Yes, most Costco’s allow you to park your RV in their parking lot overnight. Generally, they want you to park furthest away from the store so that shoppers can park closer. But not all Costco’s allow overnight parking.
Can You Park at Costco Overnight?
Most Costco stores seem to welcome RVs parking in their lots overnight. But a minority of them do not. You can always call a specific store and ask, but often times whoever answers the phone doesn’t always know the policy.
Your best bet is to check various apps and websites and read reviews. Allstays.com seems to have the most reviews of Costcos.
City Laws May Prevent Overnight Parking or Sleeping in Vehicles
Many large cities have banned overnight parking for certain hours of the night, often times from 2:00 AM to 5:00 AM. It doesn’t matter if you’re on private property, including shopping centers. So while the Costco doesn’t mind you parking in their lot, local law enforcement can still cite you.
Many cities are also adopting laws against sleeping in your vehicle, regardless of where in the city you are parked.
Keep in mind that Costco is not open 24 hours. Hence, local law enforcement can easily swing by around 9:00 or 10:00 PM, and cite anyone who’s still in the parking lot. Wal-Mart is often a better alternative for overnight parking because most Wal-Marts are open 24 hours, and thus you can easily argue that you’re not sleeping in your RV, but just putting away groceries or something.
Do You Need a Membership to Park Overnight at Costco?
No. Membership is only needed to shop at Costco or buy gasoline.
How Safe is it to Park Overnight at Costco?
Not any more or any less than parking overnight at Wal-Mart. The only difference is that Costco stores typically close by 8:30 PM during the week, and 6:00 PM on weekends. Hence, by the time you get into the late evening hours, the parking lot empties out. On the other hand, Costco parking lots are also attractive areas for kids with muscle cars. They love to gather there, do some burn outs, and then head off to some place else.
It largely depends on the neighborhood as to how safe it is.
Where else can I Park my RV Overnight?
See our other article, “Can You Sleep Overnight at Camping World?“