Jurisdiction and research scope
Town of Dartmouth, Massachusetts only; not New Bedford, Westport or another Dartmouth. Published Zoning Bylaw Article 36, sections 375-36.1 through 375-36.4, read November 6, 2026; the section does not show a separate amendment date.
Research by Can I Park My RV?Official municipal sources; access limits shown belowEditorial standard
Dartmouth RV parking at a glance
| Location or use | What to check |
|---|---|
| Driveway / yard | Section 375-36.4 permits parking or storage of unoccupied RVs on lots; parcel-specific placement rules still require confirmation. The RV must remain unoccupied; the provision supplies no blanket setback, surface or utility exemption. |
| Street / loading | Overnight RV occupancy on public roads, ways and beaches is prohibited except in areas designated by the Board of Selectmen. The cited article establishes no separate loading time allowance. |
| Sleeping / utilities | Do not transfer the mobile-home guest permit to an RV without a classification determination. The unoccupied-storage clause does not approve utility connections. |
Unoccupied RV storage
Section 375-36.4 permits trailers and unoccupied recreational vehicles, as locally defined, to be parked or stored on a lot. This is an unoccupied-storage provision, not a residential-use approval. Confirm other parcel and placement requirements before choosing the spot.
Public roads and overnight use
Section 375-36.2 prohibits overnight occupancy of RVs and mobile homes on public roads, ways and beaches except in areas designated for that purpose by the Board of Selectmen. Unoccupied storage on a lot does not create a street camping allowance.
Do not confuse RVs and mobile homes
The separate mobile-home provision describes a prior guest permit for up to three weeks per calendar year, with one additional three-week permit possible, and a construction-related permit route. Those are expressly mobile-home rules. An RV owner needs the Town to resolve classification and occupied use rather than borrowing those exceptions. Utility work remains a separate approval question.
Who to contact for your setup
Ask Dartmouth Planning or Code Enforcement to confirm jurisdiction, the actual parcel or road, vehicle classification, position, duration and intended use. Obtain the required road, building, electrical, plumbing or wastewater approvals before relying on a parking exception. Easements, HOA rules and leases remain separate. Start with the official rule or permit guidance.
Use the Dartmouth 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
- Dartmouth Article 36, vehicles and trailers
Unoccupied RV storage and public-road overnight occupancy are distinct from mobile-home exceptions.
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 local-government determination may still be required. Read our research method.
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