Mendocino County, CA Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- 72-hour street limit
- MCC 15.12.091
- RVs exempt from 72-hr rule?
- No (only non-RV passenger cars/pickups at home address)
- Vehicle-camping on public property
- Prohibited beyond one day (MCC 14.28.050)
- RV parks / campgrounds
- Zoning Code Ch. 20.176
- Enforcing chapter authority
- Ord. No. 3779 (1991); Ord. No. 4353 (2016)
Summary
In unincorporated Mendocino County, recreational vehicles are NOT exempt from the 72-hour street parking limit and may be towed after 72 hours. Living or sleeping in a parked vehicle or trailer on public property for more than one day is separately prohibited.
No person shall park or leave standing a vehicle upon a street or highway within the unincorporated territory of the County for seventy-two (72) or more consecutive hours. Exempted from this Section are passenger vehicles and pickup trucks which are not recreational vehicles parked upon a street or highway in front of the site location appearing on the registration of these vehicles.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
091 makes it unlawful to park or leave a vehicle standing on any street or highway in the unincorporated territory for 72 or more consecutive hours. The section exempts only passenger vehicles and pickup trucks that are NOT recreational vehicles when parked in front of the address shown on their registration, so an RV, motorhome, travel trailer, or boat trailer parked on a public road can be removed once it passes the 72-hour threshold. 28, adopted by Ord. No. 4353 in 2016) prohibits parking a vehicle or trailer for purposes of camping, sleeping, dwelling in, or otherwise inhabiting it for more than one day on public property other than a licensed campground, RV park, mobile home park, or designated County park.
On private property, the same activity requires the owner's consent, and a property owner may not operate an unauthorized RV park. , the Frog Woman Rock area, the Mendocino Historical Preservation District, Heeser Drive) prohibit vehicle camping entirely. 176.
Violations & Fines
An RV left on a public street for 72+ consecutive hours may be towed by the Sheriff or CHP under MCC 15.12.091. Camping or sleeping in a vehicle on public property beyond one day, or in a prohibited location, violates MCC 14.28.050.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park my motorhome on a county road in unincorporated Mendocino County?
Is it legal to sleep in my RV parked on a public road?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mendocino County
How Mendocino County compares: Cities with the Strictest Parking Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Mendocino County to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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