Waukesha, WI Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Watercraft size limit
- 18 feet, unscreened, max 5 boats
- Barred yards
- Street Yards and Side Yards
- Height cap
- 6 feet for any stored item
- Overnight street parking
- Boats and trailers ineligible for a permit
- Storage area cap
- 400 sq ft or 5% of parcel
Summary
Waukesha limits where campers, trailers and boats can sit outdoors on residential lots under Municipal Code § 17.09: they are barred from street and side yards, and watercraft over 18 feet or inoperable trailers cannot be kept outside at all. Boats and trailers also can't get an overnight street-parking permit under § 7.04.
APPLICABILITY. ... This Section is applicable only to properties within residential zoning districts, except Rs-4. GENERAL RULES. Outdoor Storage of Personal Property is prohibited in Street Yards and Side Yards, and is allowed in Rear Yards only... Outdoor Storage of the following items is prohibited in all cases and in all yards: Vehicles, whether motorized or not, and trailers, that are not legally operable on public roads. ... Semitrailers. Shipping containers, portable storage containers, and vehicles used solely for storage. ... Small watercraft not greater than 18 feet in length and not requiring a trailer, such as canoes and kayaks, not exceeding five in number. ... Vehicles, including trailers, that are legally operable on public roads, and registered and licensed if required by law for their operation on public roads. Regardless of the foregoing, semitrailers are prohibited in all cases and in all yards.
Full Breakdown
09, applies to residential zoning districts other than Rs-4 and treats any item left outdoors for 30 or more consecutive days as regulated storage. Outdoor storage is barred from Street Yards and Side Yards and allowed only in Rear Yards, and everything stored outdoors generally must be Screened, defined as behind a solid fence, dense evergreen planting, tarp, storage box or enclosed structure. Vehicles and trailers that are not legally operable on public roads, semitrailers, and shipping containers, portable storage containers, and vehicles used solely for storage are prohibited outdoors in every yard, with no exceptions.
Small watercraft, such as canoes and kayaks, are allowed unscreened in Side and Rear Yards only if they are no greater than 18 feet long, don't require a trailer, and number five or fewer. Licensed, registered vehicles and trailers that are legally operable on public roads may sit unscreened on paved driveways and paved parking areas, though semitrailers are barred there too. No stored item, stacked or not, may exceed six feet in height, and total outdoor storage area is capped at 400 square feet or 5% of the parcel, whichever is greater.
04 excludes boats and trailers from the City's overnight-parking permit program altogether, meaning they cannot be parked on a City street overnight even with a permit.
Violations & Fines
Keeping an inoperable trailer, boat, or camper outdoors on a residential lot, or storing any watercraft or vehicle in a Street or Side Yard, violates § 17.09 and is subject to the penalties in § 25.05. Parking a boat or trailer on a City street overnight is a separate violation because § 7.04 makes them ineligible for an overnight-parking permit regardless of the vehicle's size or weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep my boat in my Waukesha driveway?
Is there a size limit for RVs stored outside in Waukesha?
Can I park my camper on the street overnight in Waukesha?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waukesha
How Waukesha compares: Cities with the Strictest Parking Rules·Compare Waukesha to another location·View the Wisconsin parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.