---
title: Courtenay RV, boat and trailer parking rules
question: "Can I park an RV, boat, or trailer on the street or in my yard in Courtenay?"
place: Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/courtenay
category: Parking, tickets and driving
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Courtenay
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/rv-boat-trailer-parking/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/rv-boat-trailer-parking.json"
---

# Courtenay RV, boat and trailer parking rules

**Question:** Can I park an RV, boat, or trailer on the street or in my yard in Courtenay?

**Short answer:** In the City of Courtenay, no commercial vehicle, boat, trailer, camper or motor home may be parked on a street between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., and no motor vehicle, trailer or boat may stay in one spot on a street over 24 continuous hours. On residential lots, recreational boats, trailers and RVs for personal use may be parked or stored.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Courtenay, https://www.courtenay.ca)  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Enforcement, 250-334-4441 ext. 5 (Seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.)
- Email: Bylaw Enforcement, bylaw@courtenay.ca

## Key facts

- **On the street:** No commercial vehicle, boat, trailer, camper or motor home may be parked on any street between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. No motor vehicle, trailer or boat may stay at one spot on a street for more than 24 continuous hours.
  - Source: [Traffic Regulation Bylaw No. 1926 (consolidated), s. 53, s. 54](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/traffic-regulations-bylaw-no-1926-consolidated-version)
  - Official wording: "No person shall leave or park any motor vehicle, trailer or boat at any one location on any highway within the City for any continuous period exceeding 24 hours." … "No commercial vehicle, boat, trailer, camper or motor home shall be parked or left standing on any highway within the City after 7:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m. of any day."
  - Source: [Parking and traffic, What you need to know](https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/parking)
  - Official wording: "Do not park commercial vehicles, boats, trailers, campers or motor homes on City highways between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **On your property:** On residential and mobile home zoned lots, recreational boats, trailers and recreational vehicles for the occupants' personal use may be parked or stored, plus one commercial vehicle up to 907 kg rated capacity. Vehicles unlicensed for over a year and not in a garage or carport count as derelict.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 3203 (consolidated July 21, 2026), s. 6.10.2, 6.10.3](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3203-consolidated-july-21-2026-1)
  - Official wording: "Only the following shall be parked or stored, on any Residential or Mobile home zoned property:" … "one commercial vehicle not exceeding 907.0 kg rate capacity;" … "recreational boats, trailers, recreational vehicle, and vehicles for the personal use of the occupants of the property." … "which has not been licenced for over a period of one (1) year and which is not housed"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Living in an RV:** An RV is not a dwelling unit. Temporary accommodation in an RV on a lot is permitted only while a home is being built under a building permit in good standing (no renting). Overnight parking is not allowed in City parks.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 3203 (consolidated July 21, 2026), s. 1 definition, s. 6.21.2](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3203-consolidated-july-21-2026-1)
  - Official wording: "Dwelling unit does not include hostels, hotels, motels, or" … "Temporary accommodation within a recreational vehicle is permitted during the construction of"
  - Source: [Parking and traffic, What you need to know](https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/parking)
  - Official wording: "No overnight parking in City parks."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Streets (ss. 53, 54): fine on conviction $90 minimum, $2,000 maximum; the bylaw's voluntary settlement is $25 within 14 days, $50 after, $90 after a summons. Bylaw 3185 lists no notice for these. Lots: "storage of unauthorized vehicles" $500 ($375 early) cites former Zoning Bylaw 2500 s. 6.11.3.
  - Source: [Traffic Regulation Bylaw No. 1926 (consolidated), s. 80, s. 81](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/traffic-regulations-bylaw-no-1926-consolidated-version)
  - Official wording: "is liable to a fine of not more than $2,000.00" … "47, 48, 49, 53, 54" … "may avoid further enforcement action by" … "If Paid in the First"
  - Source: [Municipal Enforcement Bylaw No. 3185, Appendix A, Zoning Bylaw No. 2500](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/3185-municipal-enforcement-bylaw-no-3185pdf)
  - Official wording: "Storage of unauthorized vehicles 6.11.3 $500.00 $375.00 $500.00 Yes"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Traffic Regulation Bylaw No. 1926 (ss. 53-54) and Zoning Bylaw No. 3203, 2026 (s. 6.10.3)
  - Source: [Municipal Enforcement Bylaw No. 3185, Appendix A](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/3185-municipal-enforcement-bylaw-no-3185pdf)
  - Official wording: "TRAFFIC REGULATION BYLAW No. 1926, 1996"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 3203 (consolidated July 21, 2026), s. 1 (citation)](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3203-consolidated-july-21-2026-1)
  - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw No. 3203, 2026"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Two sets of rules apply. On streets, [Traffic Regulation Bylaw 1926](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/traffic-regulations-bylaw-no-1926-consolidated-version) limits when and how long vehicles can stay. On your own lot, [Zoning Bylaw 3203](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3203-consolidated-july-21-2026-1) decides what you may park or store.

## Good to know

- Streets: no commercial vehicle, boat, trailer, camper or motor home may be parked on any street between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.
- Streets: no motor vehicle, trailer or boat may stay at one spot for more than 24 continuous hours.
- Your lot: on residential and mobile home zoned lots, recreational boats, trailers and recreational vehicles for the occupants' personal use may be parked or stored, plus one commercial vehicle up to 907 kg rated capacity. A vehicle unlicensed for over a year and not in a garage or carport counts as derelict. I found no limit on number, size or location of RVs in the general rules, but zone rules vary.
- Living in an RV: an RV is not a dwelling unit. Temporary accommodation in an RV on a lot is permitted only while a home is being built under a building permit in good standing, with no renting. No rule on sleeping in an RV on a street was found beyond the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. ban. No overnight parking in City parks.
- Fines: for the street rules, the traffic bylaw sets a fine on conviction of $90 minimum and $2,000 maximum, with a voluntary settlement of $25 within 14 days, $50 after, or $90 after a summons. For lots, the City's ticket schedule lists "storage of unauthorized vehicles" at $500 ($375 if paid early), though it still cites the old zoning bylaw.

## Official forms and pages

- [Parking and traffic, City of Courtenay](https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/parking)
- [Traffic Regulation Bylaw 1926 (consolidated PDF)](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/traffic-regulations-bylaw-no-1926-consolidated-version)
- [Zoning Bylaw 3203 (consolidated PDF)](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3203-consolidated-july-21-2026-1)

## Related questions

- [Courtenay zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/zoning-lookup.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [RV, boat and trailer parking rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md)
- [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md)
- [Powell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/powell-river/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md)
- [Port Alberni](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md)
- [Qualicum Beach](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/qualicum-beach/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md)

## Sources

- [Parking and traffic, City of Courtenay](https://www.courtenay.ca/services/bylaws/parking) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Traffic Regulation Bylaw No. 1926 (consolidated) (PDF)](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/traffic-regulations-bylaw-no-1926-consolidated-version) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 3203 (consolidated July 21, 2026) (PDF)](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-3203-consolidated-july-21-2026-1) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Municipal Enforcement Bylaw No. 3185 (PDF)](https://www.courtenay.ca/media/file/3185-municipal-enforcement-bylaw-no-3185pdf) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Courtenay. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/rv-boat-trailer-parking/_