--- title: Lake Cowichan RV, boat and trailer parking rules question: "Can I park an RV, boat, or trailer on the street or in my yard in Lake Cowichan?" place: Lake Cowichan, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/lake-cowichan category: Parking, tickets and driving owner: municipal owner_body: Town of Lake Cowichan sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/rv-boat-trailer-parking/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/rv-boat-trailer-parking.json" --- # Lake Cowichan RV, boat and trailer parking rules **Question:** Can I park an RV, boat, or trailer on the street or in my yard in Lake Cowichan? **Short answer:** In Lake Cowichan, no vehicle may stay parked on a street for more than 72 hours, and no unlicensed trailer or camper may be parked on public streets. On a residential lot, no more than four vehicles, trailers, RVs or boats may be outside a building. Living in an RV on a lot is not allowed. **Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Lake Cowichan, https://www.lakecowichan.ca) **Cost:** Traffic Bylaw: fine up to $500 on conviction. No parking ticket amounts found. **How long:** Not applicable. **Where:** - In person: Town Hall, 39 South Shore Road, Lake Cowichan, BC V0R 2G0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) - Phone: Town Hall (bylaw and animal control; leave a message), 250-749-6681 ## Key facts - **On the street:** No vehicle may be parked on a highway for more than 72 hours continuously. No unlicensed vehicle, trailer or camper may be parked on public streets or rights-of-way. In residential areas, no vehicle over 20,000 kg or longer than 7.5 m may park on a local street for more than 2 hours. Parking is also barred within 6 m of a crosswalk. - Source: [Traffic Bylaw No. 759-2003, s. 6.01(c), 6.07, 6.04](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/759-2003-Traffic.pdf) - Official wording: "no persons shall park a" … "vehicle on any highway for more than seventy-two (72) hours continuously." … "No person shall park an unlicensed vehicle, trailer or camper on public streets or" … "or a length in excess of 7.5 metres on a local street within a residential area for a" … "period longer than two (2) hours." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **On your property:** No lot may be used for parking or storing a trailer, RV, camper, boat or other vehicle unless a principal residential use is established on the lot. An improved residential lot may have no more than four motor vehicles, trailers, RVs, campers, boats or other vehicles in total unless completely enclosed in a building. - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (consolidated Feb. 26, 2024), Part IV, Vehicle Restrictions](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl//1055-2021%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20Consolidated%2026-02-24.pdf) - Official wording: "unless a principal residential use has been established" … "No improved residential lot shall be used for the parking or storage of more than a" … "total of four (4) motor vehicles, trailers, recreational vehicles, campers, boats, or other" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Living in an RV:** No on lots: living or sleeping in a trailer, RV, camper or other vehicle is prohibited on all lots in every zone, except where campground is a permitted or legal non-conforming use, or as the Zoning Bylaw specifically provides. The Traffic Bylaw says nothing on sleeping in a vehicle on a street. - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (consolidated Feb. 26, 2024), Part IV, Vehicle Restrictions](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl//1055-2021%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20Consolidated%2026-02-24.pdf) - Official wording: "Human habitation, occupancy, or residency in any trailer, recreational vehicle," … "camper, or other vehicle is prohibited on all lots in every zone, except in zones where" … "specifically provided for in this bylaw." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Fine:** Traffic Regulations Bylaw: a fine not exceeding $500 on summary conviction. No ticket schedule found for parking offences. - Source: [Traffic Bylaw No. 759-2003, s. 9.01](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/759-2003-Traffic.pdf) - Official wording: "commits an offence and is liable on" … "conviction to a fine not exceeding Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00)." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Bylaw:** Town of Lake Cowichan Traffic Bylaw No. 759-2003; Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (Vehicle Restrictions). - Source: [Traffic Bylaw No. 759-2003, s. 9.03](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/759-2003-Traffic.pdf) - Official wording: "This bylaw may be cited as the Town of Lake Cowichan Traffic Bylaw No." - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (consolidated Feb. 26, 2024), Part IV](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl//1055-2021%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20Consolidated%2026-02-24.pdf) - Official wording: "right-of-way of a major highway designated in the aforementioned Article 4.3.15 a. Vehicle Restrictions No lot in any zone shall be used for the wrecking or storage of derelict vehicles or" … "TOWN OF LAKE COWICHAN ZONING BYLAW NO. 1055-2021 Consolidated as of February 24th, 2026" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## How it works On streets, the [Traffic Bylaw No. 759-2003]() applies. On private lots, the Vehicle Restrictions in the [Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021]() apply. In the Traffic Bylaw, a "recreation vehicle" means a camper, motor home, holiday trailer or boat trailer. ## Good to know - On the street: no vehicle may be parked on a highway for more than 72 hours continuously. No unlicensed vehicle, trailer or camper may be parked on public streets or rights-of-way. Parking is also barred within 6 m of a crosswalk. - In residential areas, no vehicle over 20,000 kg or longer than 7.5 m may park on a local street for more than 2 hours. - On your property: no lot may be used for parking or storing a trailer, RV, camper, boat or other vehicle unless a principal residential use is established on the lot. - An improved residential lot may have no more than four motor vehicles, trailers, RVs, campers, boats or other vehicles in total unless completely enclosed in a building. - Living or sleeping in a trailer, RV, camper or other vehicle is prohibited on all lots in every zone, except where campground is a permitted or legal non-conforming use, or as the Zoning Bylaw specifically provides. - The Traffic Bylaw sets a fine not exceeding $500 on summary conviction. No parking ticket schedule was found. Ask Town Hall at 250-749-6681. ## Official forms and pages - [Traffic Bylaw No. 759-2003 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/759-2003-Traffic.pdf) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (consolidated Feb. 26, 2024) (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl//1055-2021%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20Consolidated%2026-02-24.pdf) ## Related questions - [Lake Cowichan unsightly property rules and how to report](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/unsightly-property.md) - [Lake Cowichan noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/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) - [Ladysmith](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ladysmith/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) - [Duncan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/duncan/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) - [North Cowichan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-cowichan/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) - [Nanaimo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nanaimo/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) - [Lantzville](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lantzville/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) - [North Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-saanich/rv-boat-trailer-parking.md) ## Sources - [Traffic Bylaw No. 759-2003 (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl/759-2003-Traffic.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (consolidated Feb. 26, 2024) (PDF), Town of Lake Cowichan](https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl//1055-2021%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20Consolidated%2026-02-24.pdf) (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. 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