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Tulare County, CA Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Adopted code
2022 CA Green Buildings Standards Code, Title 24 Pt 11
Applies to
Unincorporated Tulare County only
Enforcing agency
Resource Management Agency Director
Fees
Set by Board of Supervisors resolution
Appeal body
Local Appeals Board, § 7-15-1050
Violation penalty
Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 or 6 months

Summary

Unincorporated Tulare County builds under the 2022 California Green Building Standards Code, Title 24 Part 11, adopted wholesale by county ordinance for every covered project. The Resource Management Agency Director enforces the code, the Board of Supervisors sets permit and inspection fees by resolution, and violating any green-building provision is a misdemeanor with each day of noncompliance charged as a separate offense.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Tulare County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

The California Green Buildings Standards Code, Part 11 of Title 24, 2022 Edition, published by the International Code Council, is hereby referred to, adopted in its entirety and made a part of this Article as if fully set forth herein, and is hereby adopted and shall hereinafter be referred to as the "California Green Buildings Standards Code."

Full Breakdown

Ordinance Code § 7-15-2710 refers to, adopts in its entirety and makes part of Article 26 of Chapter 15 the California Green Buildings Standards Code, Part 11 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, 2022 Edition, published by the International Code Council. The Article applies only to buildings and properties within the unincorporated territory of Tulare County; construction inside Visalia, Tulare, Porterville, Dinuba, Exeter, Farmersville or Woodlake follows that city's own adopted Title 24 amendments. Under § 7-15-2715, the Resource Management Agency Director, or an authorized representative, enforces the Green Buildings Standards Code on covered buildings and properties in the unincorporated area; the ordinance notes this enforcement grant does not limit or enlarge any other enforcement authority assigned by state or local law.

Section 7-15-2720 lets the Board of Supervisors set, by resolution, fees to cover receiving and processing green-building permit applications, performing inspections, issuing permits, and processing appeals or enforcement under the Article. A property owner or applicant who believes the RMA misapplied a green-building requirement may appeal that decision, or the decision of any county agency, to the Local Appeals Board under § 7-15-1050, as § 7-15-2725 provides. Section 7-15-2730 makes any violation of the Green Buildings Standards Code, or of Article 26 itself, a misdemeanor punishable under Section 125 of the Ordinance Code, and separately treats each day a violation is committed, continued or permitted as its own offense, so an uncorrected deficiency can accumulate charges the longer it goes uncorrected.

Violations & Fines

Violating any provision of the adopted California Green Buildings Standards Code, or Article 26 itself, is a misdemeanor under § 7-15-2730, punishable as provided in Section 125 of the Ordinance Code: up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in county jail, or both. Each day the violation continues, or is permitted to continue, is treated as a separate offense. Appeals of an RMA enforcement decision go to the Local Appeals Board under § 7-15-1050.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has Tulare County adopted a green building code?
Yes. County Ordinance Code § 7-15-2710 adopts the 2022 California Green Buildings Standards Code, Title 24 Part 11 of the California Code of Regulations, in its entirety for construction in the unincorporated area. The county did not write local green-building amendments; it applies the state code as published by the International Code Council, enforced by the Resource Management Agency.
Who enforces the green building code in unincorporated Tulare County?
The Resource Management Agency Director, or an authorized representative, enforces the California Green Buildings Standards Code on buildings and properties within the unincorporated territory under § 7-15-2715. Fees for permit review, inspections and appeals are set by Board of Supervisors resolution under § 7-15-2720, and enforcement decisions may be appealed to the Local Appeals Board.
What is the penalty for violating Tulare County's green building requirements?
Violating the adopted Green Buildings Standards Code, or Article 26, is a misdemeanor under § 7-15-2730, punishable under Section 125 by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both. Each day the violation continues is a separate offense, and the affected party may appeal an RMA decision to the Local Appeals Board under § 7-15-1050.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Tulare County

All Tulare County rules

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