Fresno County, CA Ordinances (2026)

Fresno County exempts retaining walls under three feet above finished grade from its Zoning Ordinance setback rules, but a wall located within four feet of the bottom of its footing…

Fresno County allows chain link, louvered glass, stake, steel mesh, and wire mesh fencing under Zoning Ordinance Section 822.3.050, except where chain link is separately prohibited for…

Fresno County limits fence height by zone and yard under Zoning Ordinance Section 822.3.050. Urban residential zones cap front-yard fences at three feet and rear/side fences at seven…

Fresno County lets property owners build fences up to 7 feet along interior side and rear lines in most zones without a zoning permit, but front-yard fences cap at 4 feet in most…

CA Civil Code §841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act) presumes equal cost-sharing for boundary fences. Requires 30 days written notice before construction with cost estimate. §841.4 prohibits…

California native plant landscaping is encouraged and protected under CA Gov Code §65595. Fresno County supports MWELO-compliant native landscaping. Central Valley natives include…

Fresno County Code Section 13.12.060 requires water-efficient landscaping design for any new development project that needs a permit and installs twenty-five hundred square feet or…

In Fresno County's Neighborhood Beautification Overlay Zone, removing any tree six inches or more in trunk diameter from a park strip or public right-of-way requires a permit from the…

Fresno County weed abatement ordinance requires vacant parcels and structure perimeters to be cleared of flammable vegetation annually. 100-ft defensible space required in State…

Artificial turf is protected under CA Civil Code §4735 for residential use; HOAs cannot prohibit drought-tolerant landscaping. Fresno County permits artificial turf in all residential…

Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged under CA AB 1750 (Rainwater Capture Act of 2012). Residential rain barrels don't require permits. Systems >5,000 gallons or connected to…

CA Civil Code §714 (Solar Rights Act) prohibits HOAs from unreasonably restricting solar installations. Restrictions that increase cost >10% or reduce efficiency >10% are unenforceable.

Fresno County runs an expedited, streamlined permitting track for small residential rooftop solar systems under Code Section 15.18.030, adopted under state Government Code Section…

Residential rooftop solar permitted via expedited online process per AB 2188. Fresno County uses SolarAPP+ or equivalent online permitting. Typical turnaround: 1-3 business days.

CA AB 1482 caps annual rent increases in unincorporated Fresno County at 5% + regional CPI, not to exceed 10%. No stricter local rent control.

Fresno County Code Section 15.32.030 defines the specific conditions that make a rental unit legally substandard: inadequate sanitation, structural hazards, hazardous wiring or…

CA AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act) applies in unincorporated Fresno County: just-cause required after 12 months tenancy for covered properties.

Exotic pets follow California Fish & Game Code §2118 and 14 CCR §671 restricted species lists. Ferrets, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, and most non-native wildlife are illegal statewide…

Running a dog-grooming business alongside a single-family home in unincorporated Fresno County is not a by-right use. The Zoning Ordinance's agricultural-zone use table requires a…

Fresno County bans killing, wounding, chasing or capturing any wild bird or animal in county parks and recreation areas under Code Section 13.16.030(F). The rule covers all county park…

Fresno County requires every dog and cat over four months old to be spayed or neutered unless the owner buys an unaltered dog license or a breeding permit. County Code Section 9.05.030…

Fresno County has no cat licensing requirement, but Chapter 9.10 authorizes and regulates a trap-neuter-return protocol for community cats. Under Section 9.10.030, only humane box or…

Fresno County's Zoning Ordinance caps backyard poultry at 24 hens (no roosters) in the R-1-A and R-1-AH residential zones, rising to 100 birds on one-acre-plus Rural Residential lots…

Fresno County's Zoning Ordinance regulates small animal veterinary hospitals and clinics as a specific land use under Section 834.4.350, capping noise at 65 decibels through exterior…

Fresno County allows apiaries and honey extraction plants in any zone where they are a listed use, but Zoning Ordinance Section 834.4.070 imposes fixed setbacks from roads and…

