RV Rights

Protecting Your RV Rights: We’ve Got Your Back!

FMCA is the largest association dedicated exclusively to the freedom and fun of owning an RV. We work to protect RV owners' rights:

• Residential parking
• Overnight parking
• Length/Width limits
• License requirements
• Any issue or law affecting the use of an RV

FMCA has a Governmental and Legislative Affairs Committee that assists members who face local parking rights restrictions and other regulations affecting the use of their RVs.

We understand traveling in an RV can present unique situations. This may be more of a concern for motorhome (Type A, B, C or bus conversion) owners due to the size of their rigs. We're here to help:

FMCA's Parking Rights Manual & Guide summarizes significant parking rights cases. It can help members to understand their legal rights and the rights of legislative bodies that place restrictions on motorhome parking. To request a copy, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Curious about license and vehicle requirements, road conditions, traffic updates, and more in individual U.S. states and Canadian provinces? Use this list to find what you’re seeking.

DOWNLOAD THE MOTOR VEHICLE LAWS RESOURCE LIST

Current Issues

In November 2019, FMCA joined a coalition of RV industry representatives in signing a joint letter in an effort to convince congressional leaders to keep provisions that allow RVers, truckers, and residents in certain rural areas to have access to distant network signals via their satellite service. FMCA members were encouraged to write to their congressional representatives and ask that the Section 119 license not be removed.

That effort was only partly successful. The Section 119 license was made permanent for RVs. However, provisions were such that it is available only to companies that serve all 210 U.S. television markets. Dish serves all 210 markets under a deal they made with Congress in 2009. DirecTV does not; they serve 198. DirecTV officials noted that launching those last 12 markets would be cost-prohibitive. So, they examined options to try to continue to provide network programming to their RV customers.

Meanwhile, DirecTV sent out notices to customers that the distant network signal access would cease at the end of May 2020, and some members wrote to FMCA to express their concern about this. Of course, the timing of this loss of service was unfortunate. RVers and others have been relying heavily on network stations for news and entertainment.

So, that same group of RV industry companies signed another joint letter asking Congress to extend the provisions of the license at least until the end of the year. Nothing has resulted from that yet, but DirecTV continued to work toward a solution.

Thanks to the efforts of many people and organizations, including FMCA and its members, and some pressure from lawmakers on Capitol Hill, three of the four major networks (CBS, NBC, and Fox) have reached private deals with DirecTV to allow the company to continue to provide network signals to RVs and long-haul truckers, as well as to residents in rural areas who don’t have other options. The one holdout at this point is Disney, the parent company of ABC, and ABC is now dark for RVs that have DirecTV service. Disney officials previously had indicated that if the Section 119 license were to sunset, they would provide a voluntary license for all of 2020 to satellite providers.

FMCA recently signed a joint letter with the Escapees RV Club that was sent to Disney CEO Bob Chapek, encouraging ABC to join the other networks in extending service to RV owners.

FMCA members are encouraged to contact their own representatives to ask that they take action to make permanent changes in the Section 119 license to prevent RVers from losing service. Members can find contact information for their congressional representative via www.house.gov and their senators through www.senate.gov.

Voice Your Opinion

While FMCA has a committee dedicated to working and fighting for your rights as an RVer, the power is in your hands as well! You can call your politicians and tell them how you feel on certain issues that are important to you and your fellow RVers.

To contact your U.S. Senators, click here.

To contact your U.S. House Representative, click here.

To learn about The Congressional RV Caucus, and find out if your local politicians are already advocating on your behalf, click here.