Palatine, IL Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

Section 7.03(d) of the Zoning Ordinance governs where recreational vehicles, trailers, and boats can sit on residential property. Under § 7.03(d)(1)(b)(ii), a recreational vehicle or pickup coach up to 22 feet long, or a trailer that does not exceed 22 feet, may be parked entirely in the rear yard or interior side yard, but only if it is effectively screened on all sides by a densely planted hedge, solid masonry wall, or solid fence at least four feet and not more than six feet in height.

Boats and rafts are not named in that screened rear-yard list; § 7.03(d)(2) instead permits boats and rafts, along with recreational vehicles and trailers, inside a totally enclosed garage, so an owner without garage space for a boat has no outdoor storage option under this section unless it qualifies as a trailer-mounted unit within the 22-foot cap. Every parked vehicle or trailer must sit on a solid, dust-free surface under § 7.03(d)(3), and none of these units can be used to store goods or materials beyond what's needed for their own use, per § 7.03(d)(4).

The Village also allows short-term flexibility: recreational vehicles or pickup coaches with trailers up to 32 feet may be parked temporarily for loading or unloading, without screening, for up to 48 hours at a time under § 7.03(d)(6), with a required 48-hour gap before the next such period. Planning and Zoning and code enforcement staff cite oversized or unscreened units parked in front or corner side yards, where none of these vehicle types are permitted.