--- title: Fort St James RV, boat and trailer parking rules question: "Can I park an RV, boat, or trailer on the street or in my yard in Fort St James?" place: Fort St James, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/fort-st-james category: Parking, tickets and driving owner: municipal owner_body: District of Fort St James sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/rv-boat-trailer-parking/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/rv-boat-trailer-parking.json" --- # Fort St James RV, boat and trailer parking rules **Question:** Can I park an RV, boat, or trailer on the street or in my yard in Fort St James? **Short answer:** In Fort St James, a vehicle may not stay parked on a highway over 48 hours. On a residential lot, one boat and one trailer or motor home may be parked or stored in the open, only at a lot with a finished house, and not lived in. **Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Fort St James, https://www.fortstjames.ca) **Cost:** Parking on a highway over 48 hours: $25 first offence, $50 subsequent. Living quarters on a street: $50. **How long:** Not applicable. **Where:** - In person: Municipal Hall, 477 Stuart Drive West, Fort St. James, BC V0J 1P0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) - Phone: District Office, 250-996-8233 ## Key facts - **On the street:** Parking on a highway over 48 hours without moving, an unattached trailer on a highway without a written permit, and a commercial trailer attached over 2 consecutive hours are offences. Commercial vehicles over 20,000 kg or 12.5 m may not park on District roads except provincial highways or roads beside commercial or industrial parcels. - Source: [Traffic and Parking Amendment Bylaw No. 925, 2013, Sched. A](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-01/925%20traffic%20amend%202.pdf) - Official wording: "Park a vehicle upon any highway" … "exceeding 48 hours without moving" … "Park or place unattached trailer on" … "highway without permit" - Source: [Traffic and Parking Amendment Bylaw No. 917, s. 5.3 (as replaced)](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-01/917%20Traffic%20amend_Website.pdf) - Official wording: "shall place or park" … "such trailer on any highway if such trailer is not attached to a vehicle" … "without first" … "obtaining a written permit from the Public Works Superintendent or" … "for more than two consecutive hours" - Source: [Traffic and Parking Amendment Bylaw No. 970, 2017, Bylaw 970, s. 2.1 (2.35), 2.2 (5.1(r))](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/970%20Traffic%20and%20Parking%20Amnd%20Bylaw%202017.pdf) - Official wording: "means a Commercial Vehicle having a Gross" … "Park an Oversized Vehicle on any Highway within the District, except" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **On your property:** In residential zones one boat or vessel and one trailer or motor home may be parked or stored in the open, only on a lot with a finished principal residential building, and not used as a residence. Also one truck or commercial vehicle. - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025, Division 3.14](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf) - Official wording: "No commercial vehicles, truck, bus, contractor's equipment, dismantled or wrecked" … "one boat or vessel; and" … "one trailer or motor home." … "may only be parked or stored on lots which have a finished" … "principal building intended for residential use." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Living in an RV:** Not on streets, District parking areas or other public places (outside designated camping or resting areas). On a residential lot, not allowed except one trailer or motor home lived in for up to six months while a house is being built, kept outside the minimum setback. - Source: [Traffic and Parking Amendment Bylaw No. 917, s. 5.1(n) (as replaced)](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-01/917%20Traffic%20amend_Website.pdf) - Official wording: "occupy a vehicle as living quarters while it is parked upon any highway or" … "District-owned parking area or in any other public place, excluding" … "designated camping or resting areas;" - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025, Division 3.14.b-c](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf) - Official wording: "These vehicles must not be used as" … "residences." … "resided in for up to six months during construction of" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Fine:** Park on a highway over 48 hours: $25 first offence, $50 subsequent. Use a vehicle as living quarters on a street: $50 (both). Unattached trailer on a highway without a permit, or commercial trailer attached over 2 hours: $50 first, $100 subsequent. Illegal overnight camping: $100 first, $200 subsequent. - Source: [Traffic and Parking Amendment Bylaw No. 925, 2013, Sched. A](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-01/925%20traffic%20amend%202.pdf) - Official wording: "Use vehicle as living quarters" … "Illegal overnight camping" … "Park a commercial trailer attached to" … "$100.00" … "$200.00" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Bylaw:** Traffic and Parking Regulation Bylaw No. 839, 2007 (as amended by Nos. 917, 925 and 970); Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025, Division 3.14 - Source: [Traffic and Parking Amendment Bylaw No. 925, 2013, s. 2](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-01/925%20traffic%20amend%202.pdf) - Official wording: "District of Fort St. James Traffic and Parking Regulation Bylaw No. 839, 2007 is" … "amended as follows:" - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025, Cover](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf) - Official wording: "DISTRICT OF FORT ST. JAMES ZONING BYLAW No. 1101, 2025" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## On the street Fort St James's traffic rules sit in Traffic and Parking Regulation Bylaw No. 839, 2007, as amended by [Bylaw 917](), [Bylaw 925]() and [Bylaw 970](). Parking on a highway over 48 hours without moving is an offence. So is an unattached trailer on a highway without a written permit, or a commercial trailer attached over 2 consecutive hours. Commercial vehicles over 20,000 kg or 12.5 m may not park on District roads, except provincial highways or roads beside commercial or industrial parcels. Boats and RVs are not named in the amending bylaws read, and the base bylaw could not be read. Living in a vehicle is not allowed on streets, District parking areas or other public places, outside designated camping or resting areas. ## In your yard Under the [Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025](), in residential zones one boat or vessel and one trailer or motor home may be parked or stored in the open. This is allowed only on a lot with a finished principal residential building, and it may not be used as a residence. One truck or commercial vehicle is also allowed. ## Good to know - While a house is being built, one trailer or motor home may be lived in on the lot for up to six months, outside the minimum setback. Otherwise living in one on a residential lot is not allowed. - Size limits and setback rules for stored boats and RVs were not found. Ask the District Office at 250-996-8233. - Fines: over 48 hours on a highway is $25 for a first offence and $50 for later ones. Living quarters on a street is $50. Unattached trailer without a permit, or commercial trailer attached over 2 hours, is $50 first and $100 subsequent. Illegal overnight camping is $100 first and $200 subsequent. ## Official forms and pages - [Traffic and Parking Amendment Bylaw No. 925, 2013 (PDF), District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-01/925%20traffic%20amend%202.pdf) - [Traffic and Parking Amendment Bylaw No. 917 (PDF), District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-01/917%20Traffic%20amend_Website.pdf) - [Traffic and Parking Amendment Bylaw No. 970, 2017 (PDF), District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/970%20Traffic%20and%20Parking%20Amnd%20Bylaw%202017.pdf) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf) ## Related questions - [Fort St James noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/noise-rules.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) - [Vanderhoof](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) - [Fraser Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fraser-lake/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) - [Prince George](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-george/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) - [Mackenzie](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) - [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) - [Houston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) ## Sources - [Traffic and Parking Amendment Bylaw No. 925, 2013 (PDF), District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-01/925%20traffic%20amend%202.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Traffic and Parking Amendment Bylaw No. 917 (PDF), District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2025-01/917%20Traffic%20amend_Website.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Traffic and Parking Amendment Bylaw No. 970, 2017 (PDF), District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/970%20Traffic%20and%20Parking%20Amnd%20Bylaw%202017.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Contact Us, District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/contact-us) (read 2026-11-08) _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 District of Fort St James. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/rv-boat-trailer-parking/_