Snohomish County Council Adopts Legislation to Address Nuisance RVs

2022 Motorhome Fire in Snohomish County

Yesterday, the Snohomish County Council unanimously adopted legislation sponsored by Councilmember Nate Nehring aimed at addressing nuisance recreational vehicles (RVs) on county roads.

The ordinances, drafted with input from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and Public Works Department, establish clear parking limits for RVs on public rights-of-way and strengthens enforcement tools to remove derelict and hazardous vehicles.

“This is a critical step forward for public safety and neighborhood quality of life,” said Councilmember Nehring. “Derelict RVs have been a persistent concern for residents, contributing to health and safety risks and in many cases being linked to criminal activity. With this new law, our law enforcement officers now have additional tools in the toolbelt to address this issue.”

Ordinance 25-021 limits RV parking on public roads to a maximum of 72 hours. After this period, violators may receive a notice and risk vehicle impoundment if the RV is not removed.

Recent RV Fire in Everett where hoarding led to a fatality.

The legislation brings Snohomish County code into alignment with similar policies already in place in neighboring cities, helping to ensure consistency across jurisdictions. Ordinance 25-022 allows funding from the nuisance properties abatement fund to be used to cover the cost of implementing the new restrictions.

Sheriff Susanna Johnson stated:

“We greatly appreciate the year-long effort of Councilmember Nehring in helping us to improve public safety.

Our Office of Neighborhood deputies, along with Snohomish County Human Services, will continue to offer resources to those in need, and will utilize this ordinance to improve neighborhood safety.”

The new policy was informed by Councilmember Nehring’s firsthand observations during ride-alongs with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and Public Works Department, where he saw the impacts of derelict RVs and the limitations of prior enforcement options.

The new law will take effect 10 days after the County Executive’s signature and the County will work with law enforcement and relevant agencies to ensure clear communication and implementation.