San Bernardino, CA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitted zones
- CG, CG-2, CG-3, CR-2, CR-3, CCS-1/2, CH, IL, IH, OIP
- Retail/microbusiness cap
- 17 permits citywide
- Governing chapter
- SBMC Chapter 5.10
- Enforcing department
- Community Development and Housing
- Unauthorized location
- Declared a public nuisance
Summary
San Bernardino has not opted out of commercial cannabis. Businesses may operate only on property zoned CG, CG-2, CG-3, CR-2, CR-3, CCS-1, CCS-2, CH, IL, IH or OIP under Municipal Code Chapter 5.10, and only after winning one of a capped number of city-issued permits.
Commercial cannabis businesses are permitted to engage in commercial cannabis activities subject to the following zoning and locational requirements. (A) The commercial cannabis business must be located on property zoned CG ("Commercial General"), CG-2 (Commercial General-2"), CG-3 ("Commercial General-3"), CR-2 ("Commercial Regional-Downtown"), CR-3 ("Commercial-Tri-City Club"), CCS-1 ("Central City South"), CCS-2 ("Central City"), CH ("Commercial Heavy"), IL ("Industrial Light"), IH ("Industrial Heavy"), OIP ("Office Industrial Park") or as such successor zones as may be created by the Mayor and City Council from time to time, and must meet all of the requirements for development in these zones.
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
10 of the San Bernardino Municipal Code sets up a permitted, permit-capped commercial cannabis program rather than a ban. 250(A) restricts every commercial cannabis business, whether retail, cultivation, manufacturing, distribution or testing, to eleven specific commercial and industrial zoning districts: CG (Commercial General), CG-2, CG-3, CR-2 (Commercial Regional-Downtown), CR-3 (Commercial-Tri-City Club), CCS-1 and CCS-2 (Central City South/Central City), CH (Commercial Heavy), IL (Industrial Light), IH (Industrial Heavy) and OIP (Office Industrial Park). A business must also meet every underlying development standard that already applies to that zone.
080 caps the total number of permits at one per 12,500 residents citywide based on the state Department of Finance population estimate, unless the Mayor and City Council vote to raise the cap; the Council has since raised the retail and microbusiness-with-retail cap to 17 permits, while non-retail cannabis business types (cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, testing) are not numerically capped but remain confined to the same eleven zones. 030. 250(C), and must be sized to accommodate required yards, walls, fences, parking, loading and landscaping. The Department of Community Development and Housing reviews applications for zoning compliance before a permit issues.
Violations & Fines
Operating a commercial cannabis business outside the eleven permitted zones, or without a city-issued commercial cannabis business permit, violates Chapter 5.10 and is enforceable as a public nuisance under § 5.10.430, with each day of violation treated as a separate offense under § 5.10.440. The city may pursue permit revocation, civil, administrative or criminal penalties, and injunctive relief; remedies are cumulative, not exclusive, under § 5.10.460.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a cannabis dispensary open anywhere zoned commercial in San Bernardino?
Is there a limit on how many dispensaries San Bernardino allows?
Has San Bernardino opted out of allowing cannabis businesses?
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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Dispensary Zoning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle dispensary zoning.