Solar Energy in Merced County, CA (2026)
2 rules for unincorporated Merced County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Merced County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.
Panel Permits
Small residential rooftop solar systems in unincorporated Merced County go through the building and safety division on a published checklist, with the applicant confirming roof and electrical capacity before filing.
Merced County Solar Panel Permit Steps
Some RestrictionsMerced County Code § 16.18.030(D), (E)
The applicant may submit the permit application and associated documentation to the Merced County building and safety division by personal, mailed, or electronic submittal together with any required permit processing and inspection fees. ... Prior to submitting an application, the applicant shall: 1. Verify to the applicant's reasonable satisfaction through the use of standard engineering evalu...
Expedited Solar Permitting
Merced County guarantees a one-inspection, checklist-based expedited process for qualifying small residential rooftop solar systems, implementing the mandate in California Government Code § 65850.5.
Merced County Expedited Solar Permit Rule
Light RestrictionsMerced County Code § 16.18.030(B), (C), (F)
Section 65850.5 of the California Government Code provides that, on or before September 30, 2015, every city, county, or city and county shall adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process for small residential rooftop solar energy systems. ... The building official is hereby authorized and directed to develop and adopt such checklist. ... For a small residential ...
All Merced County ordinances
See every category we cover for Merced County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Merced County Ordinance Hub →