Kern County, CA Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Required Parking
- 2 spaces per single-family dwelling (§ 19.82.020)
- Standard Stall Size
- 9 ft x 20 ft (§ 19.82.030)
- Abandoned-Vehicle Threshold
- 72 consecutive hours (§ 10.28.030)
- Nuisance Authority
- Kern County Code § 10.28.040
- Living-in-RV Rule
- Allowed only in permitted RV parks or temporarily during home construction (Chapter 19.14)
Summary
Unincorporated Kern County has no blanket ban on storing an operable, registered RV or boat at home, but zoning parking requirements (§ 19.82.020), the 72-hour abandoned-vehicle rule and nuisance provisions (§ 10.28.040) apply, and RV living is limited to permitted RV parks or temporary use during home construction.
19.82.020 REQUIRED PARKING SPACES
Uses permitted by this chapter shall provide off-street parking spaces according to the following schedule:
A. Residential Uses:
1. Accessory dwelling Unit: One (1) per bedroom, not to exceed two (2) per unit or as otherwise provided for in Chapter 19.90
2. Boarding house, rooming house, residential hotel, fraternity or sorority house, or dormitory: One (1) per bedroom
3. Duplex, triplex, quadruplex, multifamily dwelling, or condominium: One (1) per efficiency unit, studio, or one-bedroom unit, and, for complexes consisting of five (5) or more units, an additional space for every five such units for guest parking; two (2) per unit for each unit containing two (2) or more bedrooms, and, for complexes consisting of five (5) or more units, an additional space for every ten (10) such units for guest parking
4. Mobilehome and recreational vehicle park: Two (2) spaces per designated mobilehome space and one (1) space per every five (5) designated mobilehome spaces for guest parking; one (1) space per every designated recreational vehicle space.
5. Retirement or rest home, transitional housing facility, supportive housing facility or emergency shelter: One (1) per four (4) resident beds
6. Single-family dwelling or mobilehome: Two (2) per dwelling unit
19.08.220 STORAGE IN YARDS
Except as otherwise provided in Subsection G of Section 19.82.090 of this title, no portion of any required front yard or side yard on the street side of a corner lot shall be used for the permanent storage, defined as any forty-eight (48) hour period, of motor vehicles, trailers, airplanes, boats, parts of any of the foregoing, except that one (1) recreational vehicle designed for human occupancy or one (1) boat may be so stored, provided that the recreational vehicle or boat is fully operational and is currently licensed and/or registered.
Full Breakdown
Kern County does not prohibit driveway storage of an operable, registered RV or boat outright, but several rules frame it. Each single-family home must still maintain its two required off-street parking spaces (§ 19.82.020, standard stalls 9 by 20 feet), so the RV cannot consume them or block sidewalks and alleys. A wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle visible from public or neighboring property is a public nuisance under § 10.28.040, abatable after notice, and vehicles left 72 consecutive hours can be treated as abandoned (§ 10.28.030). Living in an RV is allowed only in licensed RV parks or temporarily during home construction (Chapter 19.14).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I store my RV or boat in my driveway in unincorporated Kern County?
When does a stored RV or boat become a nuisance?
Can I live in an RV on my own land?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kern County
How Kern County compares: Cities with the Strictest Parking Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Kern County to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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