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

Santa Cruz County Code (SCCC) Section 9.70.620 prohibits parking a mobile home or recreational vehicle overnight on any highway, street, or alley (including the right-of-way) in the unincorporated county, except for emergency purposes. Two exceptions apply. First, owners or drivers may park an RV or mobile home on the street, highway, or alley that abuts the property containing their own residence for no longer than 24 hours. Second, an RV may be parked for no more than 72 hours directly adjacent to a 'host property' if the driver has (1) permission of a resident of that property and (2) a permit issued by the Sheriff's Office kept plainly visible on the dashboard. The county runs this as an online RV Parking Permit program; the permit fee is set in the Unified Fee Schedule. Separately, SCCC 9.70.600 lets residents of a street petition the Public Works Director to designate a street or block segment where recreational-vehicle parking is unlawful; once signs are posted, RV parking on that segment is prohibited. 'Recreational vehicle' is defined by California Health and Safety Code Section 18010. Boats and boat trailers on a trailer are treated as vehicles and remain subject to the 72-hour rule in SCCC 9.70.610.