RV parking rules in Madison

Madison RV parking at a glance

Where may an RV be stored in a Residence District?

Section 4.2A(5)(c) permits storage of recreational vehicles, boats, boat trailers, camping trailers and house trailers in a side or rear yard only. This appears under accessory uses customary and incidental to a permitted use in a Residence District. It is not an independent RV-storage business permission or a rule for every commercial district.

A driveway is not its own zoning category. If the chosen driveway area is in the front yard, paving does not satisfy the side-or-rear requirement. The storage provision states no universal RV length or guest-duration allowance.

How are the front, side and rear yards defined?

Section 3.0 ties yards to the principal building and legal lot lines. A lot has a front yard for each street frontage. The side yard is between the front and rear yards and between the principal building and a side lot line. The rear-yard definition follows the rear lot line and rearward part of the principal building.

That makes corner lots and irregular building shapes important. Confirm the yard on the actual plan rather than calling whichever area is least visible the “back.” The checker asks for the legal yard, not just the generic driveway choice.

Can the stored RV be a residence or guest bedroom?

The storage clause says the listed vehicles must not be used for residence purposes. It does not authorize a guest bedroom, rental or hookup installation. A brief sleeping visit needs a separate determination; an unoccupied-storage result cannot answer that question by itself.

The trailer definition is broad: it covers a vehicle that is or can be used for sleeping, living or working quarters and is, has been or can be mounted on wheels, including pickup- or truck-chassis units.

Is there a temporary construction-residence exception?

Section 4.4G supplies a special-exception route in a Residence District. The Commission may vote a temporary trailer or mobile-home permit for no more than two years, for the lot owner’s occupancy while a permanent residence is erected there. Construction must start within six months of permit issuance; no extension is allowed.

No permit may be granted for a trailer or mobile home as a permanent residence. The same clause says no mobile home may be parked, stored or occupied in a Flood Plain District. Do not assume an RV is a mobile home, or that this exception is automatic. Street parking, loading, repairs, flood rules and utility permits remain separate.

Who to contact for your setup

Ask Town of Madison land-use staff about the exact parcel, vehicle classification, current amendments and required approvals. Ask police about street restrictions. Check lease, HOA and deed restrictions separately.

Use the Madison 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

• Madison §4.2A(5)(c) and §4.4G

  Residence District RV storage and temporary construction-trailer conditions.

• Madison §3.0 definitions

  Trailer, accessory-use and legal-yard definitions.

• Madison official regulations entry

  Official current publisher pointer.

• Madison middle-housing amendment, effective July 13, 2026

  Separately posted later amendment; not an RV-storage exemption.

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.