Cleveland, OH Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Default rule
- No RV/boat parking in residential districts
- Garage storage
- Allowed if fully enclosed
- Rear-yard pad limit
- 1 vehicle, improved surface, screened
- Max vehicle length on pad
- 30 feet (excluding hitch)
- Loading/unloading exception
- 48 hours per 21-day period
- Screening height cap
- 6 feet
Summary
Cleveland bans parking recreational vehicles, including boats and boat trailers, in residential districts unless stored inside a closed garage or on one improved rear-yard parking pad meeting size, surfacing and screening rules under Zoning Code § 337.19.
(a) "Recreational vehicle" means a vehicular portable structure designed solely for the purpose of recreational travel, that is not used for engaging in business for profit or for intrastate commerce, and includes but is not limited to: a boat, boat on a trailer, boat trailer, jet ski and raft and associated equipment for transport on a public roadway, travel trailer, motor home, pick-up camper, folding tent trailer, and a licensed private trailer intended to haul personal property. (b) Recreational vehicles shall not be parked in a residential district, including on a public roadway, except: (1) when the recreational vehicle owned or used by the occupants of the premises is stored on the premises in a closed garage... (2) No more than one (1) recreational vehicle owned or used by the occupants of the premises may occupy no more than one (1) improved open air parking surface located in a rear yard of the premises... D. the recreational vehicle shall be limited to thirty (30) feet in length from end to end, not including any hitch or attachment... (3) A recreational vehicle may be parked in a parking or driveway area anywhere on the premises for loading or unloading purposes for a period of not more than forty-eight (48) hours in any consecutive twenty-one (21) day period.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Current through legislation passed September 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
19(a) defines "recreational vehicle" broadly to include a boat, boat on a trailer, boat trailer, jet ski, raft and associated transport equipment, travel trailer, motor home, pick-up camper, folding tent trailer, and any licensed private trailer used to haul personal property. 19(b) prohibits parking a recreational vehicle in a residential district, including on a public roadway, with three narrow exceptions. First, under (b)(1), an RV owned or used by the premises' occupants may be stored on the premises inside a closed garage; open-air storage outside that garage exception is not allowed.
10, with screening capped at 6 feet high. Third, under (b)(3), a recreational vehicle may be parked anywhere on the premises, including a driveway, for loading or unloading for up to 48 hours within any consecutive 21-day period. The rule was substantially rewritten by Ord. No. 98-2022, effective October 26, 2022, replacing an older version of the section.
Violations & Fines
Because § 337.19 is not among the sections separately listed for a minor-misdemeanor citation track in § 327.99(d), a violation falls under § 327.99(a): failing to comply with a lawful Zoning Code order is a first-degree misdemeanor, with each day of noncompliance treated as a separate offense. Enforcement runs through the Department of Building and Housing, and an illegally parked or stored RV, trailer or boat can be ordered removed or relocated to a conforming garage or rear-yard pad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park my boat trailer in my Cleveland driveway?
Can I keep an RV parked on the street in front of my house?
What are the rules for storing an RV in my backyard?
What happens if I violate Cleveland's RV parking rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cleveland
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