Cities with the Strictest Parking Rules (2026)

Top 25: Tightest Rules

Based on each city's parking and vehicle storage ordinances. "Strict" cities actively enforce RV/boat bans, overnight parking limits, and driveway requirements with regular citations. "Permissive" cities have few residential parking restrictions beyond basic safety rules.

1. 1

   Allentown, PAHeavy Restrictions24-hour load/unload, renewable once

   Allentown restricts on-street parking of recreational and oversized vehicles - including buses, dual-wheel motor homes, oversized vehicles, school buses, tractor trailers, trailers, and truck campers - within residential and most non-industrial zoning districts (Chapter 660, Zoning) under Chapter 615, Part 3, Article XIV. The Allentown Parking Authority issues only short-term (24-hour, renewable) permits to load or unload a truck camper.

2. 2

   Boston, MAHeavy RestrictionsResident permit required

   Boston's dense urban streets severely limit RV and oversized vehicle parking. Commercial vehicle overnight parking is prohibited, and RVs face similar restrictions on residential streets.

3. 3

   Colorado Springs, COHeavy Restrictions$75 / $100 / $125; up to $500

   City Code prohibits parking a recreational vehicle on any public right-of-way (street, alley, or roadway) longer than the time needed to load or unload, citywide; violators face tickets and impoundment. On private residential property, RVs and boats must be stored in a side or rear yard or on a driveway set back at least ten feet from the sidewalk, on an improved surface.

4. 4

   Contra Costa County, CAHeavy Restrictions

   Storage of recreational vehicles, travel trailers, vessels, and vessel trailers on private property in unincorporated Contra Costa County requires that the unit be adequately screened from view from public roadways. Use for living or sleeping is prohibited.

5. 5

   Daly City, CAHeavy Restrictions$260 (Sec. 10.32.150)

   Daly City Municipal Code Section 10.32.150, as amended by Ordinance 1467 (2023), bans parking any oversized vehicle - expressly including boats, mobile homes, house trailers and recreational vehicles - on any city street between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. The fine is $260, and RVs and boats are not eligible for the commercial parking permit that exempts work vehicles.

6. 6

   Des Moines, IAHeavy Restrictions$100.00 per violation

   Des Moines bans parking any trailer, semitrailer or travel trailer on a city street at any time, so a stored RV or boat trailer must move off the street entirely, not just clear of traffic.

7. 7

   Des Plaines, ILHeavy Restrictions24 hours (loading/unloading only)

   Des Plaines residents may park a travel trailer, camper, recreational vehicle, boat, or moving trailer on the public street directly in front of their dwelling only for loading or unloading, for no more than 24 hours, and must first notify the police department.

8. 8

   Elizabeth, NJHeavy Restrictions$250, or up to 15 days jail

   Elizabeth outright bars parking any trailer, pole trailer, recreational vehicle, camper, or boat on any street or part of a street, even if it is hitched to another vehicle, with narrow carve-outs for deliveries, utility work, active repairs, and emergencies.

9. 9

   Fort Lauderdale, FLHeavy RestrictionsUp to $100.00 (sec. 26-131(d))

   Code of Ordinances sec. 26-131 bans parking any house trailer, bus, recreational vehicle unit, or truck tractor in any public place within the city's beach area, except in posted authorized lots. On residential lots, ULDR sec. 47-34.4 bars boats, boat trailers, and recreational vehicles over 35 feet on RS-4.4 property and requires nighttime screening of stored vehicles.

10. 10

    Fullerton, CAHeavy RestrictionsValid 24 hours, 4 per month max

    Fullerton bans parking any recreational vehicle, including boats, trailers and mobile homes, on public or private streets, alleys or public property at any time, subject only to narrow exceptions. FMC § 8.46.030 allows a brief patronage stop, emergency repairs, or use of a Chief of Police-issued temporary permit.

11. 11

    Humboldt County, CAHeavy Restrictions

    Humboldt County has no general countywide ban on parking an RV or boat on your own private property, but several code sections specifically prohibit parking vehicles six feet or taller near key intersections, and recreational vehicles used as living quarters are only authorized in permitted Safe Parking/Safe Shelter sites under HCC §314-61.05.

12. 12

    Irvine, CAHeavy Restrictions

    Irvine bans overnight trailer coach and camp car parking on any public street citywide. Municipal Code Section 6-3-576 makes it unlawful to camp overnight or park a trailer coach or camp car overnight on any public highway, including the right-of-way, so RVs and similar trailers cannot be left on a public street overnight regardless of duration.

