Pearland, TX Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- UDC § 2.5.3.1(j), Chapter 2, Division 3
- Driveway requirement
- Must be primary, paved residential driveway
- Yard storage option
- Side/rear yard only if fully screened
- Screening standards
- UDC §§ 4.2.4.1 and 4.2.4.3
- Maximum fine
- Up to $2,000 per UDC § 1.2.6.7
- Last amended
- Ordinance No. 2000T-14, January 14, 2013
Summary
Pearland's Unified Development Code allows homeowners to keep an operable motor home, travel trailer, or recreational vehicle on the primary, paved residential driveway. If the vehicle instead sits in a side or rear yard, UDC Section 2.5.3.1(j) requires it be completely screened from the street and from neighboring properties, tying the rule to the city's separate screening and fencing standards.
(j) Motor Homes, Trailers, and Recreational Vehicles. Such vehicles may be parked, in an operable conditional, on the primary, paved, residential driveway. Such vehicles may also be stored in a side or rear yard if completed screened from the view of the roadway or neighboring properties and in accordance with sections 4.2.4.1 and 4.2.4.3 of the Unified Development Code.
Full Breakdown
1(j) of Chapter 2, Zoning Regulations, Division 3 (Accessory Uses), governs where residents may park motor homes, camping trailers, and other recreational vehicles on residential lots. The vehicle must be operable and parked on the property's primary driveway, and that driveway must be paved; a gravel or grass pad does not qualify. Owners who prefer to keep the RV or boat trailer out of view have a second option: storing it in a side or rear yard, but only if it is completely screened from both the roadway and adjoining properties.
3 (Fencing), to define adequate screening. The section sits alongside a related but separate rule in subsection (i), which limits nonresidential accessory trailers to fourteen days per six-month period and bars any accessory trailer from being used for advertising. That nonresidential limit does not apply to a homeowner's own RV, motor home, or boat trailer, which may remain on the paved driveway indefinitely so long as it stays operable. 1 was last amended by Ordinance No. 2000T-14 on January 14, 2013, following earlier amendments in 2008, 2009, and 2011.
Violations & Fines
Pearland's Code Enforcement division cites RV and trailer parking violations under the UDC's general enforcement authority in Section 1.2.6.7. A zoning violation, including improper vehicle parking or storage, carries a fine of up to $2,000 upon conviction, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense. The City Attorney may also pursue a civil action under Section 1.2.6.6 to compel compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park my RV on the grass next to my driveway in Pearland?
Does the RV have to run to stay on the driveway?
What screening satisfies the side-yard storage rule?
What happens if I ignore the rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pearland
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