Almost every buyer who calls me about a trailer, a boat or a fifth wheel asks the same question in the same nervous way: can I keep it at the house? The answer depends on which city you land in, and the three cities most of my clients choose between handle it very differently. St. George regulates the surface you park on. Washington City regulates the front yard. Hurricane bans it from the street entirely, at any hour with no grace period, then turns around and says plainly that storing it on your own property is fine. Three different philosophies inside a twenty minute drive, and buying into the wrong one with a 38 foot toy hauler is an expensive thing to discover after closing.
What each city's code actually says
St. George handles residential parking at zoning code section 10-19-4(A)(6). The current text prohibits parking vehicles on front lawns, sidewalks, required landscape area, front setbacks and street-side setbacks, then adds that parking is permitted in the front setback on an approved paved surface, and in the side front setback area on gravel. The rule is about surface, not about time. The section was last amended by Ordinance 2025-060 on August 7, 2025, and the code is current through Ordinance 2026-033. The widely repeated "two weeks in the front yard" line does not appear in the current text of that section, so if someone quotes it at you, ask them which subsection it lives in.
Washington City regulates location instead of surface. Section 9-14-17 says the front yard of any residential lot shall not be used for the location of any building or long term parking area for any vehicle, naming boats, recreational vehicles, snowmobiles, jet skis and motorcycles specifically. That language dates to Ordinance 89-5 in 1989 and the code is current through the 2026 S-22 supplement. Worth knowing before you lean on it: the section never defines "long term." That ambiguity cuts both ways, and it means your enforcement conversation is with a code officer rather than with a stopwatch.
Hurricane is the strictest about the street and the most relaxed about your lot. Section 6-1-6 makes it a violation to leave any recreational vehicle, off highway vehicle, unmounted camper, boat, utility trailer or any other type of trailer parked, stored, abandoned or otherwise left on any public street, alley, sidewalk, park strip or right-of-way at any time. No 48 hour window, no overnight exception. Then section 10-43-3(D)(3) says the storage rules "shall not be construed to prohibit the storage of an unoccupied recreational vehicle on the property of the vehicle's owner." Hurricane's code is codified through Ordinance 2026-14, enacted June 4, 2026.
The street rules are where people actually get cited
Most complaints I hear about are not front yards, they are trailers left at the curb. Each city sets its own clock, and I pulled all of this from the cities' own published codes rather than the advice circulating in Facebook groups.
| City | On the street | On your own lot | Section |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. George | 96 consecutive hours maximum for any vehicle or trailer | Allowed in the front setback on an approved paved surface; gravel allowed in the side front setback | 6-2-6 and 10-19-4(A)(6) |
| Washington City | 48 consecutive hours maximum; moving to the same block face inside 24 hours does not reset the clock | No long term parking in the front yard of a residential lot | 5-2-3(I), 5-2-3(L) and 9-14-17 |
| Hurricane | Prohibited at any time on any street, alley, sidewalk, park strip or right-of-way | Storage of an unoccupied RV on the owner's property is expressly not prohibited | 6-1-6 and 10-43-3(D)(3) |
The Washington City detail in that middle row catches people. Section 5-2-3(L)(3) says a vehicle moved and re-parked on the same block face within 24 hours counts as parked continuously, so nudging the trailer forward every other day does not work there. And 5-2-3(L)(4) explicitly includes trailers, campers and park model recreational vehicles, so there is no arguing a boat trailer is not covered.
Can guests sleep in the RV in your driveway?
This comes up constantly with families hosting relatives for a few weeks in the spring. Hurricane is the only one of the three with a clean published answer, and it is generous. Section 10-43-3(C)(3) says the occupancy restrictions do not prohibit a visitor occupying a recreational vehicle at a single-family residential lot improved with one single-family residence, for a time not exceeding two weeks, fourteen days, in any 90 day period. I have had that number decide which side of the Virgin River a family bought on. Do not confuse it with section 10-43-3(E), which allows temporary parking of an unoccupied RV for up to 48 hours: the 14 day rule is about a guest living in it, the 48 hour rule is about parking one somewhere it does not belong.
The rule that overrides all of this
Your HOA can be stricter than your city, and in most newer Southern Utah subdivisions it is. City code sets a floor, not a ceiling. I have walked buyers through Hurricane neighborhoods where the city would happily let you store a fifth wheel beside the house and the CC&Rs forbid anything visible above the fence line for more than 24 hours. Those covenants are private recorded documents, they vary lot by lot, and no city office can tell you what yours says.
So read the CC&Rs during your due diligence period, not after, and measure the side yard gate opening and the setback before you fall in love with the house, because a 96 inch wide trailer does not fit through a 92 inch gate no matter what the code allows. If the toys are non-negotiable, look at an RV garage rather than fighting a covenant for a decade: I wrote up what RV garage homes cost in Washington County and where they cluster and a companion checklist of what to measure before you buy one. Still choosing between cities? Start with what is on the market in St. George and how the Hurricane Valley differs, then check current numbers on the St. George market summary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park my RV in my driveway in St. George, Utah?
St. George City Code 10-19-4(A)(6) permits parking in the front setback on an approved paved surface, and prohibits parking on front lawns, sidewalks and required landscape areas. The section sets a surface standard, not a time limit. It was last amended by Ordinance 2025-060 on August 7, 2025. Your HOA covenants can still be stricter than the city, and usually are.
How long can an RV be parked on the street in Washington City?
Washington City Code 5-2-3(I) limits any vehicle to 48 consecutive hours on a street or alley, and 5-2-3(L)(4) defines "vehicle" to include trailers, campers and park model recreational vehicles. Section 5-2-3(L)(3) adds that re-parking on the same block face within 24 hours counts as continuous parking, so repositioning does not restart the clock.
Does Hurricane, Utah allow RV parking on the street?
No. Hurricane City Code 6-1-6 makes it a violation to leave a recreational vehicle, boat, camper, utility trailer or any other trailer parked, stored or otherwise left on any public street, alley, sidewalk, park strip or right-of-way at any time, with no overnight exception. Storing an unoccupied RV on your own property is expressly not prohibited under section 10-43-3(D)(3).
Can someone live in an RV parked at my house in Southern Utah?
In Hurricane, yes, within limits: section 10-43-3(C)(3) allows a visitor to occupy a recreational vehicle at a single-family residential lot with one single-family residence for up to two weeks, fourteen days, in any 90 day period. St. George and Washington City handle temporary occupancy differently, so call the city before counting on it. HOA covenants frequently prohibit RV occupancy outright.
Thinking about a move with the toys in tow?
Thirteen years and 275 plus closings here have mostly taught me to bring a tape measure. Tell me what you are hauling and I will tell you which neighborhoods work and which will make you miserable, before you write an offer. Call or text me at 435-200-5508, or send me a message here.
Code sections verified August 13, 2026: St. George current through Ordinance 2026-033, Washington City through the 2026 S-22 supplement, Hurricane through Ordinance 2026-14. Ordinances change, so confirm with the city before relying on this for a purchase decision.