13. 13

    Jersey City, NJHeavy Restrictions

    Jersey City prohibits parking any recreational vehicle on a street or public right-of-way outright, and separately bars leaving a detached trailer or semitrailer on a public street, under City Code §332-30(B) and (C). The code doesn't carve out boats specifically, but a boat trailer detached from its tow vehicle falls under the same trailer ban.

14. 14

    Lakewood, OHHeavy Restrictions6 consecutive hours max on any street or highway (CO 351.17)

    Recreational equipment (as defined in Zoning Code Section 1147.02) may not be parked on any Lakewood street or highway for more than six consecutive hours under CO 351.17; longer on-street storage is also barred by the 24-hour rule in CO 351.18.

15. 15

    Lancaster, CAHeavy Restrictions

    Lancaster bans parking, storing, or leaving an "oversized vehicle" -- 22 feet or more long, or 7 feet or more wide or tall, which by definition covers RVs, campers, boats, and trailers -- on any public street, alley, right-of-way, or publicly owned lot at any time under Municipal Code Section 10.04.055. Narrow exceptions exist for active loading, permitted construction use, and buses.

16. 16

    Lowell, MAHeavy Restrictions6:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m. daily; all day Sunday

    Lowell Code of Ordinances sec. 266-73.1 prohibits parking any recreational vehicle, auto home, mobile home, boat trailer, semitrailer or combined vehicle-and-trailer on any City street between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on any day, and at any time on Sunday, except during active loading or unloading.

17. 17

    Modesto, CAHeavy Restrictions$137 (§ 3-2.2007)

    Modesto zoning section 10-3.214 limits a residential lot to two recreational vehicles parked outside a structure, requires they sit at least 3 feet from any habitable building and outside the clear-vision zone, and prohibits any portion of the RV from overhanging the public sidewalk.

18. 18

    New York, NYHeavy Restrictions24 hours max on any street

    New York City bars street storage of boat trailers, mobile homes, and mobile medical diagnostic vehicles: under 34 RCNY 4-08(m)(8) none may be parked on any street in any area for more than 24 hours, and ordinary recreational vehicles are limited to seven days under the general street-storage rule.

19. 19

    Pasco County, FLHeavy Restrictions

    Pasco County Land Development Code Section 530.5 allows recreational vehicles (including boats, campers, trailers, and jet skis) on residential lots under one acre only in the side or rear yard, never in the front yard or front driveway except temporarily for loading, and they must be set back at least five feet from side/rear lines and screened by an opaque six-foot fence or vegetation.

20. 20

    Philadelphia, PAHeavy Restrictions$51 (12-1124(1))

    Philadelphia Code 12-919 bars parking a boat, motor home, truck camper or vending cart for more than fifteen days in any on-street space on a single block, and limits such vehicles to three hours (or the posted limit) in the 1st, 6th, 7th, 9th and 10th Councilmanic Districts.

21. 21

    Phoenix, AZHeavy Restrictions

    Phoenix City Code Sec. 36-140 prohibits parking any trailer, semi-trailer, tractor-trailer, or vehicle with a rated chassis capacity over three-fourths of a ton on a local, collector, or arterial street in a residential zone, except while loading or unloading. Boats and RVs on their own trailers are covered by this trailer prohibition.

22. 22

    Port St. Lucie, FLHeavy Restrictions$25.00, up to five days jail

    Recreational vehicles and boats may sit in a residential area only inside an enclosed structure, on a paved driveway, or to the side or rear of the home behind the ten-foot rear setback. Nobody may live in them.

23. 23

    Sandy, UTHeavy RestrictionsNone; banned at any time

    Sandy Traffic Code Section 14-7-5 makes it unlawful to park, store or leave any recreational vehicle, camper, boat, boat trailer, utility trailer or automobile hulk on a public street, alley, sidewalk or right-of-way at any time. The ban covers jet skis, snowmobiles and four-wheelers as recreational vehicles.

24. 24

    Springfield, ILHeavy Restrictions1 hour

    Springfield City Code Sec. 79.22 makes it unlawful to park any trailer or motor home on any street, alley, highway, or other public place within the city except as the chapter allows. Emergency or temporary stopping of a trailer or motor home is permitted for no longer than one hour, subject to any stricter local parking rules for that location.

25. 25

    Vienna, VAHeavy Restrictions

    Vienna restricts recreational vehicle, boat, and trailer parking on residential property. RVs and boats generally must be stored in a side or rear yard behind the front building line, screened from street view, and cannot be used as dwellings. On-street RV parking is prohibited beyond short-term loading of 24 to 48 hours.

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