Tiny home rules in Sonoma, 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.
The City of Sonoma has not adopted the County's movable-tiny-home (THOW) program — within city limits a tiny home is only legal as a permanent-foundation ADU built to the California Building Code under SMC Chapter 19.45.
Unlike unincorporated Sonoma County — which under Ordinance No. 6406 (2023) allows Tiny Homes on Wheels and Park-Model RVs as full-time residences under a 1-year renewable Temporary Occupancy (TEM) permit administered by Permit Sonoma — the City of Sonoma has not adopted a parallel movable-tiny-home program. Within the city, a tiny dwelling unit is permitted only if it qualifies as an ADU or JADU under SMC Chapter 19.45, which means it must be on a permanent foundation, connected to city sewer and water, and built to the California Residential Code as adopted in SMC Title 14. A unit on wheels (THOW/RV) is regulated as a recreational vehicle: under SMC 19.50 and Veh. Code §18010 et seq., RVs may not be used as permanent residences on residentially zoned parcels and may not be occupied outside a permitted mobilehome park or RV park (Sonoma Mun. Code §19.50). The state ADU statutes (Gov. Code §§66310–66342) do not require the City to allow movable tiny homes, only foundation-built ADUs. A foundation-built tiny ADU may be as small as 150 sq ft of efficiency-unit floor area under California HSC §17958.1 (state law) and remains capped at 850/1,000 sq ft on the upper end per SMC 19.45.040.
Occupying a tiny home on wheels as a residence within City limits is a zoning violation enforced under SMC Ch. 1.28: $100 / $200 / $500 administrative fines escalating with daily continuing penalties, plus possible utility disconnection and abatement. RVs parked but not occupied as dwellings are governed by SMC parking provisions and may be subject to time limits.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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