San Bernardino, CA Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential buffer
- 600 feet from residential zoning
- School/daycare/youth center/park buffer
- 600 feet
- Measurement method
- Parcel line to parcel line, straight line
- Religious facilities/libraries
- Considered, not a fixed buffer
- Governing section
- SBMC § 5.10.250(B)
Summary
Cannabis businesses must sit at least 600 feet from any residentially zoned parcel and at least 600 feet from any K-12 school, licensed daycare center, youth center or park, measured parcel line to parcel line, under Municipal Code § 5.10.250(B).
The property on which the cannabis business is located must also meet all of the distance requirements listed in divisions (B)(1) through (B)(3) below... All distances shall be the horizontal distance measured in a straight line from exterior parcel line to exterior parcel line without regard to intervening structures... (1) The parcel shall be no closer than 600 feet of any residentially zoned parcel in the city, the city's sphere of influence, a neighboring incorporated city or unincorporated county. (2) The parcel shall be no closer than 600 feet from any parcel... containing any of the following: (a) A school providing instruction in kindergarten or any grades one through 12... (b) A commercial daycare center licensed by the city, another city or county... (c) A youth center... or (d) A park...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. MC-1666, passed 8-5-2026).
Full Breakdown
250(A). Every commercial cannabis parcel must be no closer than 600 feet from any residentially zoned parcel in the city, the city's sphere of influence, a neighboring incorporated city, or unincorporated county territory. Separately, the parcel must be no closer than 600 feet from any parcel containing a K-12 school (public, private or charter, including preschool and transitional kindergarten), a city- or county-licensed commercial daycare center, a youth center, or a park, so long as that use existed when the permit is issued. Distances are measured as the horizontal straight-line distance from exterior parcel line to exterior parcel line, disregarding intervening structures, except that measurements around freeways, flood control channels, railroads and the Santa Ana River instead follow the shortest path of travel around those features.
250(B)(3) directs the city to consider proximity to those uses when deciding whether to issue a permit and what conditions to attach. 10, including retail, cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and testing operations. 250(C).
Violations & Fines
Locating or operating a commercial cannabis business within a required 600-foot buffer, without a Council-adopted ordinance permitting a lesser distance, violates Chapter 5.10 and can result in permit denial or revocation. Violations are declared a public nuisance under § 5.10.430, with each day treated as a separate offense under § 5.10.440, subject to civil, administrative or criminal remedies under §§ 5.10.450 and 5.10.460.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a San Bernardino cannabis business be from a school?
Does the 600-foot buffer apply to parks and daycare centers too?
Are churches and libraries protected by a fixed distance buffer?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino to another location·View the California cannabis regulations overview
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Buffer Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle buffer zones.