Fresno County requires every licensed dog to carry an identifiable microchip. Under County Code Section 9.04.030, the microchip must be injected by a veterinarian, registered…

Fresno County has no blanket cap on pets kept as personal companions, but County Code Section 9.04.050 requires a kennel license once a property keeps four or more dogs for breeding…

In unincorporated Fresno County it is unlawful to let a dog off the owner's property unless the dog is on a leash, under the owner's immediate control, or inside a county-approved dog…

California law bars Fresno County from banning or restricting dogs by breed. Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683 says no program regulating any dog shall be specific as to breed…

Fresno County bans selling, bartering or giving away a dog or cat in any public place, including streets, malls, flea markets and swap meets, with narrow exceptions. County Code…

SB 946 (2018) legalized sidewalk vending statewide. SB 972 (2023) streamlined MFF zoning. AB 1401 (2022) limits local time/place restrictions. Fresno County zoning sets allowed…

Fresno County treats food trucks and mobile food units as a zoning use, not a sidewalk-vending permit. Section 834.4.130 of the Zoning Ordinance caps drive-through food kiosks at 350…

Fresno County requires a written Department of Public Health permit before operating any food facility, including mobile food trucks and carts, in the unincorporated county. The Zoning…

Fresno County measures building height and sets maximum limits by zone under Zoning Ordinance Section 822.3.060. Height runs from the adjoining curb level, or from finished grade at…

Fresno County caps how much of a parcel a structure can cover under Zoning Ordinance Section 822.3.070, which ties every parcel to the maximum coverage percentage set for its zone in…

Fresno County's Zoning Ordinance sets minimum yard setbacks by zone in Table 2-5: an R-1 lot needs at least 20 feet front and rear, 5 feet on each interior side, and 10 feet on a…

The California Coastal Act does not apply in Fresno County. Fresno County is inland in the San Joaquin Valley with no Pacific coastline, and no portion of the county falls within the…

Fresno County Code Chapter 17.64 requires anyone developing or dividing land in the unincorporated county to pay a local drainage fee before a map records or a development permit…

New construction and substantial improvements in a Fresno County flood hazard area have to elevate the lowest floor at least twelve inches above the base flood elevation. Chapter 15.48…

Fresno County requires owners of specific parcels along the San Joaquin River bluffs between Highways 99 and 41 to maintain a 30-foot firebreak around every inhabited dwelling from…

Fresno County requires every grading permit to complete erosion-control measures before the county will approve final inspection. Chapter 15.28 adopts the California Building Code's…

Fresno County requires a development permit before any construction, fill, grading or manufactured home placement within a mapped area of special flood hazard. Chapter 15.48 implements…

Fresno County's Zoning Ordinance splits home businesses into two tiers. Section 834.4.190 lets Class I home occupations operate with no land use permit if they stay under 50 percent of…

Fresno County caps client visits to a Class II home occupation at 10 customers per day. Section 834.4.190(C)(7) of the Zoning Ordinance also bars the use from generating substantial…

Fresno County's Zoning Ordinance sets specific locational rules for family child day care homes run out of a single-family residence. Large homes caring for nine to 14 children need a…

Fresno County Code Section 11.45.071 bars parking or storing any commercial vehicle over twenty-five feet long or ten thousand pounds gross vehicle weight, including buses, motor…

Fresno County bars parking an ADU's required vehicle in the front yard except on a paved driveway, and lets homeowners meet the one-space ADU parking requirement with tandem parking on…

Fresno County enforces California Vehicle Code 22669 for abandoned vehicles on public roads and private property. Vehicles left on public roads for over 72 hours or lacking current…

Fresno County's own towing rules sit in Chapter 11.46, adopted by Ord. No. 24-009 on June 4, 2024. The Sheriff-Coroner may seize a vehicle for up to 30 days when a driver is arrested…

Fresno County assigns fixed meanings to painted curb colors under Section 11.04.010: red bars stopping, yellow and white mark loading zones, green limits parking to 24 minutes on…

Fresno County's Title 11 traffic code bars stopping, standing, or parking on any county road within thirty feet of a traffic signal, inside a median strip or traffic island, on the…

