How long you can stay at a rest area depends upon which state. A few states limit to just two to three hours, while others go up to twenty-four hours. Many more states have not set any time limits. But for the most part, all states don’t seem to enforce these limits unless you have stayed far too long.
How Long Can You Stay at a Rest Area?
Here is a state-by-state listing of time limits for staying at a rest area. These limits have been researched carefully by examining information published by various Departments of Transportation, pouring through each state’s Administrative Codes and Revised Statutes, and visiting rest areas in each state to look for posted rules…
Note: Download our “State-by-State Summary of Rest Area Rules” in PDF [] format
Alabama
No time limit. There are no laws or rules against overnight parking or camping. Note that a few rest areas have posted signs stating, “No Long Term Parking of Vehicles”, but have not defined what “long term parking” means. Read the full details at, “Alabama Rest Area Rules“.
Alaska
No time limit. There are no laws or rules against overnight parking or camping. This includes viewing areas and roadside pull outs too. Alaska is perhaps the most accommodating when it comes to sleeping overnight along highways. Read the full details at, “Alaska Rest Area Rules“.
Arizona
No time limit. There are no rules against overnight parking or camping. Read the full details at, “Arizona Rest Area Rules“.
Arkansas
No time limit. There are no rules against overnight parking or camping. Read the full details at, “Arkansas Rest Area Rules“.
California
Eight (8) hours maximum in a twenty-four (24) hour period. There are no rules against overnight parking. Recreational camping is strictly prohibited. Read the full details at, “California Rest Area Rules“.
Colorado
No time limit. There are signs posted at each rest area prohibiting overnight parking and camping. However, the State has explained that its rest areas are there to alleviate driver fatigue. Read the full details at, “Colorado Rest Area Rules“.
Connecticut
No time limit. There are no laws or rules against overnight parking at rest areas and service plazas. There no laws or rules against camping either. Read the full details at, “Connecticut Rest Area Rules“.
Delaware
The Smyrna Rest Area there is a six (6) hour limit at the car parking lot, and an eight (8) hour limit at the truck & RV parking lot. There are no rules against overnight parking, however camping is prohibited. At the I-95 Welcome Center, there is no time limit, and no rules against overnight parking. Read the full details at, “Delaware Rest Area Rules“.
Florida
Ten (10) hours maximum for commercial vehicle operators, three (3) hours maximum for all other drivers. Overnight parking is allowed as long as you don’t exceed the maximum stay. Camping is prohibited. All rest areas have 24-hour security staff on site. Read the full details at, “Florida Rest Area Rules“.
Georgia
No time limit. There are no laws or rules against overnight parking at rest areas. However, overnight parking is prohibited at Visitor Information Centers. Camping is prohibited at both rest areas and Visitor Information Centers. Read the full details at, “Georgia Rest Area Rules“.
Hawaii
No time limit. However, the state has a law against sleeping in your vehicle between the hours of 6:00pm to 6:00am. Moreover, each county has ordinances against parking a vehicle overnight along highways. Read the full details at, “Hawaii Rest Area Rules“.
Idaho
Ten (10) hours maximum on Interstate rest areas, and sixteen (16) hours maximum on on all other rest areas. There are no rules against overnight parking. Recreational camping is prohibited. Running your generator at night is prohibited too. Read the full details at, “Idaho Rest Area Rules“.
Illinois
Three (3) hours maximum. There are no rules against overnight parking. Recreational camping is prohibited. Read the full details at, “Illinois Rest Area Rules“.
Indiana
No time limit. There are no statewide laws or rules against overnight parking or camping. However, a handful of rest areas have posted signs prohibiting overnight parking and camping. Read the full details at, “Indiana Rest Area Rules“.
Iowa
Twenty-four (24) hours maximum. There are no rules against overnight parking. Recreational camping is prohibited. Read the full details at, “Iowa Rest Area Rules“.
Kansas
Twenty-four (24) hours maximum. Overnight parking and camping is permitted by rule. Read the full details at, “Kansas Rest Area Rules“.
