Jurisdiction and research scope
City of Lewistown, Montana only, not surrounding unincorporated Fergus County or another municipality. Current online 2012 Code; storage section history Ordinance 1576, May 1, 1989, effective June 15, 1989; camping section Ordinance 1544, March 3, 1986. Read November 6, 2026; later uncodified changes and site-specific requirements require city confirmation.
Research by Can I Park My RV?Official municipal sources; access limits shown belowEditorial standard
Lewistown RV parking at a glance
| Location or use | What to check |
|---|---|
| Driveway / yard | The cited storage allowance is for qualifying rear-yard placement, not every driveway. Manufacturer size at most 8 feet wide and 27 feet long; rear-yard storage route. |
| Street / loading | Motor-vehicle camping is barred outside authorized tourist parks; unoccupied street rules need separate confirmation. No separate RV loading extension is established by this private-site rule. |
| Sleeping / utilities | No living/sleeping under the residential storage route; motor-vehicle camping requires an authorized tourist park. The parking or storage route does not independently authorize utility connections. |
Rear yards and manufacturer dimensions
Section 11-4-15(D) permits rear-yard parking or storage of the listed recreational vehicles, campers and trailers only where manufacturer specifications do not exceed eight feet in width and 27 feet in length. It does not establish a front-yard exception or a route for larger vehicles.
Storage is different from camping
The same provision prohibits occupying campers, camping trailers or mobile homes for living or sleeping. Section 10-4-10 separately prohibits motor-vehicle camping in the city except in an authorized tourist park. Do not treat an unoccupied storage allowance as permission for overnight guests.
Inoperable vehicles and other requirements
Permanent open storage of salvage, inoperable vehicles and other chattel is barred in residential districts. The section defines permanent storage as more than five days without moving; that definition is not a five-day camping permission. Setbacks, access, road restrictions and utility approvals still need a site-specific answer.
Who to contact for your setup
Ask Lewistown 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 Lewistown 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
- Lewistown Code 11-4-15
Current official code or city guidance; scope and limits described below.
- Lewistown Code 10-4-10
Motor-vehicle camping restricted to authorized tourist parks.
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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