Where can you park a boat or RV on your property? Here’s what Sacramento County law says

California has laws instructing drivers where they can and cannot park their cars, but what about vehicles that are not cars?

A reader from Contra Costa County asked The Sacramento Bee’s service journalism team, which focuses on helping the community navigate daily life: What is the law for parking a boat in your driveway?

Good question. In Sacramento, we don’t have a ton of boats docked in our driveways (though we have plenty of river fun, from dining to cruise tours). What we do have? Recreational vehicles — or RVs.

We’re answering this reader’s question with a twist for our Sacramento readers (for our Contra Costa County questioner — we have an answer below for you, too. Thanks for reaching out).

Here’s who makes the laws for recreational vehicle parking and what they say on where you can park them in Sacramento County:

Does California law state where you can park RVs or vessels?

Kenneth Casparis, a spokesperson for Sacramento County, said state law governs the parking of vehicles, but there are no specific laws to RVs or boats.

When there is no governing state law, Casparis said the California Constitution requires local jurisdictions to regulate their land use through the use of the general plans and zoning codes.

“Local jurisdictions then adopt rules specific to their jurisdiction,” Casparis said in an email to The Bee. “On-property storage is also specific to each jurisdiction’s local ordinances.”

Where can you park a boat or RV in Sacramento County?

It is legal to park or store an RV on a residential property in unincorporated areas of Sacramento County.

However, the RV must be operational and currently registered to the home, according to Sacramento County Code Enforcement’s website. If an RV with a trailer is parked on the street, the trailer cannot be detached from the tow vehicle while parked there.

When it comes to staying in a recreational vehicle, Casparis said the county’s zoning code does not allow for anyone to occupy an RV on residential property.

“If they are constructing a new single-family home and have obtained a temporary use permit, they can reside in the RV while the home is constructed,” Casparis said.

While this applies to the Sacramento County’s unincorporated areas, Casparis said the incorporated cities have their own rules that differ from each other.

Within the city of Sacramento, a boat can be stored on a driveway if the boat is registered to the current occupant of the premises and functions properly, according to Sacramento City Code 8.04.480.

RVs cannot be stored in the driveways of residential areas in Sacramento.

Gabby Miller, a spokesperson for the city of Sacramento, said vehicles are not allowed to park on the street in the same location for more than 72 hours.

“This applies to all vehicles, including RVs,” Miller wrote in an email to The Bee.

In Folsom, residents cannot park recreational vehicles on city streets, whether the street is publicly or privately maintained, according to Folsom’s Municipal Code.

Christine Brainerd, a spokesperson for the city of Folsom, said boats and RVs are allowed to be parked in driveways. The 81,000-person city sits between Lake Natoma and Folsom Lake.

“They must also have current registration and if the RV is a motorhome, it must be operable,” Brainerd wrote in an email to The Bee.

In southern Sacramento County, the city of Elk Grove has stricter requirements for RV and boat parking.

Recreational vehicles, vessels and trailers are not allowed on driveways, according to the city’s website.

RVs or vessels can be parked in the following locations in Elk Grove:

▪ On the street for up to 72 hours.

▪ In a driveway if there’s at least 20 feet of space between the RV or vessel and the sidewalk. In this case, a bush, hedge or other object at least six feet high must obstruct the RV or vessel from public view, unless the property is larger than two acres.

▪ If a property is on a corner, the RV must be parked at least 12.5 feet away from the property line.

These rules do not apply for RVs that were owned and parked on Elk Grove properties before August 2006, the website states.

Where can you parking your RV or boat in the bay area?

For our reader in Contra Costa County, the storage of boats and recreational vehicles is allowed on private property, but 90% of the vehicle must be screened from public view, according to the county’s website.

Screening can be accomplished by landscaping, fencing or a building. This can be rarely achieved when the vehicle is in the front driveway, the website states.

In Solano County, which neighbors southern Sacramento County, boats and recreational vehicles can be stored in driveways as long as they do not interfere with public street traffic.

Further into the Bay Area, Alameda County permits boats and RVs to be stored on paved driveways, the county’s website states. The only restrictions are that they must be operable, and cannot not exceed 30 feet in width.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.