No blanket countywide overnight on-street parking ban in unincorporated Fresno County. The 72-hour CVC §22651(k) rule applies. Some rural areas post no-overnight parking signs near…

Fresno County must run an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations under Chapter 15.80 of the County Code. The Building Official has to approve…

Fresno County Code Section 11.45.070 bans storing or parking any "prohibited vehicle": recreational vehicles, campers, boats, watercraft trailers, utility trailers, trailer coaches…

Fresno County designates four kinds of curbside loading zones under Chapter 11.16: passenger zones capped at three minutes, freight zones capped at thirty minutes, dedicated bus zones…

Fresno County bars camping on public property outside designated campgrounds under a 2024 ordinance, and gives the county power to abate encampments and camp materials after notice, or…

Any subdivision within 300 feet of an AE, AL, TPZ or RC agricultural zone in Fresno County must record a right-to-farm notice before the county will approve the tentative or final map…

Fresno County Code Section 17.72.075 requires a Right-to-Farm Notice to be recorded with the county recorder before the county approves a subdivision within 300 feet of an AE, AL, TPZ…

Fresno County caps noise from air conditioning and refrigeration equipment at 55 dBA for units installed before July 1, 1980, and 50 dBA for units installed or in use after that date…

Fresno County bars residential waste and garbage collection with truck-mounted loading or compacting equipment before 6 a.m. or after 7 p.m., and phases in stricter noise ceilings for…

Fresno County grants density bonuses up to 50 percent above the General Plan maximum for housing developments that set aside units for low, very-low, or moderate-income households…

Fresno County's Code Enforcement Division investigates substandard housing and dangerous building complaints under Chapter 15.32 and can order repairs within 45 days. State law…

Reserving a Fresno County park or picnic area for a group gathering requires a permit from the director of public works and planning under Code Section 13.16.040(B). Reservations run…

Fresno County requires a Temporary Use Permit before any fair, festival, carnival, swap meet or similar event can operate in the unincorporated county. Section 858.5.050 caps these…

Fresno County allows a displaced homeowner whose residence burned down or was destroyed to place a Tiny House built to Appendix Q of the California Residential Code on the property for…

Fresno County treats a shed or other accessory structure as a full primary structure for setback purposes once it shares a wall with the house or sits within six feet of it, forcing…

Fresno County requires the titled owner of a parcel with a junior accessory dwelling unit to live in either the main house or the JADU as a legal domicile, with a recorded deed…

Fresno County lets owners rent out an ADU but bars any rental term shorter than 30 days and prohibits selling or conveying the ADU separately from the main parcel, closing off…

Fresno County caps detached and attached accessory dwelling units at 850 to 1,200 square feet depending on bedroom count and limits single-story units to 16 feet in height, under the…

Fresno County charges no impact fees, including school fees, on an accessory dwelling unit under 750 square feet; larger ADUs pay a fee prorated to their square footage against the…

Before a new building in Fresno County gets its final approval, the Building Official can issue an interim Safe-to-Occupy or Safe-to-Stock clearance under Code Section 15.04.090 once…

Fresno County Zoning Ordinance Section 834.4.100 sets locational rules for child day care centers and large family day care homes on top of state licensing law. Centers must access a…

Fresno County adopts the 2022 California Electrical Code as its wiring standard under Code Section 15.16.010, and layers on local permit triggers, including a required inspection…

Fresno County only requires fire sprinklers in an accessory dwelling unit if the primary residence on the same parcel already requires them, so a standard single-family home without…

Fresno County adopts the 2022 California Plumbing Code and IAPMO installation standards as its plumbing standard under Code Section 15.20.010, then layers on local permit triggers…

Fresno County adopts the 2022 California Building and Residential Codes' permit requirements under Code Section 15.04.080, letting builders combine building, mechanical, electrical and…

Fresno County adopts the 2022 California Green Building Standards Code by reference for every new building permit issued in the unincorporated area. County Code Chapter 15.22 layers on…

Fresno County bans smoking on grain, grass, brush or timber-covered land between June 1 and October 31 each year under Section 8.32.060. The rule targets wildfire risk on undeveloped…

