Jurisdiction and research scope
Town of Richmond, Rhode Island only. This is a temporary residential-use route during casualty repair or new single-family construction, not ordinary driveway storage or visitor camping. Full Chapter 15.02, §18.36.030 and Chapter 18.44 read October 22, 2026 from the Town-linked ClerkBase code. Chapter 15.02 histories list 2018 and 2019 amendments; §18.36.030 lists May 21, 2024. The live publisher supplies no global through-date here, and later uncodified changes are not certified. The separate state casualty provision names mobile/manufactured homes; an RV is not automatically assigned that classification.
Research by Can I Park My RV?Official municipal sources; access limits shown belowEditorial standard
Richmond RV parking at a glance
| Location or use | What to check |
|---|---|
| Qualifying project / family | Same owner’s lot, immediate family, casualty repair/rebuild or new single-family construction. |
| Permit / maximum duration | Issued temporary permit; unit no longer than 12 months. |
| Permanent building permit | Obtain no later than 60 days after temporary-permit issuance. |
| Lot-line separation | At least 10 feet from every lot line. |
| Wastewater | Actual disposal must comply with RIDEM and RIDOH regulations. |
| Flood overlay | RV temporary residential use prohibited in the defined overlay. |
Which vehicles qualify for this temporary-residence route?
The Chapter 15.02 RV definition requires motorized, mounted or towed design; a toilet, tub or shower, sleeping and cooking facilities; separate blackwater, graywater and drinking-water tanks; applicable ANSI and NFPA manufacturing compliance; and temporary recreational-living design. A basic camping unit that lacks these features is not silently included. Mobile/manufactured homes have a separate definition.
Which family and construction circumstances are covered?
Section 15.02.020 covers an uninhabitable single-family dwelling after casualty such as fire or flood, or an owner constructing a new single-family dwelling. The RV must be on the same owner’s lot for immediate-family temporary residential use while the permanent project proceeds. Section 18.36.030 makes that Chapter 15.02 route an exception to the ordinary one-principal-residence limit. It is not an ordinary visitor-camping or rental permission.
Which permits and clocks apply?
A temporary residence requires a Department of Building and Zoning permit, applied for to the Town Planner as administrative officer. The permanent residence’s construction or repair building permit must be obtained no later than sixty days after temporary-permit issuance. The unit may remain no longer than twelve months, and project completion can end the qualifying circumstance earlier. The separate fourteen-day installation-permit rule names mobile/manufactured homes and is not automatically imposed on RVs.
How much lot-line clearance is required?
Section 15.02.060 requires the RV to be at least ten feet from every lot line. Exactly ten feet meets that numerical minimum; a single side under ten feet fails it. Verify the whole unit and site boundary. This temporary-use separation is not a generic setback for every unoccupied RV storage arrangement.
What does the wastewater rule require?
Wastewater from toilets, sinks, tubs and showers must be disposed of in compliance with Rhode Island environmental-management and health regulations. Confirm the actual approved disposal method and capacity. Holding tanks do not by themselves certify compliance, and this local disposal requirement does not independently approve sewer, water or electric connections.
Can an RV temporary residence be used in a flood area?
Section 15.02.070 prohibits RV temporary residences in the Chapter 18.44 Flood Hazard Overlay District. That overlay uses specified FEMA A, AE, AH, AO and A99 areas on April 3, 2020 mapping, incorporates subsequent amendments and is shown on the official zoning map in Town Clerk custody. Confirm the actual current boundary; a disaster-repair purpose does not remove the local RV exclusion.
How do the state rule and source edition affect this review?
The expressly January 1, 2026 effective version of R.I. Gen. Laws §45-24-37(c) names mobile/manufactured homes for former occupants after residential casualty, subject to its own time and permit conditions. It is not automatically a statewide RV permission. The Town currently links ClerkBase; the complete local provisions were read October 22, 2026, with individual histories through 2019 for Chapter 15.02 and May 21, 2024 for §18.36.030. No global current-through date or complete later-enactment certification is claimed. Ordinary parking, storage, guest sleeping outside this classified route, loading and repair remain separate.
Who to contact for your setup
Ask the governing local authority about the exact address, equipment, activity and current law. Bring measurements, dates, a site sketch and any issued approval; keep the written response.
Use the Richmond parking checker to organize the starting conditions. The checker cannot approve a parcel, a variance or an unverified exception.
Official sources reviewed October 22, 2026
- Richmond Chapter 15.02 — temporary residences and actual RV definition
Complete operative Chapter 15.02 read, including all definitions, eligibility, permits, 12-month/60-day clocks, wastewater, 10-foot lot-line rule and flood-overlay exclusion. Individual histories show 2018/2019 amendments; no global current-through date is represented.
- Richmond §18.36.030 — zoning cross-reference for temporary residences
Complete operative §18.36.030 and adjoining §18.36.010 read. The same-lot exception to one principal residence requires Chapter 15.02 compliance; §18.36.030 last lists May 21, 2024.
- Richmond Chapter 18.44 — flood-hazard overlay scope
Full Chapter 18.44 read. Overlay includes the listed FEMA A, AE, AH, AO and A99 areas on April 3, 2020 FIRM panels and subsequent amendments; official zoning map is in Town Clerk custody. Other law remains applicable.
- Richmond official Town Ordinances portal
Official Town URL currently redirects to the Richmond ClerkBase code/meeting portal. It establishes the municipal source link, not a universal code-edition certification.
- Rhode Island §45-24-37(c), effective January 1, 2026 version
Read the expressly January 1, 2026 effective version, including complete operative subsection (c). It names mobile/manufactured homes and former occupants after residential casualty, with a 12-month/restoration endpoint and timely repair-permit application. It is not generalized to every RV. Earlier short URL displayed an older consolidated history and is not used as the current-version representation.
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.
Was this guide helpful?
Anonymous feedback · How we use it