Monterey County, CA Ordinances (2026)

In unincorporated Monterey County, a building cannot be listed as a historic or cultural resource, or "landmark," without Board of Supervisors approval under County Code Chapter 18.25…

Monterey County outright bars overnight camping on public property and roads: Monterey County Code § 14.18.020 makes it unlawful to camp on any public road or public property between…

Card rooms in unincorporated Monterey County need a Sheriff-issued license under County Code Section 11.24.040. The Card Room Ordinance caps the whole unincorporated county at fifteen…

County parks in Monterey County restrict generator use rather than banning it outright: Monterey County Code § 14.12.050(A)(22) makes it unlawful to run a generator in an area the…

Anyone practicing tattooing, permanent cosmetics or body piercing in Monterey County needs a Department of Health permit under County Code Section 10.91.040. Unlike most Title 10…

Operating a massage establishment in unincorporated Monterey County requires a Sheriff-issued license under County Code Section 11.25.040. Individual massage technicians need a…

Unincorporated Monterey County requires every tobacco retailer, including vape and e-cigarette sellers, to hold a Tobacco Retailer License from the Health Officer under Chapter 7.80…

Monterey County bars adult entertainment facilities within 1,000 feet of any residential zoning district, school, church, park or recreation facility used by minors, or another adult…

Anyone who wants to run a junk shop, junkyard, or itinerant junk-buying business in unincorporated Monterey County needs the Board of Supervisors' permission under Monterey County Code…

Monterey County bans licensed tobacco retailers in the unincorporated area from selling flavored tobacco products. County Code § 7.80.040(G) makes it a violation to sell, offer for…

Monterey County will not release an unclaimed dog or cat for adoption from the County Animal Shelter unless it is already sterilized, or the adopter signs a written agreement to have…

Monterey County Code section 21.17.040 lists "Veterinary clinics and animal hospitals" among the discretionary uses in Mixed Use (MU) zoning districts in the unincorporated county, so…

Keeping chickens in unincorporated Monterey County is governed by zoning. The County's low-density residential rules allow animal husbandry and small livestock farming on suitably…

Unincorporated Monterey County does not set a flat numeric cap on pet dogs or cats per home in its animal control materials. Instead, breeding triggers kennel status: under MCC…

It is unlawful for any owner or custodian to let a dog run at-large in unincorporated Monterey County, licensed or not; a first offense is an infraction, but the violation becomes a…

Monterey County Code § 8.42.012 makes it unlawful to feed or intentionally supply food to any non-domesticated animal anywhere in the unincorporated county, closing off the deer…

Monterey County treats cats more lightly than dogs: an owner may obtain a license for a cat four months or older but is not required to, unlike the mandatory dog license. Cats are not…

Monterey County Code section 21.17.040 places a pet grooming facility on the discretionary use list for Mixed Use (MU) zoning districts in the unincorporated county, meaning it is not…

Unincorporated Monterey County does not ban any dog breed. California law (Food and Agricultural Code section 31683) prohibits breed-specific dog regulation, except that local…

Monterey County bans smoking in most enclosed public places across the unincorporated county, but treats outdoor spots differently: county parks, recreation areas and trails are…

Drinking beer, wine or any intoxicating beverage on a public street, sidewalk, alley, mall, plaza, parking lot, or bus or train depot in unincorporated Monterey County is prohibited…

In unincorporated Monterey County, riding a skateboard is banned outright on the east side of Mercurio Road's drainage ditch and on Olmstead Road and Jacks Peak Drive, and it becomes…

It is unlawful in unincorporated Monterey County for anyone over age ten to willfully and knowingly urinate or defecate in a public place outside a restroom, in a spot open to public…

Monterey County collects a 10.5 percent transient occupancy tax on every hotel, motel, inn, mobile home and licensed vacation rental stay of 30 days or less in the unincorporated area…

Monterey County escalates civil penalties for repeat vacation rental violations under Chapter 7.120. A first violation tops out at 175 percent of the advertised daily rate or $1,000, a…

Every licensed vacation rental in unincorporated Monterey County must register for a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate and hold a county business license before renting. County Code…

