Jurisdiction and research scope
Town of Colchester, Connecticut. This guide covers ordinary lot parking/storage under §8.8.15 and the separate construction-residence route in §8.7. Flood-hazard overlays require a separate decision. Sources read November 6, 2026. Official base compilation revised through May 13, 2024, together with posted later amendments effective January 1, March 7, March 14 and May 26, 2026. Those amendments concern daycare, AC mixed use and a manufactured-home-park moratorium, not the ordinary §8.8.15 RV rule.
Research by Can I Park My RV?Official municipal sources; access limits shown belowEditorial standard
Colchester RV parking at a glance
| Location or use | What to check |
|---|---|
| driveway | One camper/RV per lot outside authorized campgrounds; boats over 18 feet count. |
| street | No street permission established by the lot-storage rule. |
| guest | Permanent dwelling/office use prohibited; ordinary guest sleeping not established. |
How many RVs can be parked on a Colchester lot?
Section 8.8.15 limits a lot to one camper unit or RV unless it is an authorized recreation campground. The definition includes travel trailers, truck campers, camping trailers and motorhomes, and also treats boats longer than 18 feet as RVs.
Count the covered boat as well as the camper. An unoccupied RV is not exempt from the limit, and an ordinary driveway does not become an authorized campground.
Where must the RV sit?
Place the RV behind the required front-yard setback or the front building line, whichever is less. It must also be outside required side and rear yards. Exhibit 11 illustrates the front building line where it is closer to the street than the required setback line.
Confirm both front lines and legal side/rear setbacks for the actual parcel. Being on paving or a driveway does not itself satisfy these measurements.
Can an RV be used as a permanent home?
Section 8.8.15 prohibits permanent dwelling and office use. It does not establish a general short guest-sleeping allowance.
Section 8.7 allows a zoning permit for temporary residence during construction, alteration or reconstruction of a single-family dwelling. The permit is issued to the parcel owner for one year, requires a building permit and connection before occupancy to the permanent water and sewage systems serving the finished dwelling. An emergency reconstruction permit additionally requires the Fire Marshal/Building Official report and Chatham Health District inspection and approval.
What about flood zones and later amendments?
Section 9.3.7B prohibits new placement of manufactured homes or RVs in the Zone A and AE flood-hazard overlays, along with other development and storage, subject to its stated reconstruction and functionally dependent use provisions. Do not rely on the ordinary lot rule there.
The later manufactured-home-park moratorium is a separate §8.13 action with a stated February 26, 2027 expiry unless extended. It is not an RV parking exemption or an ordinary single-lot storage ban. Street rules, maintenance and hookups remain separate.
Who to contact for your setup
Ask Colchester zoning staff about the exact parcel, vehicle classification, approvals and later amendments. Confirm the governing zoning authority before relying on a mailing address. Ask police about street signs and temporary traffic restrictions. Check lease, HOA and deed restrictions separately.
Use the Colchester parking checker to organize the starting conditions. The checker cannot approve a parcel, a variance or an unverified exception.
Official sources reviewed November 6, 2026
- Colchester Land Development Regulations
§§8.7, 8.8.15, 9.3.7 and 20.4: parking, construction, flood limits and RV definition.
- Colchester current regulations and later amendments
Current official base edition and later adopted amendment trail.
A review date records when we checked these sources. The notes above explain any use of older code editions or limits on access to the full source; an address-specific town determination may still be required. Read our research method.
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