San Bernardino County, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 28.0307(k)
- Applies to
- All County Regional Parks
- Prohibits
- Molesting, injuring, killing birds/mammals
- Enforcement
- Permit revocation, same-day removal
- Repeat offense
- Park-wide ban after 3 violations/year
- Default penalty
- $500-$1,000 fine or up to 6 months jail
Summary
San Bernardino County Code § 28.0307(k) bans molesting, injuring or killing any bird or mammal, or disturbing its habitat, inside any County Regional Park. The rule sits among two dozen general-use restrictions covering camping, fishing, litter and fires, and a violation is enforceable through permit revocation and County criminal, civil or administrative action.
No person shall, without permission of the County, within a Regional Park: (h) Pick flowers, foliage, berries or fruits, or cut, break, dig up, or in any way mutilate or injure any tree, shrub, plant, fern, grass, turf, fence, structure or any other object; ... (k) Molest, injure, or kill any bird or mammal, or disturb its habitat;
Full Breakdown
§ 28.0307 lists the general conduct rules that apply inside every County Regional Park, defined by § 28.0302 as each park owned or operated by the Regional Parks Department of the Environmental Public Works Agency, covering the whole property within the park's boundaries. Subdivision (k) of that list bars any person, without County permission, from molesting, injuring, or killing any bird or mammal, or disturbing its habitat, inside a Regional Park. It sits alongside related habitat protections in the same subdivision list: subdivision (h) bars picking flowers, foliage, berries or fruit, or cutting, breaking, digging up or mutilating any tree, shrub, plant, fern, grass or turf, and subdivision (j) bars digging, excavating or quarrying within the park.
Enforcement runs through the park permit system rather than a standalone fine schedule: § 28.0303 gives the Director and any Park Ranger authority to revoke the permit of anyone who violates the chapter, and § 28.0305(c) requires a person whose permit is revoked to leave the park immediately and stay out for the rest of that calendar day. § 28.0308 escalates repeat offenders: anyone who has a permit revoked or is convicted of violating the chapter three or more times in a calendar year is denied entry to and use of all County Regional Parks for the rest of that year.
Because Chapter 3 sets no chapter-specific fine, a criminal charge for violating subdivision (k) defaults to the County's general misdemeanor penalty at § 11.0206(a)(1): a base fine of $500 to $1,000, up to six months in County jail, or both. Parks covered include facilities such as Moabi, Prado and Calico Ghost Town, each open, per § 28.0301(a), between daybreak and dusk or as posted.
Violations & Fines
Molesting, injuring or killing a bird or mammal in a County Regional Park violates § 28.0307(k) and can trigger immediate permit revocation under § 28.0303(b), same-day removal from the park under § 28.0305(c), and, for a third violation within a calendar year, a park-wide entry ban for the rest of that year under § 28.0308. Absent a chapter-specific fine, a criminal charge defaults to the County's general misdemeanor penalty of $500 to $1,000 or up to six months in jail under § 11.0206(a)(1).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed or handle wildlife at a County Regional Park?
What happens if I'm caught violating the wildlife rule more than once?
Is there a separate fine written into the park rule itself?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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