Monterey County's vacation rental ordinance limits guest occupancy based on the number of bedrooms, generally about two adults per bedroom with an overall maximum for larger homes…

Monterey County lets an owner-occupied 'homestay' operate on an ongoing basis, unlike a limited vacation rental capped at three bookings a year. County Code § 7.120.050 limits a…

In unincorporated Monterey County, a homestay-type vacation rental must be the owner's primary residence. County Code § 7.120.020(J) defines a homestay as a rental where the owner…

Vacation rentals in unincorporated Monterey County may never use outside amplified sound, at any hour. County Code § 7.120.040(G) bars operators from making, allowing, or causing…

Monterey County doesn't require the owner personally on site, but every vacation rental in the unincorporated area must have a property manager reachable around the clock. County Code…

Monterey County requires vacation rentals in the unincorporated area to document on-site parking before they can be licensed. Commercial vacation rentals must meet the standard zoning…

Booking platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo must police Monterey County vacation rental listings or face fines. County Code § 7.120.080 requires hosting platforms to display the license…

A non-hosted 'limited vacation rental' in unincorporated Monterey County can be rented no more than three times in any 12-month period. County Code § 7.120.020(N) defines the category…

Unincorporated Monterey County requires a Vacation Rental Operation License for all short-term rentals. Commercial vacation rentals additionally need a Use Permit (inland) or Coastal…

Monterey County does not tax all businesses; Monterey County Code Section 7.02.060 requires a business license only for three classes operating in the unincorporated area: commercial…

Filming on Monterey County roads in the unincorporated area triggers a separate road usage fee on top of the film permit fee under Monterey County Code Section 7.50.080, and the Public…

Any commercial movie, television, or commercial production filming on Monterey County roads or county-owned land or buildings in the unincorporated area must first get a Monterey…

Every property owner in unincorporated Monterey County must separate recyclables from other solid waste and put them in a distinct approved container under Monterey County Code §…

Monterey County Code § 10.41.030 requires permittees and franchisees to collect solid waste from every occupied residence, apartment and business in a designated mandatory collection…

In unincorporated Monterey County, single-family households must subscribe to the County's organic waste collection service and put yard waste, defined in Monterey County Code §…

Implementing state SB 1383, Monterey County Code Chapter 10.45 applies only in the unincorporated area (§ 10.45.020) and requires every single-family household to subscribe to the…

Every owner of premises in unincorporated Monterey County where solid waste is created must keep enough approved containers on-site to hold refuse between collections under Monterey…

Dumping refuse anywhere except a permitted disposal facility is banned in unincorporated Monterey County under Monterey County Code § 10.41.040(A). A County Enforcement Official can…

Chapter 16.14 of the Monterey County Code bans non-stormwater discharges into the county storm drain system across the unincorporated urbanized areas, exempting agriculture, and…

Development in Monterey County's Special Flood Hazard Areas, the 100-year floodplain shown on FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps plus land within 200 feet of a river or 50 feet of a…

Any development in the Monterey County Coastal Zone requires a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) under MCC Title 20 Chapter 20.70 and the California Coastal Act (Cal. Public Resources…

Monterey County Code Section 16.08.340 requires anyone grading land in the unincorporated county to prepare and maintain disturbed surfaces to control erosion, using fast-germinating…

Monterey County Code Section 16.16.050(C) requires new construction and substantial improvements in Special Flood Hazard Areas to elevate the lowest floor, including any basement, at…

Monterey County Code § 10.41.020(E) bans letting solid waste pile up on any unincorporated-county property if the accumulation breeds or attracts flies or rodents, creates odors, or…

Monterey County Code § 18.15.040(E) requires every apartment house or hotel in the unincorporated area that rents out furnished beds to keep mattresses, sheets, blankets, and bedding…

Reserving a Monterey County park facility, gathering more than fifty people, or using amplified sound in a County park all require a permit under Code § 14.12.040(D). Events expected…

Anyone who sets up a temporary stand or door-to-door display to sell goods, wares or produce at a street fair, festival or similar event in unincorporated Monterey County is an…

