New Castle County, DE Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Surface required
- Hardened surface: brick, pavers, concrete, asphalt
- Boat storage
- Stand-stored boats must be in rear yard
- Large boats
- 26-ft+ boats barred from street yard (NC5/NC6.5/NCTH)
- Visitor RV stay
- 14-day temporary permit required
- Acreage exemption
- Surface rule waived on lots over 5 acres
Summary
New Castle County requires RVs, boats, and trailers parked in residential yards to sit on a hardened surface, restricts large boats to the rear yard, and caps visitor RV stays at 14 days under its Property Maintenance Code.
302.8.7 Parking of vehicles. In any residential zoning district, the parking or storage of any vehicle, recreational vehicle, or off-highway vehicle is prohibited, unless it is parked or stored on a hardened surface constructed of material treated or covered with brick, block, pavers, stone, concrete, asphalt or crushed decorative rock. The surface must completely extend the entire length and width of the vehicle.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
New Castle County's Property Maintenance Code (2024 IPMC as amended) bars parking or storing any vehicle, RV, or off-highway vehicle in a residential district unless it sits on a hardened surface, brick, block, pavers, stone, concrete, asphalt, or crushed decorative rock, sized to the vehicle's full footprint (§302.8.7). RVs can't be lived in or hooked to utilities except under a 14-day visitor permit (§302.8.6.1). Boats over 26 feet are barred from the street yard in NC5, NC6.5, and NCTH districts, and stand-stored boats must sit in the rear yard (§302.8.10). This chapter covers unincorporated New Castle County and any municipality that opts into county enforcement, Wilmington and Newark run their own separate codes.
Violations & Fines
Code enforcement officers cite violations as property maintenance infractions; unresolved cases can proceed to a Rule to Show Cause hearing, with civil penalties and possible removal of noncompliant vehicles or boats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park my RV in my driveway in New Castle County?
Where can I store my boat on a residential lot?
Does this rule apply inside Wilmington or Newark?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Castle County
How New Castle County compares: Cities with the Strictest Parking Rules·Compare New Castle County to another location·View the Delaware parking rules overview
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