Jurisdiction and research scope
City of Des Moines, Washington only, not surrounding unincorporated King County or another municipality. Current official online code and guidance retrieved November 6, 2026; section histories are preserved in the source captures.
Research by Can I Park My RV?Official municipal sources; access limits shown belowEditorial standard
Des Moines RV parking at a glance
| Location or use | What to check |
|---|---|
| Driveway / yard | Residential RV parking subject to sightline, setback and upkeep conditions. Front building setback only when physical conditions prevent reasonable side/rear access. |
| Street / loading | The residential-lot section does not establish a street duration allowance. No general loading exception established in this section. |
| Sleeping / utilities | Ordinary occupied dwelling use on the host’s premises may not exceed four weeks; separate exception exists. Utility and wastewater approvals are separate from parking. |
Residential RV placement
DMMC 18.210.250 covers travel trailers, folding tent trailers, motorhomes, removed truck campers, horse trailers, boat trailers and utility trailers. Keep vehicles out of publicly maintained rights-of-way and clear of sight visibility from adjacent driveways. A front building setback may be used only when topography or other physical site conditions leave no reasonable side or rear access.
Upkeep and the transportation-vehicle exemption
Covered vehicles must be clean and well kept without detracting from the surrounding area. The section describes an exemption for a property owner’s primarily transportation vehicle weighing no more than 10,000 pounds gross and measuring no more than 20 feet long and 7.5 feet wide, with or without a mounted camper. Have the city confirm the exemption’s scope before relying on it.
Four weeks is not a street or hookup permit
The section bars occupied use as a permanent or temporary dwelling on the host’s premises for more than four weeks except the separate 18.170.070 route. It does not supply a reset interval, street-parking permission or utility-installation approval. Ask the city to confirm how prior stays are counted and what permits apply. Loading and repairs do not automatically waive placement restrictions.
Who to contact for your setup
Ask Des Moines 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 Des Moines 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
- Des Moines 18.210.250
Residential RV placement, vehicle-class exemption and four-week occupancy ceiling, codified under Ordinance 1591 (2014).
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 city determination may still be required. Read our research method.
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