Fence Regulations in Oxnard, CA (2026)
5 verified fence regulations for Oxnard, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Oxnard splits fence height rules by yard location: front yards cap solid fences at 18 inches and open fences at 42 inches, while side and rear lot lines allow up to seven feet, dropping to six feet along a corner lot's street side yard, under Sections 16-308 and 16-309.
Oxnard Fence Height Limits by Yard
Some RestrictionsOxnard Code of Ordinances §§ 16-308, 16-309
(A) Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, openwork fences, railings guarding depressed ramps, boundary hedges, and landscaping or architectural features...may be located in any required front yard, providing such structures or hedges shall not exceed 42 inches in height and are 50 percent or more open. (B) Walls and solid fences which do not exceed 18 inches in height may be located in fro...
Fence Permit Requirements
Oxnard requires an encroachment permit before anyone builds a fence or wall within a city right-of-way or on city-owned property. Section 16-314 caps that fence at three and a half feet, requires it to be at least half see-through, and bans fencing entirely in the parkway strip.
Oxnard Fence Permits on City Property
Significant RestrictionsOxnard Code of Ordinances § 16-314
No person may erect or maintain any fence or wall within any right-of-way or real property owned by the city without an encroachment permit issued by the city. Only a 50% or more see-through fence of a height no greater than three and one-half feet shall be permitted. No fence shall be permitted in the parkway area which is located between the street and public sidewalk. A fence encroachment pe...
Neighbor Fence Rules
Oxnard follows California's Good Neighbor Fence law (Civil Code §841), which presumes equal cost sharing for boundary fences. The finished side of a fence should face outward toward the neighbor.
Oxnard Neighbor Fence Rules
Few RestrictionsCal. Civ. Code § 841
841. (a) Adjoining landowners shall share equally in the responsibility for maintaining the boundaries and monuments between them. (b) (1) Adjoining landowners are presumed to share an equal benefit from any fence dividing their properties and, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties in a written agreement, shall be presumed to be equally responsible for the reasonable costs of construction, ...
Retaining Walls
In Oxnard's front yards, Sec. 16-308(B) caps solid walls and fences at 18 inches, but expressly does not limit retaining wall height elsewhere on the lot; a front yard retaining wall can only rise 18 inches higher than the soil it holds back. Separately, any retaining wall over 3 feet needs a building permit under Sec. 14-3(C).
Oxnard Front Yard Retaining Wall Height Limit
Some RestrictionsOxnard Code of Ordinances § 16-308(B)
SEC. 16-308. FENCES, HEDGES, HEIGHT LIMITATIONS; FRONT YARD. (B) Walls and solid fences which do not exceed 18 inches in height may be located in front yard areas. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the height of retaining walls, except that front yard retaining walls will not be more than 18 inches higher than the soil retained.
Material Restrictions
Oxnard bans barbed wire, broken glass, and any protruding sharp or dangerous object from fences and walls citywide under Section 16-312, with one narrow carve-out: barbed wire or chain-link may protect actively cultivated commercial agricultural fields and may be used in industrial zones.
Oxnard Fence Material Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsOxnard Code of Ordinances § 16-312
Barbed wire, broken glass or any protruding sharp and dangerous object shall not be incorporated into fences or walls, except that barbed wire or chain-link fences may be erected to protect commercial agricultural fields being cultivated, and such fences may be used in any industrial zones.
Looking for Ventura County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Oxnard city rules.
Fence Regulations in Ventura County →