Dothan, AL Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

Section 114-184(f), part of the 'Regulations applying to all districts' article of the Dothan zoning code, sets the placement rules for recreational vehicles, travel trailers, boats and utility trailers, whether open or closed, in every zoning district. Enforced by the Planning and Development Department's administrative official as a zoning standard, the rule bars using an RV or travel trailer as a residential dwelling or as an accessory apartment anywhere except an approved RV park or campground, cutting off any workaround of the city's normal housing and accessory-apartment standards.

For location within a residential lot, the same subsection prohibits parking these vehicles in the street, forward of the principal structure on the lot, or in the street side yard, though a short exception applies while the vehicle is actively being prepared for relocation or transit, such as loading for a camping trip. The rule carves out one further exception: an RV or travel trailer may be used for temporary living quarters during a time of danger or a declared emergency, recognizing storm evacuation and disaster housing needs.

Because the provision sits in the district-wide regulations article rather than a single zoning district's standards, it applies uniformly whether the lot is zoned single-family or a higher-density residential district, and it operates independently of any homeowners' association rule that might impose additional restrictions.