San Bernardino County, CA Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Front/street-side setback
- RV, boat, trailer storage not allowed
- Interior side setback
- RV, boat, trailer storage allowed
- Rear setback
- RV, boat, trailer storage allowed
- Sight triangle
- No encroachment permitted
- Adjoining parcel line
- 3 ft. minimum clearance
- Fire Safety Overlay District
- 5 ft. side/rear clearance unless § 82.13.060(c) applies
- Governing code
- Development Code § 83.02.080, Table 83-5
Summary
Development Code Table 83-5 bans open storage of boats, RVs, trailers and similar vehicles in a front or street-side setback in unincorporated San Bernardino County, while allowing it in interior side and rear setbacks. The setback itself must otherwise stay open and unobstructed to the sky under Section 83.02.080.
(a) Open and Unobstructed. Each setback area shall be open and unobstructed from finished grade, or other specified level at which the setback area is required, to the sky except as provided in Table 83-5 (Allowed Projections/Structures Within Setbacks). ... (c) Required Clear Areas. The projections listed in Table 83-5 (Allowed Projections/Structures Within Setbacks) may not, in any event, encroach on or into the following: (1) The Clear Sight Triangle required at traffic intersections. (2) Within three feet of any parcel line, dividing parcels not in common ownership, except as noted in the Table. (3) Within five feet of any side or rear property line in a Fire Safety Overlay District or as allowed in § 82.13.060(c). ... Table 83-5 Allowed Projections/Structures Within Setbacks ... Open storage of boats, recreational vehicles, trailers and similar vehicles: Front and Street Side Setbacks - Not Allowed; Interior Side Setbacks - Allowed; Rear Setbacks - Allowed.
Full Breakdown
080 requires every required setback area to stay open and unobstructed from finished grade to the sky, with only the specific exceptions listed in Table 83-5 allowed to intrude. That table's row for 'Open storage of boats, recreational vehicles, trailers and similar vehicles' spells out three different outcomes by location: not allowed in the front or street-side setback, allowed in the interior side setback, and allowed in the rear setback. That means an RV, boat or trailer parked in front of the house within the front-yard setback line is out of compliance even if it sits entirely on the owner's own driveway, while the same vehicle stored along the side yard or behind the house is permitted.
060(c) allows otherwise. Subsection (b) additionally requires that any projection identified in the table be physically attached to the primary structure on the parcel, a condition that does not apply to the freestanding RV/boat storage row itself but does explain why the table treats vehicle storage separately from items like awnings or patio covers. The rule sits inside the countywide setback chapter of Title 8, Division 3, so it applies uniformly across residential zoning districts in the unincorporated County and was last amended by Ordinance 4504 in the code's current supplement.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a boat, RV or trailer stored in a front or street-side setback violates Section 83.02.080 and Table 83-5 and is enforced as a Development Code violation. Under Section 86.09.040, it is unlawful for any person to violate or allow a violation of any Development Code provision, and each day the vehicle remains in the setback counts as a new, separate offense. Section 86.09.050 goes further and declares any land use not allowed by the Development Code, including a structure or use maintained without required compliance, a public nuisance, opening the door to nuisance abatement in addition to citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park my RV in my front driveway in unincorporated San Bernardino County?
Where can I legally store a boat or trailer on my property?
Does the setback storage rule apply near my neighbor's property line?
What happens if I keep an RV parked in the front setback anyway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
How San Bernardino County compares: Cities with the Strictest Parking Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.