Indianapolis, IN Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

Recreational-vehicle and boat parking on residential property in Indianapolis is governed by the Dwelling Districts Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 731, Sec. 731-219, which treats RV storage as a permitted accessory use subject to specific standards. Under Sec. 731-219(b)(5), recreational vehicles may be parked or stored inside permitted buildings or outside, provided no part of the vehicle projects into any required side or rear yard, and provided that in the front yard the vehicle is parked only on the hard-surfaced area of the driveway or interior access drive.

No more than two (2) recreational vehicles may be parked or stored in the open on the same lot at any one time, and a parked or stored RV may not be occupied or used for living, sleeping, or housekeeping in any dwelling district. The ordinance (Sec. O. 63, 2005) defines a recreational vehicle as a vehicle - motorized, non-motorized, self-propelled, or towed - designed for non-commercial temporary living, travel, and leisure, including boats, jet skis, race cars, all-terrain bikes, motor homes, travel trailers, and camping trailers, and the trailer that transports it. On the public street, an RV is subject to the same six-hour limit as any vehicle under Code Sec. 621-117.