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

OMC § 18.40.060(E) governs outdoor storage on residential lots in the City of Olympia, Thurston County, Washington. Storage in residential areas must meet the same requirements the code sets for business establishments, plus extra conditions for homes.

Operable motor vehicles, boats, trailers and recreational vehicles can be stored on the premises, but only if they do not obstruct the use of the public right-of-way or interfere with traffic visibility, with specific attention to the visibility of and at intersections of streets. A vehicle or boat stored this way cannot be used for living quarters. A boat with a beam exceeding eight feet is allowed only with approval of a Type II conditional use permit application under OMC 18.70.040. The same subsection separately limits inoperable or unlicensed vehicles, appliances and other mechanical equipment: they cannot be stored outside for a period exceeding 30 days.

The right-of-way is a different matter. Subsection E.4 prohibits storage in or on the public right-of-way and names vehicles, boats, trailers, recreational vehicles, household and business equipment, landscape material and any other personal items. None of it can be placed within a public right-of-way longer than 24 hours. Police can tag the item and issue a warning to remove it within 72 hours, and failure to remove it results in removal by the City at the owner's expense.

Street parking of an RV has its own clock in OMC § 10.16.030: a recreational vehicle cannot sit on a City street longer than 24 hours, including holidays and weekends, without a City of Olympia Parking Services permit affixed to the front window. The Residential Parking Program under OMC § 10.16.055 refuses registration to any boat, trailer, camper, recreational vehicle or bus.