RV parking rules in Salem

Salem RV parking at a glance

Which recreational vehicle definition must be checked?

Salem’s definition has two paragraphs. Paragraph A describes camping-trailer and boat/trailer equipment with size conditions; paragraph B separately describes a single-chassis unit of no more than 400 square feet designed for temporary living and self propulsion or permanent towing by a light-duty truck. Do not turn paragraph A’s 36-foot camping-trailer language into a universal motorhome limit. Resolve the actual classification with the Town.

How many units and whose RV may be stored?

Section 490-807 allows one recreational vehicle, without occupation, in the Residential, Rural and Recreational Districts. The RV must be owned by the resident on whose property it is parked for storage. Count the entire property; a visitor’s RV does not satisfy the resident-ownership condition by being unoccupied.

Can the RV use a side or rear yard?

Yes, under this clause, if it conforms to the lot-line setbacks of the applicable district. A fence or planted screen is not the legal lot line. An enclosed structure is another route only if the structure otherwise conforms to the district’s zoning requirements.

When may the driveway fallback be used?

A driveway is allowed only if side/rear space is unavailable or there is no reasonable access to it. No part of the RV may be closer than five feet to the street line, and the vehicle must be perpendicular to that line. The street line is a legal boundary, not necessarily the curb or pavement edge.

May someone sleep in it or use it as a storage room?

This parking provision expressly excludes occupation and dwelling use. It also prohibits storing goods, material or equipment except items that are part of the RV or essential to its immediate use. Guest sleeping and an unrelated goods container cannot be treated as ordinary vehicle storage.

What does this source review leave to the Town?

The official municipal file serves a 150-page Chapter 490 compilation containing 2025 amendments; it does not state a 2026 certification date. The complete RV definition and storage clause were read, but later enactments, current district maps and issued approvals still need confirmation. Public-street parking and utility connections are outside this private-lot route.

Who to contact for your setup

For the district, RV classification and driveway-fallback question, contact Salem Planning Division at 603-890-2080. Send the address, resident-ownership facts, all stored RVs and a sketch showing side/rear space and access, the full unit and the legal street line. Ask the Town to identify the applicable district and current placement requirements. Contacting Planning is not approval of the fallback, sleeping or a public-street alternative.

Ask the governing municipality about the exact address, vehicle, location, intended activity, prior use and any issued approval. Keep the written answer with its conditions.

Use the Salem 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

• Salem §490-807 — residential-lot RV placement

  Complete §490-807(A)–(E) read on printed page 131 of the official 150-page compilation. One RV, no occupation; enclosed/side/rear routes and restricted driveway fallback differ. Clause carries 1983 adoption history.

• Salem §490-107 — two-part recreational vehicle definition

  Both A and B definition paragraphs read. A includes camping-trailer/boat size language; B separately covers the single-chassis, at-most-400-square-foot temporary-living class. Do not collapse these into one universal 36-foot rule.

• Salem Chapter 490 — current municipal-served compilation and effect clause

  Official municipal-hosted compilation read; §490-101 says amendments take effect immediately on passage. The file includes August 29, 2025 amendment history but no 2026 edition statement; later enactments/district status need current municipal confirmation.

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.