Kirkland, WA Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

150(1) makes it a code violation to park or store a vehicle, boat, or trailer on any residential lot if it exceeds both nine feet in height and 22 feet in length, including bumpers and any elements required by federal or state law for road or water operation. A separate trigger applies to boats: any boat 16 feet or longer with a gunwale sitting at least five feet off the ground on its trailer cannot be parked or stored in a required front yard, regardless of the general size threshold.

Subsection (2) carves out several exceptions. Any oversized vehicle, boat, or trailer may sit on a lot for up to 24 hours in any consecutive seven-day period solely for loading or unloading. One of any size may be parked indefinitely in a legally constructed, fully enclosed garage that meets the zone's regulations. Properties in RSA or RMA zones with an existing residence at the time of annexation can retain an oversized vehicle if the owner registered it with the Planning and Building Department within six months of annexation, resides on the lot, and (if replaced within a year) swaps in a same-type, no-larger replacement.

Absent those exceptions, an owner can still request City approval to park an oversized vehicle, boat, or trailer through Process I under Chapter 145 KZC, which the City may grant if the storage will not harm neighborhood character, will not impact abutting properties, creates no fire hazard, and is clearly accessory to a resident's use of the vehicle. The City can attach screening, hours-of-operation limits, or other conditions to that approval.