Rio Rancho, NM Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

Rio Rancho's zoning code (Chapter 154) defines a 'recreational vehicle' to include motor homes, boats, truck campers, travel trailers, and camping trailers, but the code does not impose a blanket prohibition on parking a registered, operable RV or boat on a private residential lot. The principal restrictions are indirect. On public streets, Section 12-6-6.5(B) prohibits parking any vehicle, trailer, or tandem exceeding 7 feet in width and/or 7 feet in height in a residential area from one-half hour after sundown to one-half hour before sunrise, unless actively loading or unloading. Most RVs and trailered boats exceed those dimensions, so overnight on-street RV/boat parking in residential neighborhoods is effectively barred. On private property, Section 91.06 prohibits outdoor storage of inoperable or abandoned vehicles or parts; an inoperable unit must be inside a building, or limited to one covered unit in a side or rear yard at least 5 feet from any property line and structure. Chapter 154's outside-storage standards also require that a stored vehicle taller than a screen wall be set back at least 15 feet from an abutting property or right-of-way.