Long Beach, CA Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Size cap
- 7 tons, 36' long, 11'6" tall max
- Zone
- Residentially zoned lots (§21.41.276)
- Location rule
- Same spots as passenger vehicles, or side yard if blocked
- Boats/camper shells
- Must be mounted on a licensed vehicle if visible
- Nuisance backstop
- §8.76.010(G) treats violations as public nuisance
Summary
Long Beach zoning caps recreational vehicles stored on residential lots at seven tons, 36 feet long or 11'6" tall under Municipal Code § 21.41.276, and confines them to areas already usable for passenger-vehicle parking or, if blocked by a permanent building feature, to the side yard setback. Boats and camper shells visible from the street must sit on a licensed, operative vehicle.
A.Size Limitation. No recreational vehicle which exceeds seven (7) tons in dry weight, thirty-six feet (36′) in length or eleven feet, six inches (11′6″) in height, not including rooftop equipment, shall be parked, stored or loaded on a residentially zoned lot. ... C.Boats and Camper Shells. Boats and camper shells, if parked in areas visible from public rights-of-way, shall be mounted on licensed, operative vehicles.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
276(A) sets a hard size cap for any recreational vehicle parked, stored or loaded on a residentially zoned lot: no more than seven tons dry weight, 36 feet in length, or 11 feet 6 inches in height excluding rooftop equipment. Subsection B confines permitted RVs to the same locations passenger vehicles may use, unless every other on-site parking spot is blocked by a permanent building element such as a structural wall, eave or roof, in which case the RV may go in an area blocking access to required parking for a single-family home the owner lives in, or in the side yard setback, provided it sits as far as physically feasible from the side lot line, to preserve light and ventilation to neighboring rooms, and as far toward the rear of the lot as is consistent with keeping garage access open.
Subsection C separately requires that any boat or camper shell parked where visible from a public right-of-way be mounted on a licensed, operative vehicle, an unmounted boat or shell in street view is not allowed. 45's standards, and RVs can never be occupied overnight in a commercial parking lot or used for living, sleeping, eating or entertaining.
Violations & Fines
A recreational vehicle, boat or camper shell kept on a residential lot in violation of §21.41.276's size or location standards is enforceable as a zoning violation under the Code's general penalty, § 1.32.010, and Section 8.76.010(G) separately treats a vehicle 'parked or stored in a manner not permitted by the zoning regulations set forth in Title 21' as a public nuisance subject to abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big of an RV can I keep at my Long Beach home?
Can I park my RV in the side yard?
Does my boat have to be on a trailer to park it in view of the street?
What if my RV is improperly stored: is it just a zoning issue?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
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