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Tehama County, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Owner Occupancy (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

County text requires
Owner-occupied lot
State law (2024+)
Owner-occupancy ban is permanent
Junior ADUs
Owner-occupancy still allowed
Applies to
Unincorporated county only

Summary

Tehama County's zoning code requires the lot's existing home to be owner-occupied before an ADU can be added, but California law now permanently bars local agencies from imposing that condition on standard ADUs.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Tehama County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

"The lot on which the ADU is constructed shall contain an existing owner-occupied single-family residence. The property owner must maintain occupancy of either the main residence or second residence."

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).

Full Breakdown

Tehama County Code § 17.08.050(A)(3) requires the lot on which an ADU is built to already carry an owner-occupied single-family residence, and requires the owner to keep living in either the main house or the ADU. That text dates to a 1998 ordinance. Since AB 976 took effect January 1, 2024, California law (Gov. Code § 65852.2) permanently bars local agencies from conditioning a standard ADU's approval on owner-occupancy, so this county requirement isn't enforceable against a typical attached or detached ADU. State law still lets counties require owner-occupancy for junior ADUs carved out of an existing home (Gov. Code § 65852.22). This is an unincorporated-county rule; it doesn't apply inside Red Bluff, Corning, or the City of Tehama.

Violations & Fines

The county text ties noncompliance to the same general misdemeanor penalty as any zoning violation, § 1.04.042, but state preemption means a standard ADU can't lawfully be denied for lack of owner-occupancy in the first place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Tehama County require me to live on-site to build an ADU?
Its code says yes at § 17.08.050(A)(3), but California's AB 976 (2024) permanently bars enforcing owner-occupancy against standard ADUs, so the county can't lawfully apply it.
Does that mean owner-occupancy never applies to ADUs?
It can still apply to junior ADUs carved out of an existing home, under Gov. Code § 65852.22.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Tehama County

Noise Ordinances: Quiet HoursSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsADU RulesSome RestrictionsShed & Carport RulesFew RestrictionsADU Impact FeesSome RestrictionsGarage ConversionsFew RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Vehicle NoiseSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseFew RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Leaf Blower RulesSome Restrictions

All Tehama County rules

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