RV parking rules in Hot Springs

Hot Springs RV parking at a glance

Can I store an RV in the front driveway?

Section 11.7(A) limits outdoor front-yard storage to a driveway and no more than seven days. That is a ceiling, not seven days of unconditional permission. The height-based placement rules, approved surfaces, yard coverage and any existing approval still matter. The code does not supply an automatic reset by moving the RV.

Why does a six-foot height matter?

Section 11.7(B) addresses recreational vehicles six feet or less in height, measured to the highest point: storage is behind the front building line or in the rear yard. Section 11.7(C) requires an RV more than six feet high to be in the rear yard, at least five feet from any lot line. Exactly six feet is in the lower-height category; exactly five feet does not fall short of the stated setback. The relationship between these placement clauses and short front-driveway storage needs City interpretation; this guide does not grant a short-stay exception for a tall RV.

What surface and yard limits also apply?

Section 11.7(D) calls for an all-weather dustless storage area. Ordinance 6549, section 4, separately updates Title 17: vehicle, boat, trailer and camper parking is prohibited on lawn or landscaped portions of a front or side yard adjacent to public right-of-way, and parking requires approved pavement or prepared gravel. It also limits front-yard parking/driveway coverage to 40 percent in RN-2, RN-4 and RN-5, and 25 percent in R-R, R-S and RN-1. Do not infer that any gravel, any side yard or any driveway is approved; the checker does not calculate parcel coverage.

Does the RV have to remain movable and safe?

Yes. Section 11.7(G) requires mobile condition and prohibits a dangerous or unsafe parked or stored position. A unit that may tip or roll is specifically identified as unsafe, whether loaded or not. Meeting the time and setback screens does not overcome an unsafe condition.

What if the RV is inside a garage?

Section 11.7(E) places no limit on recreational-vehicle storage inside fully enclosed permanent structures. This does not approve the building itself, occupancy, commercial use or every applicable fire and access requirement. An open carport is not treated as fully enclosed. The checker refers indoor-storage cases for separate review.

Can someone sleep in it or connect utilities?

Storage and occupancy are different. Section 11.7(F) contains a restriction on living, sleeping, housekeeping and public-utility connections, but the City also publishes separate campground rules and guidance about limited or emergency temporary living arrangements. Their complete application and any issued approvals are not resolved here. Sleeping, residence, hookups and temporary living requests receive an unknown result and need Planning review; a storage result is not permission to occupy.

Does this establish a street-parking period?

No. The selected review concerns unoccupied off-street storage at ordinary private residential property. Street signs, traffic rules, downtown parking, public land, loading, commercial storage, repairs and approved RV parks require their own checks. A Hot Springs mailing address also does not establish City jurisdiction.

Which source edition and exceptions were reviewed?

Reviewed October 25, 2026 using enacted Ordinance 6513, the November 2024 Zoning Code effective March 1, 2025, and the official 2025 and 2026 ordinance registers. Ordinance 6549 adds relevant surface and yard-coverage requirements. The reviewed ADU amendment 6545 and commercial-dwelling use-matrix amendment 6590 do not rewrite section 11.7; Ordinance 6600 concerns weed height and is not effective until November 20, 2026. Direct current-code access was unavailable, and the full text of some commercial-use or parcel-specific changes was not available for review. Nonconforming rights, variances, planned developments, parks and other actual approvals are excluded from the automated result. Ask the City to confirm current applicability.

Who to contact for your setup

Ask City Planning to confirm legal yard lines, RV classification, full duration, surfaces, current code and any prior-use or special approval. Begin with the official zoning-code index.

Use the Hot Springs parking checker to organize the starting conditions. The checker cannot approve a parcel, a variance or an unverified exception.

Official sources reviewed October 25, 2026

• Hot Springs adopted Zoning Code, Ordinance 6513

  November 2024 code, effective March 1, 2025. Selected §11.7 unoccupied storage and §1.4 prior-use provisions reviewed.

• Ordinance 6549, September 16, 2025

  Section 4 updates Title 17 parking surfaces and front-yard coverage by zoning district.

• Current official zoning-code index

  City index links the current code. Direct online code access was unavailable during this review.

• City 2025 adopted ordinance register

  Includes ADU, alignment, food-truck and parcel-specific planned-development changes.

• City 2026 adopted ordinance register

  Reviewed alongside Ordinances 6590 and 6600; this is not a complete parcel approval.

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.