Kern County, CA Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in Kern County, CA, covering tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), park model RVs, and tiny home on foundation builds, determine where they are legal and how they get permitted.
Key Facts
- Tiny home on foundation
- Permitted as an ADU in any zone allowing residential uses, per Chapter 19.90 and Gov. Code Secs. 66310-66342
- Tiny house on wheels
- Classified as a recreational vehicle (Sec. 19.04.612); not allowed as a permanent dwelling
- Temporary RV occupancy
- Conditional use permit required; minimum 20-acre vacant lot in an A, A-1, E, NR, or RF district
- Owner restrictions
- Owner's primary residence must be 30+ miles away; RV occupied exclusively by the property owners
- RV during home construction
- Allowed up to 6 months (one 6-month extension) while building a single-family home, then must be removed
Summary
Kern County has no tiny-home-specific ordinance: a tiny house built on a permanent foundation can be permitted as an accessory dwelling unit under Zoning Ordinance Chapter 19.90 (implementing Government Code Sections 66310-66342), but a tiny house on wheels is classified as a recreational vehicle and cannot serve as a permanent dwelling in unincorporated areas. Temporary RV occupancy requires a conditional use permit and is limited to vacant lots of at least 20 acres in select districts.
19.08.380 TEMPORARY OCCUPANCY OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES. Notwithstanding the requirements of Kern County Ordinance Code Chapter 17.44, one (1) motor home or one (1) travel trailer may be authorized for temporary occupancy on any lot with a minimum lot size of twenty (20) acres and located in an A, A-1, E, NR, or RF District, provided that no dwellings or other buildings have been established on the lot and that the primary residence of the property owner is located thirty (30) or more miles from the lot and further provided that the recreational vehicle will be occupied exclusively by the property owners. A conditional use permit shall be required pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 19.104 to authorize the temporary occupancy of a recreational vehicle pursuant to this section.
19.04.612 RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. "Recreational vehicle" means a motorhome, slide in camper, travel trailer, truck camper, or camping trailer, with or without motive power, designed for human habitation for recreational or emergency use.
19.90.010 PURPOSE AND APPLICATION. The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the establishment of new accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units in any zone district which allows for residential uses consistent with the provisions of Government Code Sections 66310 through 66342 and relevant sections of the California Government Code as amended from time to time.
Full Breakdown
612, a recreational vehicle is a motorhome, slide-in camper, travel trailer, truck camper, or camping trailer designed for human habitation for recreational or emergency use -- the category that captures tiny houses on wheels. 104. 130(D) permit a mobilehome or recreational vehicle as a temporary dwelling during construction of a single-family home, subject to a 6-month limit (one 6-month extension possible) and removal or dead storage once the home is approved for occupancy. 040 requires an application approved by the Planning Director before any building permit is issued.
Violations & Fines
Occupying a tiny house on wheels as a dwelling without the required conditional use permit, or keeping a temporary construction-period RV beyond the 6-month limit (plus any approved extension), violates the Zoning Ordinance; the unit must be removed or placed in dead storage and the property is subject to code-compliance enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I live in a tiny house on wheels in unincorporated Kern County?
Can a tiny home qualify as an ADU in Kern County?
Can I live in an RV or tiny house on wheels while building my house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kern County
California rules heatmap·Compare Kern County to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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