Humboldt County, CA Ordinances (2026)

Humboldt County Animal Control (operated by the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office) enforces dog-at-large and leash rules in unincorporated areas, and California state law requires every…

In unincorporated Humboldt County, the keeping of chickens, poultry, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and other livestock is governed by the County's Inland and Coastal Zoning Regulations…

Humboldt County does not impose a breed-specific dog ban, and California state law affirmatively prohibits any local ordinance that is 'specific as to breed' for the purpose of…

Neither California state law nor Humboldt County's published Animal Control materials set a hard numeric cap on companion pets per household in unincorporated areas, but once the…

Humboldt County relies primarily on California Vehicle Code §22651 to tow vehicles parked over 72 hours and on CVC §§22660-22669 (Abandoned Vehicle Abatement) plus the county Safe…

Humboldt County prohibits overnight parking (typically 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) on many specific county roads including all of Patrick's Point Drive, both sides of Scenic Drive, Hatchery…

Humboldt County has no general countywide ban on parking an RV or boat on your own private property, but several code sections specifically prohibit parking vehicles six feet or taller…

Humboldt County does not have a single dedicated commercial-vehicle parking ordinance; commercial trucks must follow the same HCC §431-1 rules as all vehicles plus state-level…

Humboldt County Code Title IV, Division 3, Chapter 1 sets countywide rules for stopping, standing and parking on streets in unincorporated areas: you must obey posted signs, park off…

Maximum overnight occupancy is two persons per bedroom plus one (children under 12 excluded), and total STRs cannot exceed 2% of housing stock in the Greater Humboldt Bay Area (5% in…

Every Humboldt County STR operator must collect a 12% Transient Occupancy Tax on rent from stays of 30 days or fewer, register for a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate within…

Unincorporated Humboldt County requires a Short-Term Rental Permit (Administrative Permit) before operating any whole-unit or home-share rental of 30 days or fewer, with capped totals…

Small backyard recreational fires (warming, cooking, ceremony) do not need an air-district or CAL FIRE permit, but state law requires 100 feet of defensible space around every…

Unincorporated Humboldt County is a Safe and Sane county - only State Fire Marshal-approved sparklers, fountains and ground-based novelties are legal. All aerial and exploding…

Open burning of natural vegetation requires a North Coast Unified AQMD permit year-round plus a CAL FIRE permit during fire season (May 1 through end of season). Burning trash, painted…

Persistent dog barking in unincorporated Humboldt County is regulated as a public nuisance. The General Plan's Noise Element provides numeric Lmax limits applicable to dogs at…

Humboldt County's General Plan Noise Element exempts heavy equipment and power tools used during construction of permitted structures from the Lmax noise standards, provided the work…

The Humboldt County General Plan Noise Element sets nighttime maximum noise standards of 60 dBA for single-family residential zones (RS, R-1, R-2, NR) measured 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., with…

Aircraft-in-flight noise is preempted by the FAA, but Humboldt County manages ground-level airport noise impacts through 65 CNEL Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans. Standard N-S2…

Amplified music in unincorporated Humboldt County must comply with the General Plan Lmax noise standards (65 dBA day / 60 dBA night at residential property lines), unless held under an…

Fences six feet or under do not need a Humboldt County building or zoning permit. A building permit from the Building Inspection Division is required for any fence taller than six…

California Civil Code Section 841 (the Good Neighbor Fence Act) governs shared boundary fences in unincorporated Humboldt County. Adjoining landowners are presumed equally responsible…

In residential front-yard setbacks, only fences that are at least 70% open to the passage of light and air qualify for the taller 7-foot allowance. Chain link or other woven wire…

In unincorporated Humboldt County residential zones (RS, R-1, R-2), solid fences within the front-yard setback are capped at 3 feet, while open fences (at least 70% open to light and…

Humboldt County's zoning standards for home-based businesses prohibit outside activity or storage, cap business use at 25% of one floor of the dwelling, prohibit non-resident…

For Cottage Industries, Humboldt County allows only one sign, no larger than two square feet, non-moving, with non-flashing illumination (if any). Home Occupations and…

In Humboldt County's State Responsibility Area and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, California Public Resources Code section 4291 requires maintenance of 100 feet of defensible…

Since January 1, 2023, Humboldt County's Building Division enforces California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) for new and renovated landscapes in unincorporated…

Humboldt County does not impose a fixed grass-height limit (e.g., 6 or 12 inches) by ordinance in unincorporated areas. Instead, tall, dry vegetation can be abated as a public nuisance…

Humboldt County permits accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and junior ADUs in any zone allowing single-family or multifamily residential use, with ministerial 60-day approval, 4-foot…

One-story detached sheds 120 sq ft or smaller are exempt from a Humboldt County building permit under the adopted California Building Code, but they must still meet zoning setbacks and…

Humboldt County allows conversion of an existing garage or accessory structure into an ADU or JADU with zero required setback, ministerial approval, no separate utility connection…

Humboldt County has no dedicated data center ordinance. In the unincorporated county a data center is an industrial use for the ML, MG, or MH districts, needing a Use Permit, CEQA…

Humboldt County has no data-center or standalone noise ordinance. A facility's cooling and generators are held to the General Plan Noise Element short-term standards (Policy N-S7): 65…