Madison County, IL Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Max boats/campers/trailers, side or rear yard
- 4 units
- Extra unit in driveway
- lots 2+ acres, 30 ft back
- Side-yard setback
- 20 feet from property line
- Large transport trailers
- prohibited in residential districts
- Fine range
- $10 to $500 per day
Summary
In residential zoning districts in unincorporated Madison County, § 93.097(B) caps yard storage at four boats, campers or trailers in the rear or side yard, requires a 20-foot side-yard setback, and lets a fifth unit into the front driveway, 30 feet back, only on lots of two acres or more. Units must sit on a paved or graveled surface.
(B) Residential Districts. (1) Boats, campers/camping trailers, and trailers. A maximum of four boats, campers/camping trailers, and trailers are permitted in the rear or side yard. On properties two acres or greater in size, an additional boat, camper/camping trailer, or trailer shall be permitted in the front driveway at least 30 feet back from the front property line. Any boat, camper/camping trailer, or trailer stored in the side yard shall be a minimum of 20 feet from the side property line. All boats and campers/camping trailers must be unoccupied, and parked in an orderly and organized fashion. (2) Recreational equipment or trailers shall be parked on a paved or graveled all-weather surface.
Full Breakdown
097, 'Trailers and Recreational Vehicles,' regulates boat, camper and trailer storage differently by zoning district, and division (B) sets the standard for Residential Districts. Up to four boats, campers, camping trailers or trailers may be kept in the rear or side yard. A property owner with two acres or more can add one more unit in the front driveway, but it has to sit at least 30 feet back from the front property line, and anything stored in the side yard must be at least 20 feet from the side property line.
Every stored boat or camper must be unoccupied and kept in an orderly, organized arrangement rather than scattered across the yard. Division (B)(2) adds a surface requirement: recreational equipment and trailers must sit on a paved or graveled all-weather surface, not bare dirt or grass, so storage does not turn into a mud pit or erosion problem. 097(B)(6), a tighter rule than the Agricultural Districts standard in division (A), which allows up to four large transport trailers on parcels over ten acres. The residential rules also bar using any stored recreational vehicle or trailer for advertising and require that stored units not block safe entry or exit from the house or interfere with emergency access.
These limits apply only to unincorporated county land; Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Troy and other incorporated municipalities set their own yard-storage rules for boats and trailers.
Violations & Fines
Keeping more than four boats, campers or trailers in a residential side or rear yard, storing a large transport trailer in a residential district, or failing to meet the setback or paved-surface requirements is a zoning violation the Zoning Administrator can cite under § 93.999(A), with a fine of $10 to $500 and each day of continued noncompliance treated as a separate offense. The county can also seek a Circuit Court order under § 93.999(B) to compel removal of excess or improperly stored units.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many boats or campers can I keep in my yard in unincorporated Madison County?
Do stored boats and trailers need to be on a paved surface?
Can I keep a large transport trailer at my residential property?
Does this rule apply inside Edwardsville or Troy?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison County
How Madison County compares: Cities with the Strictest Parking Rules·Compare Madison County to another location·View the Illinois parking rules overview
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