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Kootenai County, ID Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
LUDC 8.4.1402, Outdoor Storage
Unlicensed/inoperable vehicles allowed
Up to 2 per property
Visitor trailer limit
30 days per calendar year
Road parking limit
24 hours, public or private road
Civil penalty
Up to $1,000/day, $20,000 max
Compliance window
45 days from notice of violation

Summary

Kootenai County bans outdoor storage of anything not customarily kept outside for a permitted use; items that don't qualify, extra vehicles, loose materials, equipment, must be inside a building or fully screened from neighbors and the road under LUDC 8.4.1402. Violators face the same misdemeanor and civil-penalty enforcement track as any other zoning violation.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Kootenai County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

A. Prohibited: No property shall be used for outdoor storage of items which are not customarily used or stored outdoors in connection with the normal operation of one or more permitted uses in the underlying zone... C. Indoor Storage: Except as provided in subsection B of this section or in article 4.6 or 4.13 of this chapter, all materials, equipment and personal property shall be stored within a building or be fully screened so as not to be visible from adjacent properties or rights of way. For purposes of this subsection, an item located on a porch of a building is considered to be stored outdoors if the porch is not enclosed.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-10: Code current through: Ord. 633, passed December 23, 2025).

Full Breakdown

1402 of the Kootenai County Land Use and Development Code, titled Outdoor Storage, applies in every zone under Title 8. Subsection A sets the baseline: no property may be used to store outdoors any item that isn't customarily used or stored outdoors in connection with a permitted use on that property. 13. Everything else has to go inside under subsection C: except for the items in subsection B, all materials, equipment, and personal property must be stored within a building or fully screened so neighbors and passersby on the right of way can't see it.

The code even reaches porches: an item on an unenclosed porch counts as stored outdoors. Subsection D lets a property keep construction materials outside while an active building permit is in force, or if the structure being built is exempt from permitting. Subsection E adds specific limits for recreational equipment and utility trailers: licensed, operable ones can sit on a driveway or parking area indefinitely, a visitor's trailer can stay up to 30 days per calendar year while visiting, and none of it, resident's or visitor's, can sit on a public or private road for more than 24 hours.

603, a misdemeanor charge under section 1-4-1 plus a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day capped at $20,000 per incident. 5 before that clock runs out.

Violations & Fines

A confirmed outdoor-storage violation follows Title 8's standard enforcement path: a written notice of violation under section 8.8.601, 45 days from the mail date to move the items indoors or screen them, and if that deadline passes, the notice gets recorded against the property at the County Recorder's office. Section 8.8.603 backs it with a misdemeanor charge under 1-4-1 and a civil penalty up to $1,000 per day, capped at $20,000 per incident.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as illegal outdoor storage in unincorporated Kootenai County?
Anything that isn't customarily kept outdoors for a permitted use on the property, per LUDC 8.4.1402(A). The code specifically allows clotheslines, agricultural equipment, firewood being consumed on site, up to two unlicensed or inoperable vehicles, licensed vehicles in a driveway, and weather-resistant items; everything else, loose materials, extra equipment, unscreened junk, has to be inside a building or fully screened from view.
Does a porch count as indoor storage?
Not unless it's enclosed. Section 8.4.1402(C) specifically says an item located on a porch of a building is considered stored outdoors if the porch isn't enclosed, so items kept on an open porch have to meet the same screening rule as anything left in the yard.
Can I keep construction materials in my yard?
Yes, while you're actively building. Subsection D allows storing construction materials on the property as long as there's an active building permit for the structure being built, or the structure is exempt from permitting altogether. Once the permit lapses or the project's done, the materials fall back under the general outdoor-storage screening rule.
What happens if the county cites my property for outdoor storage?
You get a written notice of violation under section 8.8.601 and 45 days from the mail date to move items indoors or screen them. Miss the deadline and the notice is recorded against the property, plus you're exposed to a misdemeanor charge and a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day, capped at $20,000 per incident, under section 8.8.603.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Kootenai County

All Kootenai County rules

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