Riverside County, CA Cannabis Regulations: Home Cultivation (2026)

Under California Health & Safety Code §11362.2 (as enacted by Prop 64 in 2016 and amended by MAUCRSA), an adult 21 or older may cultivate up to 6 living cannabis plants at their primary private residence for personal use, with the harvest remaining at the residence. Local governments may adopt reasonable regulations but cannot ban indoor personal cultivation within a private residence. Riverside County Ord. 348.4903 implements the strictest state-permitted regulation for unincorporated areas: all personal cultivation must occur indoors within the residence or within a fully enclosed and locked accessory structure that is not visible from public or neighboring property, with active ventilation and odor control. Outdoor personal cultivation (including inside a fence, behind a wall, or in a greenhouse that is not fully enclosed and locked) is expressly prohibited in unincorporated Riverside County. Plants must not be visible from neighboring property. Commercial cultivation, sales, and processing are separately prohibited in nearly all unincorporated zones except where a Conditional Use Permit is available. Violations are enforced by Code Enforcement with administrative citations up to $1,000 per violation per day, and cannabis may be abated. Smoking cannabis in public and within 1,000 feet of a school or youth center remains a criminal misdemeanor.