Fresno County makes it a misdemeanor to urinate or defecate on public property that is not a designated restroom, alongside a companion ban on bathing in public fountains or water…

Fresno County makes it a violation for anyone at a gathering of ten or more people causing a noise disturbance to refuse a sheriff's order to leave, and separately holds an absentee…

Fresno County has no broad, general loitering ordinance for streets or sidewalks. Chapter 10.08's loitering rule reaches only one narrow location: it is unlawful to loiter around the…

Fresno County requires unincorporated-area households to keep single-stream recyclables such as cardboard, glass, plastic and metal cans separated from trash and green waste under…

Fresno County requires multi-family projects with five or more units, plus commercial, industrial, and institutional properties, to provide a screened refuse and recyclable material…

CA SB 1383 (effective 2022) mandates organic waste (food/yard) separation statewide. Fresno County provides three-cart service (trash, recycling, organics) in most areas. AB 341…

In Fresno County's fourteen exclusive solid waste service areas, only the county's designated contractor may collect, transport, or dispose of a household's trash, recyclables, and…

Fresno County requires residents to sort refuse, recyclables, and green waste into the separate cart or bin their contractor provides, and bars hazardous waste, bulky items, and…

Fresno County requires every single-family household, multi-family property and business in the unincorporated area to subscribe to organic waste collection and keep food scraps and…

Fresno County residents cannot set bulky items like refrigerators, mattresses, carpets and furniture out with regular trash. Section 8.21.060(U) of the county code routes these items…

Fresno County requires unincorporated-area households to separate green waste from trash and place it in the county-provided cart for pickup by one of the fourteen exclusive service…

Fresno County treats illegal dumping as a misdemeanor and a public nuisance under Chapter 8.22, adopted by Ordinance No. 24-008 in 2024. Dumping waste matter on public or private…

Fresno County makes it unlawful for a dog owner to let their dog habitually destroy the peace and quiet of a person or neighborhood through barking or howling. County Code Section…

Fresno County exempts construction noise from its standard decibel limits only between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends; construction noise outside those…

Fresno County exempts routine residential maintenance noise, mowers, blowers, and similar equipment, from its noise standards only between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. and 9…

Fresno County Code Section 13.16.030(L) bars anyone in a county park or recreation area from running a loudspeaker or similar device that produces amplified sound louder than fifty…

Fresno County caps exterior noise measured at any affected home, school, hospital, church, or library on a sliding five-category scale, from 50 dBA daytime and 45 dBA nighttime for…

Fresno County exempts on-location filming of commercials, movies and videos from the Temporary Use Permit otherwise required for short-term land uses, but the Director of Public Works…

Fresno County requires an encroachment permit from the director of public works before anyone builds sidewalks, curbs, driveway approaches, pipelines, or excavations within a…

Fresno County bans sitting, lying, sleeping, or storing property on streets, sidewalks, trails, and other public rights-of-way under Section 10.70.050. Extra buffer distances apply…

Fresno County prohibits blinking, flashing, rotating, or animated signs countywide, including electronic message displays, with a narrow carve-out for time, temperature, and weather…

Fresno County exempts holiday displays and decorations from zoning sign permits, but only for 60 days and only if they do not create a traffic hazard or sit in a visual setback area…

Fresno County caps window display signs at 25 percent of the window area on which they are placed. The rule sits inside the zoning ordinance's standards for specific sign types…

Political signs are constitutionally protected content-neutral speech under Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015). Fresno County cannot regulate political signs differently from other…

Fresno County Code Section 11.46.100 requires any impound facility holding a vehicle seized under the county's nuisance-vehicle-seizure chapter to accept cash or a valid bank credit or…

Fresno County requires anyone in the unincorporated area who buys, sells, trades, pawns, or auctions secondhand or used goods to hold a license under County Code Chapter 6.24 before…

Fresno County requires anyone operating a body art or tattoo facility to first obtain a written permit from the Department of Public Health; operating without one, or after a permit…

