Saint Paul, MN Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Oversized threshold
- 22 ft long or 7 ft wide
- Street/alley limit for oversized RVs
- 30 minutes (Sec. 157.11(a))
- Unattached trailer/boat limit
- 48 consecutive hours (Sec. 157.11(e))
- Enforcement
- Police & parking enforcement officers, immediate tow
- Exceptions
- Mobile food vehicles, MN-registered RVs
Summary
Saint Paul limits how long recreational vehicles, campers and boat trailers can sit on public streets. Any vehicle or combination 22 feet or longer, or 7 feet or wider, cannot park on a street or alley for more than 30 minutes, and any unattached trailer -- including boat trailers and campers -- cannot stay on a block more than 48 consecutive hours unless hitched to a vehicle that can tow it.
No vehicle or combination of vehicles that is twenty-two (22) feet or more in length and seven (7) feet or more in width, measured between the two (2) most widely separated points or proportions on either side of such vehicle or combination of vehicles, shall be parked on any street or alley for more than thirty (30) minutes. Exceptions to this prohibition include any vehicle or combination of vehicles that is licensed under chapter 331A.04(d)(17) as a mobile food vehicle, or those registered as recreational vehicles pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 168.013, subdivision 1g. ... No person may leave or park a trailer, including cargo or utility trailers, campers, and boat trailers, on any street or alley unless connected to a motor vehicle capable of drawing or transporting the trailer on the same block for more than forty-eight (48) consecutive hours. Unattached trailers parked in violation of this provision are illegally parked and unauthorized, and may be cited and immediately towed and impounded pursuant to the written report of a peace officer or parking enforcement officer.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 133 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
11(a) sets a 30-minute cap on parking any vehicle or combination of vehicles that measures 22 feet or more in length or 7 feet or more in width -- the threshold that captures most travel trailers, motorhomes and boat-and-trailer rigs -- on any city street or alley. 013, subdivision 1g. 11(e) targets unattached trailers: no person may leave or park a cargo trailer, utility trailer, camper or boat trailer on any street or alley unless it stays connected to a motor vehicle capable of towing it, and even then the trailer cannot remain on the same block for more than 48 consecutive hours.
An unattached trailer left longer is 'illegally parked and unauthorized' under the ordinance's own language, and a peace officer or parking enforcement officer can cite it and have it towed and impounded on the spot. These street/alley rules do not restrict how residents store an RV or boat trailer on their own driveway or side yard, which instead falls under the zoning code's accessory-parking provisions. The size threshold in (a) is measured between the two most widely separated points on either side of the vehicle or combination, so a truck-and-boat-trailer pairing is measured as a whole.
Violations & Fines
Violating either provision makes the vehicle or trailer illegally parked and subject to citation. Under Section 157.11(e), an unattached trailer left past 48 hours 'may be cited and immediately towed and impounded pursuant to the written report of a peace officer or parking enforcement officer.' Oversized vehicles left past the 30-minute limit under 157.11(a) are likewise subject to ticketing and towing under Chapter 157's general parking-enforcement authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park my boat trailer on the street overnight in Saint Paul?
How is Saint Paul's oversized-vehicle threshold measured?
Are there exceptions to the 30-minute RV parking limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Saint Paul
How Saint Paul compares: Cities with the Strictest Parking Rules·Compare Saint Paul to another location·View the Minnesota parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.