, campers
Where banned
public ROW next to residential zoning
Loading exception
under 6 hrs, max 4x/month
In effect since
Ordinance No. 6183-97 (1997)
Nonconforming use
not protected regardless of history

Summary

Clearwater prohibits parking or storing any boat, boat trailer, hauling trailer, travel trailer, motor home, or camping trailer on the public street right-of-way next to a residentially zoned property. City Code Section 30.054(1)(a)-(c) applies at all times, with only a narrow six-hour loading exception.

(1)Restrictions upon parking within public street right-of-way. Subject to the exceptions provided in subsection (2) below, the following vehicles shall not be parked or stored such that any portion of the vehicle is located on any public street right-of-way directly contiguous to a residentially zoned property:(a)Any boat or boat trailer;(b)Any hauling trailer;(c)Any travel trailer, motor home, or camping trailer;...(2)Exceptions. The parking restrictions set forth above shall not apply to:...(b)Loading, unloading, or cleaning of vehicles other than semitrailer trucks or cabs, provided such act is fully completed within six hours and provided such act does not occur at the same location more than four times in the same month.

Full Breakdown

054(1) lists the vehicle types Clearwater bars from the public street right-of-way contiguous to residentially zoned property, and subsections (a) through (c) cover boats and boat trailers, hauling trailers, and travel trailers, motor homes, or camping trailers. Unlike a driveway, where an owner has broad discretion to park recreational vehicles, the public right-of-way in front of a residential lot is treated the same as any other public street for these vehicle classes: no portion of a boat, trailer, RV, or camper may sit there. Subsection (2)(b) provides the only real exception for these vehicle types: loading, unloading, or cleaning is permitted if fully completed within six hours and if it does not occur at the same location more than four times in the same month, which covers a homeowner hosing out a camper or loading a boat for a trip but not ongoing storage.

The restriction took effect with Ordinance No. 6183-97 in 1997 and, per subsection (2)(c), applies regardless of how long the parking practice predates the ordinance, since the code expressly denies any nonconforming-use protection under the Land Development Code. 057 by police officers or certified parking enforcement specialists, with repeat-hour violations capped at six citations per vehicle per location in any 24-hour period.

Violations & Fines

Leaving a boat, trailer, travel trailer, motor home, or camper on the residential street right-of-way outside the six-hour loading exception is a citable violation of Section 30.054, enforced through the same traffic-court citation process as other Chapter 30 parking offenses, with a separate offense chargeable for each hour the violation continues, up to six per day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I park my boat trailer on the street next to my Clearwater home?
No. Section 30.054(1)(a) bars any boat or boat trailer from sitting on the public street right-of-way contiguous to residentially zoned property, with no exception for short-term parking beyond the narrow six-hour loading and cleaning allowance in subsection (2)(b).
Is it legal to keep an RV parked on the road in front of my house?
Only briefly. Section 30.054(1)(c) prohibits parking a travel trailer, motor home, or camping trailer on the residential right-of-way, and the only exception is loading, unloading, or cleaning completed within six hours, and not more than four times in the same month.
What if I've parked my camper on this street for years?
It doesn't matter. Section 30.054(2)(c) specifically says the restriction is enforced regardless of when the parking began, and that history does not create a protected nonconforming use under the Land Development Code.

Sources & Official References

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