Jurisdiction and research scope
Unincorporated San Diego County only, excluding incorporated cities, regulated parks and other exempt special locations. Full current official regulatory and zoning text reviewed October 21, 2026, including the February 2026 healthcare amendment. Ordinary home-storage limits described here apply to storage begun after March 19, 1993; older claimed rights need individual review.
Research by Can I Park My RV?Official county sources; access limits shown belowEditorial standard
Unincorporated San Diego County RV parking at a glance
| Location or use | What to check |
|---|---|
| Driveway storage | Ordinary post-1993 home storage: one coach, at most 40 by 8 feet, with the coach owner occupying the lawful dwelling. |
| Yard storage | Enclosed-building storage is a separate route; zoning and exact site conditions still apply. |
| Street parking | More than 72 consecutive hours prohibited; a qualifying move is at least half a mile. |
| Loading | The narrow 48-hour storage utility exception covers eligible maintenance, repair or travel servicing, not habitation. |
| Guest sleeping | Visiting relatives: up to 30 calendar days per year, qualifying resident host, zoning authorization and valid PDS installation permit. |
Does this apply in the City of San Diego?
No. This guide covers unincorporated County territory. A postal address may name an incorporated city even when the parcel is outside that city. Confirm the governing boundary and parcel zoning first; City of San Diego rules are a separate guide.
What is the ordinary home-storage allowance?
Section 52.206 permits storage on a lot with a lawfully established and maintained dwelling occupied by the owner of the stored coach. For storage begun after March 19, 1993, the allowance is one coach, at most 8 feet wide and 40 feet long. Inoperative, dismantled, wrecked, vandalized, fire-hazard or other listed nuisance conditions do not qualify.
Is enclosed-building storage different?
The section separately identifies storage within an enclosed building. Its dwelling-lot count and dimension wording should not automatically be transferred to that separate route. Building, zoning, placement and all other applicable requirements still need to be satisfied.
Can a stored RV be connected to utilities?
Stored coaches ordinarily must have water, gas, electricity and sewer disconnected. The chapter describes a 48-hour exception for maintenance, repair or servicing before or after travel. That exception does not authorize occupancy or establish that an installation or permanent connection is lawful.
Can a visiting relative stay in the RV?
Zoning section 6118 allows a temporary visiting-relative route for up to 30 calendar days per calendar year when the host owns or leases the land and occupies its permanent dwelling. Section 52.207 additionally requires zoning authorization and a valid unexpired PDS installation permit. An invitation alone is insufficient.
What must an occupied-use permit cover?
The coach must follow the approved plot plan and applicable state standards. DEHQ-approved sanitation must remain available, water approval applies when required, permanent utility connections are prohibited, and accessory structures are restricted. PDS may impose additional public-health and safety conditions. The checker requires confirmation of those actual conditions.
Are healthcare and home-construction stays possible?
Current section 6118 has separate routes for qualifying healthcare, active construction of a first permanent home, certain security uses and declared-disaster recovery. The healthcare text was amended in February 2026 and includes a maximum 800-square-foot unit, physician certification and time-limited approvals. These are individual permit routes; ordinary storage cannot substitute for them.
Does moving around the block reset street storage?
Section 72.122 prohibits more than 72 consecutive hours on a street or alley. A vehicle counts as continuously parked unless moved at least half a mile from its original location within the preceding 72 hours. This general storage limit does not grant RV parking or sleeping permission for a shorter period.
Who to contact for your setup
For unincorporated-county zoning, setbacks and a proposed RV location or use, contact Planning & Development Services (PDS) Zoning at 858-694-8985 or PDSzoningpermitcounter@sdcounty.ca.gov. The County’s Zoning Information Request form asks for an assessor’s parcel number (APN), your question, name and email. Its jurisdiction lookup instructions help distinguish unincorporated land from an incorporated city.
For installation-permit routing and building or utility work, contact PDS Building Services at 858-565-5920. For code-compliance questions, the same directory lists 858-694-2705. Supply the address/APN, vehicle class and dimensions, planned placement, activity and dates. Ask which zoning authorization and installation-permit conditions apply; an inquiry or submitted form is not an issued permit or permission to occupy the RV.
These contact and inquiry routes were checked . No form was submitted; the October 21 legal review remains separate.
Use the Unincorporated San Diego County parking checker to organize the starting conditions. The checker cannot approve a parcel, a variance or an unverified exception.
Official sources reviewed October 21, 2026
- County §52.206 trailer-coach storage
Full current official 2026 S 141 section read: enclosed-building route or lawfully established dwelling occupied by coach owner; post-March 19, 1993 home storage limited to one coach, 8 feet wide and 40 feet long. No stored occupancy; narrow 48-hour maintenance/service utility exception.
- County §§52.202–52.203 definition and scope
Trailer coach includes campers, camp trailers, housecars, RVs and travel trailers. Boats and ordinary utility trailers are not presumed to be coaches. Incorporated cities and separately regulated parks are outside this ordinary home-storage route.
- County §52.207 installation permit
Use or occupancy needs zoning authorization and a valid unexpired PDS installation permit.
- County Zoning §6118 temporary dwelling use
Full current official text read. Visiting relatives: up to 30 calendar days per calendar year with host-owned/leased land and a permanent dwelling occupied by the host. Healthcare amendment 10974 adopted February 11, 2026; older proposals not substituted.
- County §52.210 mandatory permit conditions
Full official text read. Approved plot plan, DEHQ sanitary arrangements and water when required, no permanent utility connections, accessory restrictions and applicable state regulations remain conditions.
- County §52.211 additional conditions
Full official text read: PDS Director may impose additional public-health and safety conditions on the installation permit.
- County §72.122 street storage
More than 72 consecutive hours prohibited. A vehicle counts as continuously parked unless moved at least half a mile from the original location within the preceding 72 hours.
- County Planning and Development Services boundary help
County code enforcement applies in unincorporated territory; verify the parcel rather than relying on its postal city.
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 county determination may still be required. Read our research method.
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