Jurisdiction and research scope
Unincorporated Santa Cruz County, Arizona only; not Nogales or Patagonia, tribal land, public campgrounds, or Santa Cruz County in California. Current Community Development-linked code incorporating December 17, 2025 Ordinance 2025-04; sections 1810–1813 read November 6, 2026.
Research by Can I Park My RV?Official municipal sources; access limits shown belowEditorial standard
Santa Cruz County RV parking at a glance
| Location or use | What to check |
|---|---|
| Driveway / yard | RV must remain in side/rear yards and not extend beyond the home’s front facade. Two maximum, one screened from public view, with required side/rear setbacks. |
| Street / loading | Private-lot rules do not determine public-street parking. No distinct loading exception is established by sections 1810–1813. |
| Sleeping / utilities | Issued temporary-use permit up to 30 days; construction route is separate. Confirm permit-specific sanitation and utility approvals; storage alone does not authorize hookups. |
Side and rear yard storage
Section 1813 permits no more than two RVs on a residential lot, provided one is screened from public view. Store them only in rear or side yards, not extending beyond the residence’s front facade, and maintain minimum side and rear setbacks. An ordinary front driveway is not automatically an approved location.
Thirty-day temporary residential permits
The code prohibits permanent residential use under the residential storage provision. A temporary use permit may authorize residential RV use for no more than 30 days, including use unrelated to building a home. Apply to the Zoning Inspector; an application or an unoccupied storage allowance is not permission to sleep in the RV.
Construction and other locations
A separate construction route in GR-40, GR and SR requires a permanent-home building permit and Environmental Health approval of sanitary waste disposal. The temporary permit lasts up to six months and may be extended with a matching six-month building permit extension; longer extensions require Board of Adjustments action. RV parks and nonresidential construction or special events have separate provisions. None of these authorizes parking or loading on a public road.
Who to contact for your setup
Ask Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz 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
- Santa Cruz County current Zoning and Development Code
Sections 1810–1813, not the older 2015 compilation.
- Santa Cruz County Community Development
Official current-code link.
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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