Santa Clara County, CA Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

Santa Clara County's Zoning Ordinance, Appendix I, Section 4.20.090 ('Recreational and Similar Vehicles'), governs how recreational vehicles, campers, trailers, boats, and similar vehicles may be kept on residential lots in the unincorporated county. County code-enforcement guidance states that such vehicles 'must be registered to a person who lives on the property to be maintained on a residential lot, and they may not be used as housing.' Living in an RV, camper, or trailer parked on private residential property is treated as a code violation by the County's Department of Planning and Development, except for narrow temporary-housing situations the Zoning Ordinance allows (such as emergency housing after a casualty under 4.20.090(B), or temporary agricultural residences in certain agricultural zones). Long-term RV storage that is part of multi-family or non-residential development is regulated separately through the off-street parking provisions in Chapter 4.30. On County-maintained roads in the unincorporated area, an RV, boat, or trailer left parked on the public road for 72 or more consecutive hours may be treated as stored or abandoned and subject to removal. Standards differ by zoning district, so property owners should confirm setbacks and screening rules with County Planning before storing a large recreational vehicle in a front yard.