Monterey County requires a special event encroachment permit before any parade, marathon, walkathon, or similar assembly uses a County highway, per Code § 14.04.020(B). Applications…

Monterey County lets residents of a cul-de-sac close their street for a block party through an abbreviated version of its special event encroachment permit, per Code § 14.04.055(D)…

Monterey County bans flying or landing a drone in any County park without a permit, and even then approval is one-time and case-by-case, under Code § 14.12.050(A)(19). The same section…

Monterey County bans flying or landing drones and model airplanes in any County park without a permit under Monterey County Code § 14.12.050(A)(19). The Parks Director issues approval…

Monterey County keeps cannabis retailers and cultivation sites at least 600 feet from any K-12 school, child care center, youth center, playground, or drug recovery facility, measured…

In the unincorporated inland area, Monterey County confines cannabis retailers to Light Commercial, Heavy Commercial, and Mixed Use zoning districts, and confines cultivation to Light…

Monterey County has adopted the 2025 California Plumbing Code, based on the 2014 Uniform Plumbing Code, as its Plumbing Code for unincorporated areas, with the chapter's own local…

Monterey County has adopted the 2025 California Electrical Code, based on the 2020 National Electrical Code, as its Electrical Code for unincorporated areas, with the chapter's local…

In unincorporated Monterey County, the Fire Code's local amendments require automatic fire sprinklers when the Fire Code Official conditions a project under MC101.1, covering…

In unincorporated Monterey County, a building permit is required for nearly all construction, alteration, repair or demolition work unless the project falls within a narrow list of…

Monterey County Code § 18.11.010 adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code, Title 24 Part 11 (CALGreen), as the county's Green Building Standards Code, with local…

Monterey County ties a building permit's validity to actually completing inspections: under the county's amendment to CBC § 105.5, work is deemed suspended or abandoned, and the permit…

Major landscape projects (2,500+ square feet) in unincorporated Monterey County must use recycled water for irrigation and water features whenever the county determines recycled water…

Unincorporated Monterey County caps grass turf at 20% of the landscape area, or 1,500 square feet, whichever is less, for residential projects that trigger the county's landscape…

In unincorporated Monterey County, small rooftop solar systems up to 10 kilowatts AC (or 30 kilowatts thermal) on a detached single-family home or duplex qualify for a…

Any photovoltaic installation permitted in unincorporated Monterey County must meet the local Fire Code amendments in Chapter 18.09, including a red "SOLAR DISCONNECT INSIDE PANEL"…

Monterey County's Housing Code, Chapter 18.15, applies only in the unincorporated area and defines when a rental dwelling, hotel, or apartment becomes a 'substandard building' subject…

In Monterey County's Coastal Zone, community information and directional signs are allowed only on property adjacent to freeways leading to or through cities and communities, capped at…

Monterey County Code Chapter 16.24 lets political signs go up no earlier than sixty days before an election and requires them removed within ten days after it, backed by a written…

Monterey County Code § 20.60.100(B) prohibits any sign 'with flashing, moving, or animated illumination' in every unincorporated zoning district, which bars true digital or electronic…

In Monterey County's Coastal Zone, an owner who builds a junior accessory dwelling unit must live in either the remaining part of the main house or in the JADU itself, unless the owner…

Unincorporated Monterey County allows converting an existing garage into an ADU under section 21.64.030. No setback is required for a garage converted (or demolished and rebuilt) as an…

Small one-story sheds in unincorporated Monterey County (240 sq ft or less, no utilities) generally do not need a building permit, but Planning rules such as zoning setbacks and design…

Unincorporated Monterey County permits one ADU plus one JADU on lots with a single-family dwelling. Inland (Title 21, section 21.64.030) ADUs may not exceed 1,200 sq ft; JADUs max 500…

Monterey County's Coastal Zone ADU and JADU regulations bar renting an accessory dwelling unit, junior accessory dwelling unit, or any part of one for 30 consecutive days or fewer; a…

Monterey County's building-permit exemptions distinguish fence materials: concrete/masonry fences are exempt up to 6 ft, wood/vinyl/metal up to 8 ft, and open metal up to 10 ft. Above…

