West Virginia is the boondocker`s dream. Not only does the state allow RVs to park along the highway, but it also hosts it and provides designated areas for RVs and other large vehicles. The same goes for the state of Ohio on the Ohio Expressway in several areas. Is it legal to sleep in your car in a Walmart? Yes, you can sleep in any vehicle for one night as long as the place you are looking at allows it, and local ordinances do not prohibit it. It is important to note that some websites have incorrectly stated that this three-hour parking limit applies to all parking scenarios. That is not correct. It only applies to vehicles left unattended. In addition, some websites point out that overnight parking is prohibited in Ohio`s rest areas, which is also false. Other states allow “longer stays” for leisure, but don`t define how long that could be.
Instead of the official rules, we`ll give you a list of tips to follow when parking overnight at Walmart. However, in 2020, many Walmart stores began changing their policies to ban overnight campers due to an increase in the number of people abusing the generosity of the policy. To increase your safety when sleeping at Walmart, keep these tips in mind: Arizona: Arizona doesn`t allow camping at its rest areas, but it does allow people to park and rest. If you`re using a rest area in Arizona overnight, be sure to leave your slides, your trailer is plugged in, and all your gear is in it. These RV club memberships allow for overnight stays (and sometimes longer). Walmart isn`t the only company parking overnight. There are others that sometimes allow guests too. However, some cities have individual laws that prohibit sleeping in vehicles, and these laws replace state and federal laws. To find out if it`s legal to sleep at Walmart, check out the car camping laws in the city you`re in. There are many conflicting laws regarding the rules of stay in rest areas that keep many full-time RVs in a state of confusion. Due to the rapid decrease in overnight parking options, RVs choose to stay in rest areas when they have no other options available. Sometimes it is inevitable to sleep in the car.
In other cases, it is a preference. Either way, here are some tips to stay safe when sleeping in your car. I`m glad I did my RV full time when I did. A few of my favorite places have since closed or now offer limited use due to overcrowding, garbage, and overstaying. And more closures and restrictions will come. Each U.S. state has different regulations when it comes to staying at rest areas. Some states have one set of rules for their toll rest areas and another for their public road network. Since Walmart is a private company, company policy dictates whether or not you can sleep in their parking lot.
In Ohio, there is no limit to how long a person can stay at a rest stop. The next state rapprochement is a three-hour restriction on leaving a car unattended. However, as long as the driver is in the vehicle, he is free to remain in the service area as long as he must continue his journey safely. The short answer is that Walmart will still be able to park overnight in 2022, according to the Walmart company`s website. They debated for a while, but in the end they took the risk and spent the night at the rest area. They were nervous when they settled into their motorhome. Sleeping at Walmart – is it for you? Try. Let us know in the comments about your Walmart parking experience! When you`re on the go, rest areas can save your life. They provide a place to linger and rest, to use the toilet and to eat. However, it is important to respect safety when using it. Like a good boy or a good Girl Scout, always be alert and prepared.
Below is a summary of each state`s overnight parking rules. For a more in-depth discussion of overnight parking in rest areas, see the following article on RV Hive. If you find a Walmart store more welcoming to overnight campers, you can be sure (no pun intended) that you can camp there for free. Walmart didn`t expect overnight parking stationers to pay for the convenience of using their parking lots as rest areas. I have found that you can often sleep at night in your vehicle without any problems, regardless of the state borders. However, overly restrictive rules give LEOs a basis to harass you if they feel like it.