Kentucky
Four (4) hours maximum in any twenty-four (24) hour period, per rest area. There are no rules against overnight parking or camping. Read the full details at, “Kentucky Rest Area Rules“.
Louisiana
No time limit. There are no rules against overnight parking or camping. Read the full details at, “Louisiana Rest Area Rules“.
Maine
No time limit. There are no laws or rules prohibiting overnight parking, sleeping in your car at a rest area, or camping at a rest area. Read the full details at, “Maine Rest Area Rules“.
Maryland
Three (3) hours maximum. You can get more hours by talking to a rest area caretaker and asking for a permit, if you need more time. There are rules that prohibit overnight parking and camping. Read the full details at, “Maryland Rest Area Rules“.
Massachusetts
No time limit. However, a handful of rest areas have signs posted for “Two Hour Limit”. There are also a handful that have posted signs for “No Overnight Parking”. But these are few and far between. Most rest areas have no signs limiting stay. Read the full details at, “Massachusetts Rest Area Rules“.
Michigan
No time limit. There are no official rules against overnight parking or camping. However a handful of rest area facilities have posted signs against such activities. Read the full details at, “Michigan Rest Area Rules“.
Minnesota
Ten (10) hours maximum for commercial drivers, four (4) hours maximum for all other drivers. There are no rules against overnight parking or camping. Read the full details at, “Minnesota Rest Area Rules“.
Mississippi
Eight (8) hours maximum. But, this is a gray area. The State does not say they will kick you out after 8 hours. Rather, it’s just a guideline they use to determine if you’re a long-term visitor or not. There are no rules against overnight parking. Camping is prohibited. Read the full details at, “Mississippi Rest Area Rules“.
Missouri
No time limit. There are no rules against overnight parking. Overnight camping, however, is prohibited. Read the full details at, “Missouri Rest Area Rules“.
Montana
Twelve (12) hour time limit. The Montana Department of Transportation bans camping, but does not define what that is, or if its different than sleeping in your vehicle. Read the full details at, “Montana Rest Area Rules“.
Nebraska
Ten (10) hours maximum. Overnight parking and overnight camping is prohibited. Read the full details at, “Nebraska Rest Area Rules“.
Nevada
Eighteen (18) hours in any two-week period. There are no rules against overnight parking or camping. Read the full details at, “Nevada Rest Area Rules“.
New Hampshire
No time limit. There are no laws prohibiting overnight parking nor sleeping in your vehicle. However, the state does have a law prohibiting camping along highways and public property. But this law defines camping as pitching a tent, erecting a sleeping device, or sleeping on the ground. As long as you’re sleeping in your vehicle, you should be OK. Read the full details at, “New Hampshire Rest Area Rules.”
New Jersey
No time limit. There are no rules prohibiting overnight parking or camping. However, the State has identified a selected a handful of rest areas and scenic overlooks where overnight parking is prohibited, and others where only trucks are allowed to park overnight. Read the full details at, “New Jersey Rest Area Rules“.
New Mexico
Twenty-four (24) hours maximum in any three (3) day period. There are no rules against overnight parking. Recreational camping is prohibited. Read the full details at, “New Mexico Rest Area Rules“.
New York
Three (3) hours maximum at rest areas for most drivers, ten (10) hours maximum for commercial drivers (trucks). There is a four (4) hour maximum for rest areas and service areas located along the New York State Thruway. There are no rules against overnight parking, but there are rules prohibiting camping. Read the full details at, “New York State Rest Area Rules“.
North Carolina
No time limit. However, NCDOT has adopted rules prohibiting camping, as well as overnight parking. There are also signs posted at Interstate rest areas prohibiting overnight parking. But because rest areas are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you are still allowed to arrive at night and remain for as long as it takes to rest and resume driving safely. It’s not clear how NCDOT differentiates overnight parking versus night-time rest. Read the full details at, “North Carolina Rest Area Rules“.
