Whatcom County, WA Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

Whatcom County's zoning code restricts where a recreational vehicle, travel trailer or boat may be parked or stored on a residential lot. 654 for the Residential Rural district that covers most of the unincorporated county outside the urban growth areas, so the front-yard ban on RV and boat storage applies regardless of which residential zone a parcel sits in. 250 defines the front yard as the open space between the road right-of-way and the required front setback line, the rear yard as the space between the rear property line and the nearest building, and the side yard as the space bounded by the front yard, rear yard and side lot line, so a recreational vehicle parked between the house and the street violates the rule even on a paved driveway.

180 to mean a motor vehicle or portable structure transportable on highways, built for casual or short-term occupancy without a permanent foundation, self-contained with its own water storage, and specifically including motorhomes, travel trailers and self-contained campers, but excluding park-model trailers. Violations of this Title 20 parking standard are enforced the same way as any other zoning violation: the zoning administrator can issue a notice of violation and a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day under WCC ch. 94, with remission requests due within 20 days and appeals to the hearing examiner due within 10 days of the county's decision.