Lakewood, CA Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Eligibility
- Must be operable, licensed, registered to property
- Time limit
- None, if fully compliant
- Detached-garage driveway
- Stay 16 ft from front property line
- Rear yard
- Unlimited number, no screening required
- Camper shells in side/corner yard
- Need 5.5 ft solid fence
- Temporary loading
- Up to 72 hours in driveway
- Noncompliant storage
- Public nuisance under Sec. 4323(J)
Summary
Lakewood lets homeowners store an RV, boat, trailer, or camper shell on their own property with no time limit, as long as it is operable, street-legal, and registered to that address. Where it can sit depends on the yard: rear yards allow unlimited, unscreened storage, while a driveway to a detached garage must stay 16 feet back from the front property line.
A. The parking or storage of motorized recreational vehicles, trailers or semi-trailers (collectively "such vehicles") shall be restricted to those vehicles which are operable, licensed to be driven on the street, and registered to the property on which such vehicles are parked or stored, unless otherwise authorized by law. ... C. Any such vehicle may be parked or stored in a driveway leading to a detached garage at the rear of a property, provided that it does not encroach within 16 feet of the front property line. D. Any such vehicle may be parked or stored in a driveway leading to an attached one or two-car garage, provided that it does not encroach into the public right-of-way, and that it is parked or stored in such a manner that it allows at least one off-street parking space on the driveway for a passenger automobile. ... F. In a rear yard, such vehicles, and camper shells, camper slide-ins, camper bodies and similar items, may be stored without being screened by a fence, and without limitation on number or variety.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4901715; v5 updated 2026-04-28; through 04-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
1 governs off-street parking of motorized recreational vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers on single-family residential property. Subsection A restricts storage to vehicles that are operable, licensed for street use, and registered to the property, unless another law authorizes an exception. Subsection B sets no time limit for a compliant vehicle. Subsection C allows storage in a driveway leading to a detached rear garage only if it does not encroach within 16 feet of the front property line. Subsection D allows storage in a driveway to an attached one- or two-car garage if it does not block the public right-of-way and leaves at least one off-street space free for a passenger car.
5 feet tall. 5-foot fence. Subsection G permits temporary driveway parking for loading or unloading up to 72 hours. A vehicle or boat parked in a required yard out of compliance with this section is separately listed as a property nuisance under Section 4323(J).
Violations & Fines
A boat, RV, or trailer parked or stored in a required yard that does not meet Section 9373.1 is a property nuisance per se under Municipal Code Section 4323(J), which the City can abate directly and prosecute as a misdemeanor under the general penalty clause, Section 1200, punishable by a fine up to the state misdemeanor maximum or up to six months in jail, or as a cited infraction with escalating fines; enforcement typically runs through Code Enforcement rather than the contract Sheriff's patrol deputies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep my boat in my Lakewood front yard?
Does my RV need to be street legal to sit in my Lakewood driveway?
Is there a time limit on storing a trailer in my Lakewood backyard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
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