Placer County, CA Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer distance
- 600 ft from schools, parks, churches, libraries, child care
- Property-line setback
- 100 ft from all parcel lines
- Plant/canopy cap
- 6 plants, 50 sq ft per residence
- Screening
- Solid, secure fence required
- Penalty
- $1,000 per excess plant or 25 sq ft
- Enforcement path
- 72-hr notice, then abatement hearing
Summary
Outdoor personal cannabis cultivation in unincorporated Placer County must sit at least 600 feet from any school, church, park, library, fairgrounds, child care center, youth-oriented facility, or the boundary of an incorporated city, plus a separate 100-foot setback from all parcel property lines. County Code Section 8.10.040(A) sets both distances for the six-plant, 50-square-foot personal grow.
The parcel where the outdoor cannabis is cultivated shall not be located within 600 feet of any school, church, park, library, fairgrounds, child care center, youth-oriented facility or the boundary of any incorporated city. Such distance shall be measured in a straight line from the fence or other enclosure to the nearest boundary line of the premises upon which the school, church, park, child care center, or youth-oriented facility is located. For the purposes of this article, a youth-oriented facility is any facility used for and predominantly occupied by individuals under 18 years of age, including (but not limited to) a boys or girls club, an indoor or outdoor soccer field, a little league baseball field, an amusement park, and a community swimming facility.
Full Breakdown
040(A) governs where a personal outdoor cannabis grow can sit on unincorporated land. Two separate distances apply. First, the parcel used for outdoor cultivation cannot be within 600 feet of any school, church, park, library, fairgrounds, child care center, youth-oriented facility, or the boundary of an incorporated city; the county measures that distance in a straight line from the fence or enclosure around the plants to the nearest boundary line of the protected use. Second, and independently, all outdoor cultivation must sit back at least 100 feet from every property line of the parcel, and the grow cannot be closer to a neighboring residence than it is to the grower's own house.
The plants must also be screened by a solid, secure fence from public rights-of-way, easements, and the parcel's exterior boundary so they are not visible to neighbors or passersby. An authorized grower may cultivate on only one parcel, may only grow at their own residence, and the combined medicinal and adult-use canopy cannot exceed 50 square feet or six plants regardless of how many qualified patients or caregivers live there. Growers who rent must get a dated, signed permission statement from every owner, renewed every 12 months.
In the Tahoe Basin, this county setback applies, but a parcel there may also fall under Tahoe Regional Planning Agency land-use rules that are separate from, and not described in, this county ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Growing outside these setbacks is declared a public nuisance and a misdemeanor under Section 8.10.100. Code enforcement first posts and mails a 72-hour notice to abate; only one such notice applies per residence per 12 months unless ownership changes. If the violation continues, the county schedules a nuisance abatement hearing and issues a notice to appear. Under Section 8.10.120, penalties run $1,000 per plant over the six-plant limit or $1,000 per 25 square feet over the 50-square-foot cap, whichever is greater, plus $1,000 per separate violation type such as missing screening or an unsigned permission statement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the 600-foot cannabis buffer measured in Placer County?
Is there also a property-line setback, separate from the 600-foot buffer?
Does the 600-foot buffer apply to cannabis grown indoors?
Does the county setback cover Tahoe Basin properties too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Placer County
California rules heatmap·Compare Placer County to another location·View the California cannabis regulations overview
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