18 local rules on file · Pop. 732 · Marin County
Showing ordinances that apply to Alto, CA
Alto is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 732 in Marin County, California. Because Alto is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Marin County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in Marin County may have different rules.
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Marin County ordinances.
All fireworks — including those labeled Safe and Sane — are illegal year-round throughout Marin County. The Marin County Fire Code prohibits possession, sale, and use of fireworks in unincorporated areas due to extreme wildfire risk in the Wildland-Urban Interface.
Most of unincorporated Marin County is designated Wildland-Urban Interface under the Marin County Fire Code (Title 16). WUI properties must meet Chapter 7A construction standards for ignition-resistant materials and maintain 100 feet of defensible space year-round.
Marin County requires 100 feet of defensible space around all structures in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas. State law (PRC §4291) and the Marin County Fire Code mandate two zones: Zone 1 (0–30 ft, lean and green) and Zone 2 (30–100 ft, reduced fuel).
Recreational fires and outdoor fire pits in Marin County must comply with the Marin County Fire Code (Title 16) and California Fire Code. Open burning is generally prohibited during fire season and in WUI areas without a permit. Gas-fueled appliances are subject to fewer restrictions than wood-burning.
Marin County Code §6.70.030(5) limits loud noise-generating construction equipment to 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday only. General construction is permitted 7 AM to 6 PM weekdays and 9 AM to 5 PM Saturdays. Construction is prohibited Sundays and listed holidays.
Marin County Code Chapter 6.70 (Loud and Unnecessary Noises) prohibits any loud, raucous, or unnecessary noise that disturbs the peace, comfort, repose, or quiet of any neighborhood or person of normal sensitivity in unincorporated Marin County.
Marin County Code Chapter 6.70 prohibits loud or persistent animal noise that disturbs the peace of neighbors, and Title 8 (Animals) allows Marin Humane to enforce nuisance barking complaints in unincorporated areas through warnings, citations, and impound for repeat offenders.
Marin County Code Title 8 (Animals), Chapter 8.04 requires dogs in public places to be restrained by a leash of sufficient length to allow constant control. Marin Humane enforces leash laws in unincorporated areas and most contracted cities, with fines for off-leash violations.
Unincorporated Marin County allows backyard chickens under zoning rules: one hen per 1,000 square feet of lot area, up to 20 hens maximum, with coops up to 12 feet tall. Livestock keeping standards in the Development Code prohibit animals on slopes exceeding 50 percent.
Marin Municipal Water District (Marin Water) rules prohibit landscape irrigation between 9 AM and 7 PM, limit overhead sprinkler watering to twice per week, and allow drip irrigation up to three times per week. Watering is prohibited during and within 48 hours after rainfall.
Marin County Code Chapter 22.62 (Tree Removal Permits) requires a permit to remove protected native trees including Coast live oak, California bay, Douglas fir, and Coast redwood — and stricter rules apply to heritage trees. Removing more than two protected trees on a developed lot in 12 months triggers permitting.
Marin County requires short-term rental owners to notify occupants of neighboring properties before obtaining or renewing a business license. The 2024 ordinance also limits new non-primary STRs through waitlists when townships exceed their license cap.
Unincorporated Marin County requires every short-term rental (under 30 days) to obtain a STR License, a Business License, and a Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Certificate. The countywide cap is 1,200 licenses, with 192 reserved for Stinson Beach and 204 for Dillon Beach. Application fee is $600.
Marin County participates in the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program. Development in mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas (Zones A and AE) must comply with the Floodplain Management Ordinance in Title 23 of the Marin County Code, requiring elevation certificates and finished-floor elevations above the Base Flood Elevation.
Marin County's coastal areas are regulated by the Local Coastal Program (LCP) Implementation Plan, codified in Title 20 of the Marin County Code. Development within the Coastal Zone — including West Marin and Bay shoreline — requires a Coastal Permit. BCDC also regulates within 100 feet of the Bay shoreline.