Jurisdiction and research scope
City of Richland, Washington, reviewed October 20, 2026. West Richland and unincorporated Benton County are separate. Ordinary home/street routes are distinct from parks, events, retail and separately approved temporary residences.
Research by Can I Park My RV?Official municipal sources; access limits shown belowEditorial standard
Richland RV parking at a glance
| Location or use | What to check |
|---|---|
| Street | No ordinary storage beyond five consecutive days; signs/access restrictions still apply. |
| Driveway | Private storage at least 10 feet from any roadway/alley; chapter 10.06 vehicle condition applies. |
| Yard | Same private-storage setback; a rear alley counts as well as the front roadway. |
| Loading | No general loading exception to the storage and clearance rules is assumed. |
| Sleeping | Residential temporary RV occupancy up to 14 days per stay and 28 property-wide days per calendar year. |
| Permit | Eligible registered-owner street permit up to 14 days, twice in a 12-month period, displayed visibly. |
How long can an RV stay on a Richland street?
Chapter 11.33 defines storage as parking or placing the listed vehicles/equipment for more than five consecutive days. Ordinary storage on public streets, roads, highways and sidewalks is prohibited. The list includes boats, pickup campers, motorhomes, travel/fifth-wheel trailers, utility trailers, snowmobiles and vehicles exceeding 12,000 pounds gross weight.
Five days is a storage threshold, not a waiver of signs, state parking rules or access restrictions. Public parks and municipal lots have a separate no-overnight rule, subject to the specific marina/boat-trailer and approved-event provisions.
Can I obtain a longer street permit?
RMC 11.33.050 lets the registered owner of a pickup camper, motorhome or recreational travel trailer obtain a free Parks and Recreation permit for 14 days on a public roadway or alley. At most two permits may be issued to that owner within a 12-month period. Include a December permit when checking a January application; this is not simply two per calendar year.
The permit identifies the vehicle and valid dates and must be visibly displayed in the lower-right windshield corner or another easily visible window. A boat or cargo/utility trailer does not become eligible merely because the rule covers its ordinary five-day street parking. Obtain any programmed-event exception directly from the director.
What clearances apply on the road?
RMC 11.33.030 prohibits these vehicles on a roadway or alley within 10 feet of any driveway or 15 feet of an intersection. Measure the nearest part of the unit. A permit does not remove those limits.
Other state-law restrictions, including crosswalk, hydrant, sign and obstruction requirements, may require more space. Confirm the actual location before relying on the local 10/15-foot checks.
Can I store an RV on private property?
The second paragraph of RMC 11.33.020 expressly permits private-property storage if the vehicle/equipment is set back 10 feet from any roadway or alley and complies with chapter 10.06 concerning inoperable and junk vehicles. The opening residential-district restriction is not presented here as an absolute ban that erases this private-property condition.
The chapter defines storage using more than five consecutive days. A shorter private parking stop is still subject to lawful footprint, access and applicable site rules. A carport, fence or improved pad does not by itself establish every zoning or vehicle-condition approval.
May guests sleep in an RV at a Richland home?
RMC 23.38.120 allows temporary RV occupancy on residentially zoned property for up to 14 days, and caps temporary occupancy at that property at 28 total days during a calendar year. Count the property’s visits and units together. The annual total does not permit a single uninterrupted stay longer than 14 days.
Continuous living outside a legally established RV park/campground is restricted; separately permitted temporary residences have their own zoning and approval requirements. The section also has distinct retail, seasonal-sale and park/event routes. None is turned into ordinary home hookup approval.
Which jurisdiction and version does this guide cover?
These answers cover Richland, not West Richland or unincorporated Benton County. Confirm municipal boundaries and residential zoning first.
Full current official eCode chapters were reviewed October 20, 2026. The listed adopted laws awaiting codification did not identify changes to these parking/occupancy chapters; they included shoreline, tax, a particular right-of-way abandonment and crime matters. Exact signs, a site-specific right-of-way change, approvals and private covenants still need address checks.
Who to contact for your setup
Use Richland Parks and Recreation for the registered-owner street permit and City Code Enforcement/Planning for the parcel, vehicle condition and temporary-occupancy history. Bring actual roadway/alley distances and the full 12-month permit history.
Use the Richland parking checker to organize the starting conditions. The checker cannot approve a parcel, a variance or an unverified exception.
Official sources reviewed October 20, 2026
- RMC chapter 11.33: storage, parking and permits
Full current official eCode text retrieved October 20, 2026; definitions and §§11.33.020, .030, .050. Private storage exception, five consecutive days and registered-owner permit conditions.
- RMC 11.33.020: private-property storage exception
The second paragraph permits private storage with a 10-foot roadway/alley setback and chapter 10.06 compliance. First paragraph is not read as an absolute home-storage ban.
- RMC 23.38.120: temporary RV occupancy
Full current official eCode text retrieved October 20, 2026. Residential stay up to 14 days; property-wide 28 days per calendar year; other facility/commercial routes separate.
- Richland adopted laws awaiting codification
October 20, 2026 check: listed new laws concern shoreline management, utility occupation tax, one ROW abandonment and crimes against persons, rather than chapters 11.33 or 23.38.
- City of Richland Code Enforcement
Current City guidance confirms boats, campers, motorhomes and utility trailers cannot remain on public streets more than five days.
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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