West Haven, CT Parking Rules: RV & Boat Parking (2026)

Subsections C and D of § 129-6 of the West Haven Code, adopted by the City Council as part of Chapter 129 Blight Prevention, regulate boats. Subsection C bars any person from parking, storing, leaving or permitting on any residential property more than one unregistered boat or one registered boat not in seaworthy condition, and any such vessel must be parked or stored within a fully enclosed garage or other similar structure. Subsection D closes public ground: in no event can an unregistered boat, or a registered boat not in seaworthy condition, be parked on any public property or right-of-way.

The code defines a boat in § 129-2 as any vessel designed for travel on water, with or without a deck, and propelled by oars, paddles, sail or motor. The rule turns on registration and seaworthiness, so a registered boat in seaworthy condition is not caught by Subsections C and D. Campers and trailers sit in a different place: the § 129-2 definition of motor vehicle includes them, and any device designed to be towed by a self-propelled vehicle, so the vehicle storage limits in § 129-6(A) apply to those.

Subsection E adds a location rule for any motor vehicle or boat on residential property: it cannot be parked between the street and any house except on a driveway or other paved parking area approved by Planning and Zoning. Subsection F exempts vehicles enclosed within a building held in connection with a business lawfully licensed by the City and properly operated in the appropriate zone. Abandoned and inoperable boats situated on the premises are also a listed sign of blighted premises in § 129-2(D). Enforcement runs through § 129-8, where the Building Official, West Haven Police officers, the Zoning Enforcement Officer, and Property Maintenance Inspectors issue citations.