Per the Monterey County Building & Planning Services FAQ, a building permit is NOT required for concrete/masonry fences not over 6 ft, wood/vinyl/metal fences not over 8 ft, and open…

In unincorporated Monterey County, the Building & Planning Services FAQ states a fence generally may not exceed six feet high unless it meets the setback required for a non-habitable…

In unincorporated Monterey County, a retaining wall built under a building permit for a structure's footings does not need a separate grading permit under Chapter 16.08, but that…

Monterey County's unincorporated residential zoning caps building height by structure type and district: a Low Density Residential main dwelling tops out at 30 feet, Medium and Rural…

Monterey County sets minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks by residential zoning district under Title 21. A Low Density Residential main dwelling needs 30 feet in front, 20 feet…

Monterey County caps how much of a residential lot can be covered by structures, and the cap moves with zoning density: Low Density Residential parcels top out at 35% coverage under…

Monterey County's landscape ordinance regulates real turf grass, not artificial turf: Chapter 16.63 caps mowed-grass turf at 20% of the landscape area (or 1,500 square feet) on…

Unincorporated Monterey County sets no cosmetic limit on a watered, maintained lawn. The control on tall, dry grass is fire-driven: County fuel-management guidance directs cutting dead…

There is no single countywide watering schedule. Outdoor water rules come from each water provider plus statewide law: California permanently bans wasteful practices like runoff…

Routine pruning of ordinary private trees in unincorporated Monterey County needs no permit, but the County's protected-tree rules limit cutting of oaks and other protected species…

New construction inside the Cal-Am Water Service Area of unincorporated Monterey County must use low water use or native plant material in its exterior landscaping, plus low…

For new accessory dwelling units proposed in the North County Land Use Plan Area of Monterey County's Coastal Zone, the county lets builders satisfy part of the mandatory…

Monterey County Code § 10.45.030(F) defines 'community composting' as on-site composting of green, agricultural, food and vegetative food material capped at 100 cubic yards and 750…

Building a swimming pool, spa or hot tub in unincorporated Monterey County requires a building permit from the Housing and Community Development Department. Work must meet the adopted…

The county's Property Maintenance Code (Ch. 18.14) makes a blighted structure or premises a public nuisance: vacant buildings and land must stay clean, safe, and sanitary so they don't…

Monterey County's Agricultural Commissioner can move onto private property, including vacant and unimproved land, to eradicate officially classified noxious weeds under Monterey County…

Every new development in unincorporated Monterey County that adds exterior lighting must follow the county's Design Guidelines for Exterior Lighting, adopted under Section 21.63.020 to…

Monterey County parks close at a posted time each day, and Monterey County Code § 14.12.050(A)(12) makes it unlawful to enter or remain in a County park after that closing time without…

Minors under 18 may not remain in any public place or business in unincorporated Monterey County between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. under County Code Section 11.76.030. Parents who knowingly…

Chapter 10.60 of the Monterey County Code has no dedicated barking-dog section, so persistent animal noise is addressed through the Sec. 10.60.040 nighttime prohibition and…

Amplified music is the County's top noise complaint, especially at large parties in North Monterey County. Under County Code Sec. 10.60.040, nighttime amplified sound that is loud and…

Aircraft noise is not controlled by the Monterey County noise ordinance: County Code Sec. 10.60.030 expressly states its prohibition 'shall not apply to aircraft.' Aircraft operations…

Monterey County Code Chapter 10.60 sets no fixed daytime construction curfew. Construction equipment is subject to the device limit in Sec. 10.60.030 (any time of day) and to the Sec…

Unincorporated Monterey County regulates noise under County Code Chapter 10.60. Section 10.60.040 governs nighttime noise, prohibiting any loud and unreasonable sound and adopting…

Unincorporated Monterey County zoning treats RVs, boats, and trailers as 'major recreational equipment.' Chapter 21.57 (inland) and 20.57 (coastal) regulate parking and storage of this…

Unincorporated Monterey County has no general residential street-parking permit scheme; on-street parking is mainly governed by the California Vehicle Code. Local authorities may, by…

