Plumas County, CA Accessory Structures: Carport Rules (2026)

Carports on unincorporated Plumas County parcels are regulated as accessory structures under Title 9, Chapter 2, Article 4 (General Requirements), Sec. 9-2.408(c). The general rule is that a carport shall be located no closer than 30 feet from the center line of the street. Reduced standards apply on lower-classification roads: where the front yard adjoins a Class 7 road, a carport must be no closer than 25 feet from the center line; where it adjoins a Class 8 road, or a Class 9 or 10 road with projected traffic of 400 ADT or less, no closer than 20 feet from the center line. A carport need not be set back farther than the minimum front yard for the zone in which it is located, but in no case may a carport extend beyond the front line (Sec. 9-2.408(c)(6)). Under Sec. 9-2.408(d), in no case may the roof of a carport shed onto the road right-of-way. These setbacks are measured to the road center line, which matters on rural mountain roads where the right-of-way is wider than the paved surface. A building permit is generally required to construct a carport under the adopted California Building Code. Confirm your parcel's road classification and zone-specific front-yard requirement with the Plumas County Planning Department.