Jurisdiction and research scope
County-administered unincorporated Yakima County, Washington only; not the City of Yakima, Union Gap, Sunnyside, other municipalities or land outside county land-use jurisdiction, including where tribal jurisdiction applies. Current YCC 19.18.480 and 19.18.130 read November 6, 2026. The construction route is distinct from caregiver housing and RV-park regulations. Confirm later uncodified changes and permit-specific conditions.
Research by Can I Park My RV?Official municipal sources; access limits shown belowEditorial standard
Yakima County RV parking at a glance
| Location or use | What to check |
|---|---|
| Driveway / yard | Construction RV housing requires a temporary-use permit and active residential building permit on the same lot. Same ownership, self-contained RV, retained wheels and no prohibited exterior additions; construction route requires no permanent residence yet on the lot. |
| Street / loading | Private construction housing does not authorize public-street parking or camping. No independent extended loading allowance is established. |
| Sleeping / utilities | Temporary construction housing: at most three years and removal within 30 days after home occupancy. Self-contained unit required; obtain county and health approval for sanitation and all connections. |
Construction housing requires a permit
The Building Official may permit temporary RV housing while a permanent dwelling is built on the same lot. The owner must have an active residential building permit. The temporary use cannot exceed three years and must be removed from the property within 30 days of occupancy of the permanent dwelling. An application is not an issued temporary-use permit.
Ownership and physical conditions
The temporary-use standards require the RV and lot to have the same owner and the RV to be independent and self-contained. They say there may be no permanent residential unit on the lot. Keep wheels and tires installed. No decks, porches, outdoor storage, skirting or other exterior additions may be attached or erected on the camping space, except the RV’s designed, permanently attached awning.
Storage, guests and caregiver housing
Ordinary accessory RV parking or approved accessory storage is excepted from the separate campground approval section, but must still satisfy underlying land-use requirements. The caregiver provision describes up to six months beside an existing home for a terminally ill relative in documented hospice care; the same section’s no-permanent-home condition creates an issue the county must resolve for that route. Do not turn the separate 30-day single-RV park exception into automatic camping permission or apply the park’s 180-day rule to a backyard.
Who to contact for your setup
Ask Yakima 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 Yakima 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
- Yakima County Code 19.18, temporary uses and RV parks
19.18.480 construction and caregiver permits, ownership, self-contained unit and physical conditions; 19.18.130 storage and park exceptions.
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.
Was this guide helpful?
Anonymous feedback · How we use it