Missoula, a Lot of You Are Breaking This Law

Driving around Missoula can be difficult at times. Navigating Reserve Street for some can be a nightmare. Some people have issues with roundabouts in our town. There is also the issue of parking in Missoula. Parking downtown can be a headache for some drivers. When it comes to parking vehicles such as campers or boats, there are some home owners that are breaking the law in Missoula and may not know it.

Missoula Has Laws For Campers And Boats

You cannot park a vehicle on a city street for more than 120 hours (that's 5 days) at a time. According to the City of Missoula website:

It is not legal to store a vehicle on a city street for more than five days or 120 hours. This includes boats as well as travel or utility trailers.

If you have people in an RV or camper visiting, they are allowed to park on the street and use the vehicle for camping. They can't keep it there for more than the 120 hours (5 days). To read the entire ordinance you can click the link, Missoula city ordinance 3603. In part it reads:

A property owner or tenant may allow a guest's recreational vehicle to be parked on the public right of way adjacent to their residence for sleeping purposes for a maximum of five (5) consecutive days without violating this provision, provided that the recreational vehicle is not occupied for more than five (5) days in any consecutive thirty (30) day period while on the block adjacent to the property owner or tenant’s residence.

If Neighbors Don't Get Along It Could Be A Problem

The City Of Missoula let's residents report "abandoned vehicles". If you have a camper, RV, or boat parked on the street for longer than the 120 hours, your vehicle can be reported.

With Summer Coming The Situation May Resolve Itself

Not everyone can afford to store their campers, RVs or boats in a storage facility, but parking them on Missoula city streets is not legal. As I drive around Missoula, I have seen lots of campers and boats parked on the street. Some of them look like they have been there for the entire winter. With the weather changing and Summer on the way, maybe the situation will take care of itself when a lot of these vehicles and boats will be back on the streets and in the woods.