Jurisdiction and research scope
Unincorporated Pierce County, Washington only. Incorporated cities and towns, tribal lands and separately administered public lands require their own governing rules. Current PCC 18A.38.050.E and county Temporary Use Affidavit revised January 23, 2025, read November 6, 2026. The code expressly provides a 14-day exemption that the short Occupied RVs webpage omits.
Research by Can I Park My RV?Official municipal sources; access limits shown belowEditorial standard
Pierce County RV parking at a glance
| Location or use | What to check |
|---|---|
| Driveway / yard | Temporary occupancy depends on legal lot, UGA status and any principal dwelling or shoreline exception. Confirm parcel setbacks, access, critical areas and any shoreline or floodplain restrictions. |
| Street / loading | An RV on a public or private road, roadway right-of-way or easement shall not be occupied. No independent extended loading exception is established by these sources. |
| Sleeping / utilities | 14 days/year without temporary-use permit; longer approved stays ordinarily at most 120 days with prior lot occupancy deducted. Approved sanitation and drinking water; disconnect water/septic outside the permitted occupancy dates. |
Private lots and the urban growth boundary
One RV, travel trailer or tent may be temporarily occupied on a lot of record under PCC 18A.38.050.E. In an urban growth area, the lot normally must have a principal dwelling. An undeveloped urban lot qualifies only under the stated Shoreline of the State exception where the shoreline environment allows residential or recreational use. Rural lots may qualify without a dwelling. Roads, roadway rights-of-way and easements cannot be occupied, whether publicly or privately owned.
Count the days and obtain approval
The code allows up to 14 days per year without a temporary use permit. Longer ordinary occupancy requires approval, with a 120-day maximum reduced by other RV, travel-trailer or tent occupancy on that lot during the preceding 12 months. Hardship extensions require a specific Director decision. The short county enforcement webpage should not be read to erase the code’s 14-day exemption.
Wastewater, placement and departure
Keep the RV outside critical areas and buffers. For permitted stays, the affidavit requires a documented sanitation method and approved drinking water; never discharge wastewater outside the approved system. Water and septic connections must be disconnected outside listed occupancy dates. Remove the unit within 14 days after the temporary period expires, unless the party controlling the property legally owns the RV and keeps it unoccupied. That retention exception does not authorize every storage position.
Who to contact for your setup
Ask Pierce County 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 Pierce County 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
- Pierce County Code 18A.38.050
Operative temporary occupancy, UGA, roadway, critical-area, removal and permit-exemption conditions.
- Pierce County Temporary Use Affidavit
Current application states 120 cumulative days, sanitation, drinking water, approved dates and disconnection requirements.
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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