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Santa Cruz County, CA Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

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

Key Facts

Overnight RV/mobile home street parking
Prohibited (SCCC 9.70.620)
At your own abutting residence
Up to 24 hours
At a host property with permit
Up to 72 hours
Permit issuer
Sheriff's Office (fee per Unified Fee Schedule)
RV defined by
CA Health & Safety Code 18010

Summary

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, SCCC 9.70.620 makes it unlawful to park a mobile home or recreational vehicle overnight on any highway, street, or alley. A resident may park one adjacent to their own home for up to 24 hours, or up to 72 hours on a host property with a Sheriff-issued permit.

City-specific rules exist: Santa Cruz has its own rv & boat parking rules that differ from Santa Cruz County's county-level regulations. If you live in Santa Cruz, check the city-specific page instead.

Permit for parking a mobile home or RV on a highway, street or alley directly adjacent to private property (host) if the owner or driver of the vehicle has permission of a resident of the host property. Cost: $48 per 72-hour permit. Valid only in Santa Cruz County unincorporated areas including Amesti, Aptos, Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley, Ben Lomond, Bonny Doon, Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Corralitos, Davenport, Day Valley, Felton, Freedom, Interlaken, La Selva Beach, Live Oak, Mount Hermon, Opal Cliffs, Rio del Mar, Soquel, Pasatiempo, Twin Lakes.

Full Breakdown

620 prohibits parking a mobile home or recreational vehicle overnight on any highway, street, or alley (including the right-of-way) in the unincorporated county, except for emergency purposes. Two exceptions apply. First, owners or drivers may park an RV or mobile home on the street, highway, or alley that abuts the property containing their own residence for no longer than 24 hours. Second, an RV may be parked for no more than 72 hours directly adjacent to a 'host property' if the driver has (1) permission of a resident of that property and (2) a permit issued by the Sheriff's Office kept plainly visible on the dashboard.

The county runs this as an online RV Parking Permit program; the permit fee is set in the Unified Fee Schedule. 600 lets residents of a street petition the Public Works Director to designate a street or block segment where recreational-vehicle parking is unlawful; once signs are posted, RV parking on that segment is prohibited. 'Recreational vehicle' is defined by California Health and Safety Code Section 18010. 610.

Violations & Fines

Parking or standing violations are subject to a civil penalty enforced under California Vehicle Code Section 40200 et seq. (SCCC 9.70.670); vehicles may be removed under CVC 22651.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I park my RV in front of my own house in unincorporated Santa Cruz County?
Only briefly. Under the exception in SCCC 9.70.620, an owner or driver may park a mobile home or RV on the street, highway, or alley abutting the property where they live for no longer than 24 hours. Overnight parking beyond that, without the Sheriff-issued host-property permit, is unlawful.
How does the RV parking permit work?
SCCC 9.70.620 allows up to 72 hours of street parking adjacent to a 'host property' if you have a resident's permission plus a Sheriff's Office permit displayed on the dashboard. The county offers the permit through its online RV Parking Permit portal; the fee is set in the county Unified Fee Schedule.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Santa Cruz County

All Santa Cruz County rules

How Santa Cruz County compares: Cities with the Strictest Parking Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Cruz County to another location·View the California parking rules overview

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