Mount Vernon, NY Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

" Chapter 246 defines an "automobile trailer or house car" broadly as any vehicle, self-propelled or towed, that is used or arranged to be used for living or sleeping quarters (§ 246-3), which reaches campers, converted vans, and similar recreational vehicles parked or lived in on a residential lot. The ban is citywide: it is not limited to overnight parking or to any particular zoning district, so a homeowner cannot legally keep such a vehicle in a driveway or side yard even temporarily. The only lawful location is a licensed automobile trailer camp, and § 246-2 confines those camps to industrial districts under the Zoning Ordinance, meaning no residential block in Mount Vernon can host one.

Getting a camp license itself requires City Clerk review, a $25 investigation fee, and sign-off from the Commissioners of Health, Fire, Public Safety, and Public Works (§ 246-5, § 246-6), plus site standards such as a 20-foot minimum spacing between units and a 150-foot setback from any property line (§ 246-7). If a trailer's wheels are removed or it is permanently fixed to the ground, § 246-15 converts it into a dwelling subject to the City's Building Code instead of Chapter 246. The ordinance's text addresses trailers and house cars specifically; it does not separately define or mention boats or boat trailers.