Last Update: 1/26/2018

Is Living in Your Van Illegal?

man in hoodie holds out hand, locked cuffs hanging from the wrist

Hell no,  livin' in your car, van, RV, tent, clay pot, or cardboard box ain't illegal. It's TOTALLY LEGAL. But The Man makes vanlife a hassle at times. Here's how and why.

Why Van Life Is Legal


No U.S. federal, state, or local law absolutely requires American citizens or residents to have a physical address, that is, ta own or rent real estate.

Vandwellers have all the rights and obligations as any other American.

We're required ta pay taxes and obey laws. We have the right ta vote, get federal and state benefits, own personal property, and generally pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

We can live in a van down by the river if we goddamn well please!

Why Do People Think Vandwelling Is Illegal?


For a good reason. Plenty a laws and regulations make being "homeless" – not havin' and sleepin' at a physical address – a boil on our ass. These laws make living in your vehicle illegal in effect. Assholes!

What? Am I contradicting myself?

No. We still have the absolute right ta live in our cars, vans, RVs, tents, whatever. We're just presented with certain problems that curtail our goddamn freedom. Big fuckin' time.


Problem 1 – Bureaucrats Want an Address


Try ta get a driver's license without an address. Try to get government benefits without an address. Try ta register to vote without an address. It's tricky.

Yes, you're entitled to these things without an address. In the case of voting and federal benefits, such as Social Security and SNAP, the government specifically requires the states to find ways to accommodate those without addresses, i.e., the destitute homeless. Usually states do so by lettin' the homeless use the address of a relative, shelter, or social services office.

Nomads with more means – vandwellers, OTR truckers, retired RV lifestylers, traveling salespeople – usually fudge by using the address of a friend or relative. Or we use the address of a private mailbox service, like a UPS store or a mail forwarder, e.g., Traveling Mailbox.

But of course, using a fudge address is technically illegal. There's always the risk some fuckin' bureaucrat will put your balls inta a vice over it. Not likely, they usually don't check, but it's enough to make ya nervous.

Problem 2 – Cities Don't Let You Park Overnight


OK, most of us fuckin' get that we can't park on private land without permission. But shouldn't we be able to park on public land, "the commons"? After all, we're co-owners.

That's where we get fucked over again. Plenty a cities got laws forbidding you to park overnight on particular bits a public land:

  • Can't overnight in parks
  • Can't overnight on busy streets and highways
  • Can't overnight in front of businesses
  • Can't overnight in neighborhoods
  • Can't overnight in government parking lots
  • Can't overnight by rivers and under bridges

So where the fuck are the public lands where you can park overnight? And with this fucked-up patchwork of laws, varying from town to town, how are ya supposed to know when and where you can park? You also got to worry about other laws, like no loitering.

Even when you're parked legally, the cops sometimes fuck with you anyway because ... because they can.

Yes, most national forests and many state forests permit dispersed camping, but that don't do you no goddamn good if you're in town or an urban vandweller. Not a lot of jobs in the forest!

Problem 3 – Parking Lots Are Usually Private


Most big parking lots are owned by stores or landlords. Huge mall and strip mall parking lots might feel like public space, but they're not. End a story.

Some, like Walmart and Cabela's, have vanlifer friendly policies, but that's rare. You can stealth, but you're always chancing getting chased out or worse by security or cops.

What About Our FREEDOM to Live in a Van?

Dictionary definition: "Freedom: the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint."

So while we have the right to pursue van life, we too often are legally hindered and restrained from doing so. A freedom is no goddamn use if ya can't exercise it!

From a practical, everyday perspective, while vandwelling is legal and our right, we have to break a lot of petty laws and regulations to do so. Exercising our freedom is being criminalized. And that's total goddamn bullshit!

Federal, state, and local governments are unreasonably tramping on our legal right to live in a van down by the river. But the governments' unreasonable constraints on van life won't change without a lot of lobbying and court battles. ... Who's got the time for that!? Who's got the money!?


Gettin' mail on the road? Traveling Mailbox! (review)

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12 comments:

  1. Noela22.9.17

    Was wondering if I own a piece of land can I sleep in my van there

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    1. I looked into this a bit before, but don't take what follows as gospel. Do your own research if you're serious ...

      It depends A) on city, county, and state codes, and B) how much enforcement is really goin' on.

      Most places in the country, various laws make it so that you CAN'T live in a van in your land. People into doin' this, or other alternative-type housing, have to go for unzoned, unrestricted land, usually out in remote, rural, poor areas.

      That said, I seen folks livin' in shacks, RVs, teepees, yurts, vans, and all kindsa shit around the country. I suspect that they ain't legal in all them places, but no one is payin' attention.

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  2. Actually, in tgevus, there are 2 sets of laws that are v often conflicting. There's constitutional law and then theres the beautmrocrats statutory laws. The conflict. Most cops only know statutory law. They are the actual law breakers, who are against constitutional law.

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    Replies
    1. Pretty much. The inland Border Patrol checkpoints are a good example.

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  3. Anonymous28.11.17

    Yeah but my buddy tried this and they told him he must have running water or some source so he just went out an bought bottled water got one over on them

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    Replies
    1. Petty solution to a petty problem. Vanholio approves!

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  4. Anonymous18.1.18

    Can you install batteries to run an ac/heatsystem off solar? What are your thoughts on those mini motor homes?

    Do you maintain a metal frame building some where in the central us in order to maintain the van?

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    1. Running an AC/heating system can be done, but it's damn expensive and you need a big roof. Saw a video with a guy in Phoenix who did it, but it was like $11,000 or some crazy number.

      No thoughts on mini motor homes other than most campers are crap. Only a few high end manufacturers and customizers do a good job, IMHO.

      No, don't have a metal garage anywhere. Been able to do most of what I want in the field. When we did the build, it was in my buddy's driveway.

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  5. Anonymous25.1.19

    When in a city or suburb you can park along a park, cemetary, industrial area, behind a mall or airport on a public side street. A sparsely populated residential area. On the boarder streets of a large city and rural or suburban county. Or even a better idea is to leave the U.S. which is an economic prison as well as a capitalized prison nation. In the U.S. if you are not into this Cooperative Servitude, forced layered taxation and most of all being a Lawful Consumer and participate in your own slavery and consumption then your a common criminal. I am patriotic to my own liberty and freedom not to a group of people who declare they're economic dominance over the rest of us as a hypocritical bastion of liberty. The sheepeople are in a state of outright submissiveness and stupidity. I for one will not die here in my old age and not be free. It's time for me to leave. The rest of you can wave your flag I want to leave this prison.

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    1. I hear ya! I thought about leaving, and I might yet. Meantime, I stick ta the mountains. Way I figure it, being in the wild doesn't matter what imaginary borders you're in. But then, if Uncle Sam gets too far up my ass, then it's on to Plan B. Always thought it's a shame there's no more true unclaimed land, land that ain't part of a nation state.

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    2. Anonymous30.1.19

      I couldn't have said it any better. I wish more people would simply educate themselves a little more and realize what a dangerous game we're playing by allowing the government to rob us.

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    3. Seems to me all of you freedom people who love freedom like to live off the hard work of others. We supply the parks through hard work and money earned by sweat. You what something for nothing only in a Nation willing to fight for freedom are you allowed to live off the backs of other hard working folks. The problem of you ideas is the little red hen will get tired of feeding and housing your freeloading asses.

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