Unincorporated Monterey County has no general overnight street-parking ban. Overnight parking on county roads is governed by the California Vehicle Code, including the 72-hour limit in…

Monterey County's zoning ordinance bars using off-street parking facilities for storing or repairing vehicles and equipment. On public roads, commercial-vehicle parking restrictions…

In unincorporated Monterey County, six specific residential streets near Pradera Road are designated overnight residential parking permit zones: no vehicle may stop, stand or park…

In unincorporated Monterey County, installing an electric vehicle charging station requires a construction permit processed through an expedited, nondiscretionary review under Monterey…

Under County Code Section 12.04.020, the county's Director of Transportation is responsible for painting and maintaining curb markings whenever the Code uses curb paint to signal a…

Monterey County designates a handful of specific unincorporated curb spaces as passenger and freight loading zones under Code §§ 12.66.010 and 12.66.020. Parking is banned there except…

Monterey County Code Chapter 12.72 (Abandoned Vehicles) makes it unlawful to leave an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle on private or public property more than 30…

In unincorporated Monterey County, a small family day care home for up to six children is a permitted use in every residential zoning district under Title 21, no discretionary review…

Monterey County Code 20.64.090 / 21.64.090 prohibits any advertising for a home occupation on the property. Residential parcels may display only a nameplate-and-address sign under the…

Monterey County Code 21.64.090 (inland) and 20.64.090 (coastal) allow home occupations by right in residential and farmland districts, but limit them to a resident-run, indoor business…

About 80% of Monterey County is rated high, very high, or extreme fire threat. CAL FIRE maps Fire Hazard Severity Zones (moderate, high, very high) across the State and Local…

Monterey County Code § 10.41.050 lets you burn only green waste, and only if the burn follows whatever rules the governmental agency with jurisdiction over that burning, such as a fire…

Properties in unincorporated Monterey County must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around structures under California Public Resources Code 4291. The requirement applies in the…

Monterey County Code § 10.68.020 bans using, discharging, or possessing for sale, use, or discharge any fireworks anywhere in the unincorporated area of the county. Even state-legal…

Inside Monterey County parks, fires are allowed only in an authorized fire pit, stove, incinerator, or similar receptacle in a designated camping or picnicking area, per Code §…

Monterey County's local Fire Code amendments do not print an independent smoke-alarm section; instead MC110.4 governs household fire warning systems installed as an alternative to the…

Monterey County's Limited Agricultural, or "A", combining district caps livestock density and steers intensive farming into suitable land, applying only in the unincorporated area…

Chapter 16.40 of the Monterey County Code shields commercial farms on unincorporated agricultural land from nuisance lawsuits once they've operated more than three years without being…

Monterey County grants a density bonus of up to 35 percent above the base zoning allowance for housing developments of five or more units that set aside affordable units, in all…

Monterey County Code does not split electric bicycles into Class 1, 2 or 3 for park purposes: § 14.12.060 treats every 'electric bicycle' as defined by California Vehicle Code § 312.5…

Monterey County has no dedicated data-center ordinance. A data center is regulated only as a general industrial use: it belongs in a Light or Heavy Industrial district, needs a…

Monterey County Code Chapter 10.60 bars any machine or device producing more than 70 dBA measured 50 feet or more from it, at any time of day. From 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. a 45 dBA hourly Leq…

Monterey County's only sidewalk-obstruction ordinance is narrow. Code § 12.75.010 bans stopping, blocking, or obstructing the sidewalk or roadway of the Main Street/Porter Drive Bridge…

In unincorporated Monterey County, a Public Works Director permit is required before digging, building a driveway, placing an encroachment, or cutting trees within any County highway…

Planting Plans for major landscape projects (2,500+ square feet) in unincorporated Monterey County must strictly exclude invasive plants: Chapter 16.63 bars species listed on the…

Under Monterey County Code § 18.15.020, the Building Official and Health Officer, jointly the Enforcement Official, investigate Housing Code violations reported against…

Anyone who goes door to door in unincorporated Monterey County selling goods, soliciting orders, or setting up a temporary stand must first obtain an itinerant vendor license from the…