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

The incorporated City of Santa Barbara has its own municipal code rules for recreational vehicles and trailers, separate from Santa Barbara County. Under SBMC 10.44.200 (Unlawful Parking of Trailers, Mobilehomes, Recreational Vehicles, Trucks and Buses), no person may park a trailer, semi-trailer, or bus on any street, highway, alley, or parkway for longer than two hours without written authorization from the Chief of Police; the same section regulates trucks used primarily for commercial hauling exceeding three-quarters (3/4) ton capacity. The most specific recreational-vehicle rule is the overnight coastal ban: the section prohibits parking or standing any recreational vehicle between 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m. in the area south of the U.S. 101 freeway, between Castillo Street and the eastern boundary of the City at the Andree Clark Bird Refuge and Coast Village Road. Most full-size RVs, motorhomes, and many boat-on-trailer combinations also meet the City's separate oversized-vehicle definition under SBMC 10.44.220(B) (anything exceeding 25 feet long, 80 inches wide, or 82 inches high), which prohibits them from the public right-of-way unless an exemption or a Downtown Parking permit applies. Off-street storage on a private lot is governed by the City's zoning code (Title 28), not these parking sections. For people living in vehicles, the City funds 25 safe-parking spaces operated by New Beginnings.