North Dakota
No time limit. There are no rules against overnight parking. Overnight camping, however, is specifically prohibited. Read the full details at, “North Dakota Rest Area Rules“.
Ohio
No time limit. However, the State has a 3-hour limit on vehicles left unattended. There are no rules against overnight parking. Camping, however, is prohibited. The State also operates a series of service plazas along the Ohio Turnpike, many of which include overnight RV parking areas. Read the full details at, “Ohio Rest Area Rules“.
Oklahoma
No time limit. There are no rules against overnight parking or camping. Read the full details at, “Oklahoma Rest Area Rules“.
Oregon
Twelve (12) hours in any twenty-four (24) hour period. There are no rules against overnight parking. Recreational camping is strictly prohibited. Read the full details at, “Oregon Rest Area Rules“.
Pennsylvania
Two (2) hours maximum in a twenty-four (24) hour period. There are no rules against overnight parking, but camping is specifically prohibited. There is a twenty-four (24) hour maximum for parking at service plazas located along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Read the full details at, “Pennsylvania Rest Area Rules“.
Rhode Island
No time limit. Moreover, Rhode Island has no laws or regulations prohibiting overnight parking or camping. There are signs posted at rest areas, however, warning that any vehicle left unattended will be towed away. Read the full details at, “Rhode Island Rest Area Rules“.
South Carolina
No time limit. However, there are signs posted at each rest area prohibiting overnight parking and camping. But because these rest areas are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you are still allowed to arrive at night and stay for as long as it takes to continue driving safely. SCDOT does not provide any guidance on how they define “overnight parking”. Read the full details at, “South Carolina Rest Area Rules“.
South Dakota
Ten (10) hours maximum for commercial drivers, and three (3) hours maximum for all other drivers. There are no rules against overnight parking. Camping is strictly prohibited. Read the full details at, “South Dakota Rest Area Rules“.
Tennessee
Two (2) hours maximum. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has a policy against overnight parking. All rest areas have signs posted prohibiting overnight parking or overnight camping. Read the full details at, “Tennessee Rest Area Rules“.
Texas
Twenty-four (24) hours maximum. There are no rules against overnight parking or camping. Read the full details at, “Texas Rest Area Rules“.
Utah
No time limits. There are no rules against overnight parking. Recreational camping is strictly prohibited. Read the full details at, “Utah Rest Area Rules“.
Vermont
No time limits. There is both a law and an administrative regulation prohibiting, “overnight camping”. This does not necessarily mean that sleeping overnight in your vehicle is not allowed. It’s just that camping (pitching a tent, building a campfire, sleeping on the ground, et al) is not allowed. Read the full details on this at, “Vermont Rest Area Rules“.
Virginia
No time limits. VDOT states that certain rest areas will have limited operating hours, however as of this writing all rest areas are open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Otherwise, overnight parking is not allowed. Camping is not permitted at any time. Read the full details at, “Virginia Rest Area Rules“.
Washington
Eight (8) hours maximum in a twenty-four (24) hour period. There are no rules against overnight parking. Recreational camping is strictly prohibited. Read the full details at, “Washington Rest Area Rules“.
West Virginia
No time limits. There are no rules against overnight parking, and no rules against camping. This applies to rest areas, welcome centers, and turnpike travel plazas. Read the full details at, “West Virginia Rest Area Rules“.
Wisconsin
Twenty-four (24) hour maximum. There are no rules against overnight parking. Recreational camping, however, is strictly prohibited. Read the full details at, “Wisconsin Rest Area Rules“.
Wyoming
No time limits. There are no rules against overnight parking. Recreational camping is strictly prohibited. Read the full details at, “Wyoming Rest Area Rules“.
I thought Texas did prohibit “camping” (pitching tents, etc.).
The State of Texas does prohibit erecting a tent, or other shelter, on rest area grounds, but stopped short of naming “camping” as a prohibited activity. They also prohibit anyone from staying at a rest area longer than 24 hours. You can read the full set of laws for Texas rest areas here.