Redwood City, CA Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer distance
- 600 feet, all protected uses
- Protected uses
- Schools, child care, parks, youth centers, libraries
- Measurement method
- Straight line, property line to property line
- Counts even if not yet built
- Existing or entitled protected uses both count
- Family child care homes
- Excluded from the buffer requirement
- Applies to
- Nurseries, delivery centers, storefront retail
Summary
Redwood City keeps every commercial cannabis use at least 600 feet from schools, licensed child care facilities, public parks, youth centers and libraries, measured property line to property line, whether the protected use already exists or is only entitled.
A. Minimum Distance of Six Hundred (600) Feet. Commercial cannabis activity shall not be established within six hundred (600) feet of any of the following, whether existing or entitled: 1. Schools as defined in Section 59.3 (Definitions). 2. Child care facility as defined in Article 2 (Definitions) excluding large and small family child care homes. 3. Public Parks as defined in Section 59.3 (Definitions). 4. Youth Centers as defined in Section 59.3 (Definitions). 5. Libraries as defined in Section 59.3 (Definitions). B. Measurement of Distance. The required minimum distance is measured horizontally in a straight line from the property line of the protected use to the property line of the lot containing the commercial cannabis activity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Zoning Code: Supplement 29 | City Code: Supplement 61 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Zoning Ordinance Section 59.5 sets a single, citywide 600-foot buffer: commercial cannabis activity cannot be established within six hundred feet of a school as defined in Section 59.3, a child care facility as defined in Article 2 (excluding large and small family child care homes), a public park as defined in Section 59.3, a youth center as defined in Section 59.3, or a library as defined in Section 59.3. The protection applies to protected uses that are 'existing or entitled,' meaning an approved-but-not-yet-built school or park counts just as much as one already operating.
Section 59.5(B) fixes how the distance is measured: horizontally, in a straight line, from the property line of the protected use to the property line of the lot containing the cannabis activity, so the calculation ignores building setbacks or indoor floor plans. The definitions carried over from Section 59.3 matter here: 'Library' is limited to the Redwood City Downtown Library and the Fair Oaks, Schaberg and Redwood Shores branch libraries; 'School' covers kindergarten through senior high and other institutions offering state-required instruction, but excludes community colleges and universities; 'Public Park' covers all grounds and facilities under any governmental agency's jurisdiction used for park and recreation purposes; and 'Youth Center' tracks the definition in California Health and Safety Code Section 11353.1.
This buffer requirement applies to every use permitted under Section 59.4, indoor nurseries, delivery centers and storefront retail alike, before a Cannabis Business Permit under Municipal Code Chapter 32 can issue. Section 59.5 was added by Ordinance No. 1130-372 on May 7, 2018, replacing an earlier version of the section that had banned personal cultivation outright, and was last amended by Ordinance No. 1130-382 on November 9, 2020.
Violations & Fines
A cannabis use sited inside the 600-foot buffer is not a permitted use, so it is subject to Article 50's enforcement remedies under Section 59.7, and each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense with its own penalty. Section 59.8 further authorizes the City to declare the noncompliant use a public nuisance and abate it directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the 600-foot cannabis buffer measured in Redwood City?
Does the buffer apply to a school that has not opened yet?
Are home day cares included in the cannabis buffer distance?
Which libraries count as protected uses under the buffer rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redwood City
California rules heatmap·Compare Redwood City to another location·View the California cannabis regulations overview
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