Fresno County requires a sheriff-issued massage establishment permit, CAMTC certification, and a Chapter 6.04 business license before anyone can offer massage services for compensation…

Fresno County confines adult businesses to the M-1, M-2, and M-3 industrial zoning districts and keeps them at least 1,000 feet from schools, day nurseries, and other adult businesses…

Fresno County protects designated historic resources through an opt-in HP Overlay District under Zoning Ordinance Section 818.2.090. A property owner listed on the county's historic…

Fresno County limits how much light a property owner can throw onto a neighbor's land under Zoning Ordinance Section 820.3.080. Indirect illumination of abutting properties cannot…

Fresno County requires exterior lighting on private property to be directed downward and shielded so light and glare stay within the parcel, under Zoning Ordinance Section 820.3.080…

Fresno County caps how billboard and sign lighting may be aimed: illumination must concentrate on the sign face itself and minimize glare onto streets or neighboring parcels, under…

Above-ground pools >24 inches deep in Fresno County subject to CA Pool Safety Act: barrier/ladder removal required. Permit from County Building Dept needed for pools >18 inches deep or…

Pool barriers required per CA Building Code Title 24 Ch. 31 and CA H&S §115920. Minimum 60-inch barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates. Enforced via Fresno County Building Dept.

Fresno County Code Title 15 defines blight: junk, abandoned vehicles, weeds, debris. Code Enforcement issues notices with 30-day compliance window.

Not applicable. Fresno County's Central Valley climate does not accumulate snow. Mountain unincorporated areas (Shaver Lake, Huntington Lake) have no local snow ordinance.

Fresno County's Courthouse Park closes to loitering between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. under Code Section 13.20.060(C). Anyone in the park during those hours may only pass through on the…

Minors in unincorporated Fresno County face a nightly curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. under Chapter 10.40. It is unlawful for anyone under 18 to be in a public place or business…

CA PRC §4291 requires 100 ft of defensible space around structures in State Responsibility Areas (SRA) and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Zone 0 (0-5 ft): ember-resistant; Zone…

California Health and Safety Code 13113.7 requires smoke alarms in all existing dwellings in Fresno County, including single-family homes, apartments, and mobile homes. Detectors must…

Fresno County requires residential liquified propane storage tanks to be installed to NFPA 58 standards, and any tank of 125 gallons or more has to stay clear of the property's fire…

Eastern Fresno County foothills are designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) by CAL FIRE. New construction in SRA/VHFHSZ must comply with CA Building Code Chapter 7A…

Fresno County requires a fire official's permit before anyone can sell 'safe and sane' fireworks, and Section 8.36.040 bans discharging fireworks entirely in specific fire-prone areas…

Fresno County pays cash rewards to residents who report illegal dumping. Section 8.22.170 of the county code lets anyone whose tip leads to a fully collected citation, order or…

CA AB 1699 (2020) standardized 'No Soliciting' signs as legally enforceable. Fresno County respects posted notices. Door-to-door commercial solicitation requires compliance with county…

CA Prop 64 allows adults 21+ to grow up to 6 plants per residence for personal use. Fresno County requires indoor-only cultivation; all outdoor personal cultivation banned per County…

Fresno County bans cannabis dispensaries outright. Chapter 10.60, adopted to preserve public peace and safety, declares that a dispensary is a prohibited use in every zone district in…

Fresno County lets a resident hold occasional garage sales on their own property without a business license, but only up to six sales in any one-year period under County Code Section…

Fresno County has no dedicated data center ordinance. In unincorporated areas a data center is treated as an industrial use, sited in the M-1, M-2, or M-3 industrial districts under…

Fresno County's Noise Control ordinance (County Code Chapter 8.40, Ordinance 24-021) caps exterior noise at an affected home at 50 dBA during the day and 45 dBA at night. Data center…

Fresno County Code Section 11.40.050 makes it unlawful for anyone to drive or ride any vehicle or animal other than a human-powered bicycle on a public bicycle path once the county has…

Fresno County puts rodent and predatory-animal control in the hands of the agricultural commissioner, not property owners. When an infestation exists anywhere in the unincorporated…