Placer County, CA Ordinances (2026)

Placer County's Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Material Abatement ordinance (Placer County Code Section 9.32, Part 4) plus California Public Resources Code 4291 require property…

All fireworks are banned in unincorporated Placer County. Placer County Code Section 9.32.100 prohibits using, discharging, or possessing any fireworks as defined in California Health…

Every short-term rental permitted in eastern Placer County must have working smoke alarms installed per the California Building Code, at minimum one in each bedroom and at least one on…

Above 5,000 feet elevation, essentially Tahoe Basin and the high country, Placer County Code Article 15.12 sets residential propane (LPG) tank installation standards: NFPA 58 design, a…

Outdoor burning in unincorporated Placer County is governed by the Placer County Air Pollution Control District. Burning is allowed only on permissive burn days in areas that allow it…

Residential backyard burning in unincorporated Placer County is limited to dry vegetation grown on the property and is allowed only on permissive burn days. Lawn clippings, cannabis…

Much of unincorporated Placer County, the Sierra foothills and Tahoe Basin, is mapped in High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. CAL FIRE maps these zones under Public Resources…

Dumping waste matter on public or private property you do not own is a misdemeanor or infraction under Placer County Code § 8.16.150. Vehicle owners face a rebuttable presumption of…

Section 8.16.220 makes franchise refuse collection mandatory for occupied homes and businesses in Placer County's Franchise Areas 3 and 4. An unused property can seek a quarterly…

Placer County bans repeatedly overfilling a dumpster and requires it to be stored outside the county right-of-way. Under Section 8.16.060(L), if a dumpster overflows twice or more in…

New commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings in unincorporated Placer County, along with new marinas and residential projects that share trash pickup for five or more units…

Garbage and other putrescible waste must be removed from any Placer County property at least once every seven days under § 8.16.190. After a control officer's notice, faster deadlines…

Placer County Code § 8.16.160 requires refuse containers to sit at ground level on the property, out of the public right-of-way, and within 25 feet of the street or alley collectors…

Under the Placer County Organic Waste Disposal Reduction Ordinance, implementing state SB 1383, every single-family household and commercial or multifamily generator must subscribe to…

Placer County's Stormwater Quality Ordinance bans illicit discharges into the county storm drain system across the unincorporated area. The Department of Public Works enforces the rule…

Unincorporated Placer County requires a separate erosion and sediment control plan on top of any grading permit once a project crosses set thresholds, such as over 10,000 square feet…

Placer County caps engine idling at five consecutive minutes for heavy diesel trucks and off-road diesel equipment under County Code § 10.14.040, adopted to cut ozone precursor…

Building, altering, or replacing a pier, floating dock, or other structure in the Lake Tahoe shorezone within unincorporated Placer County requires a county pier encroachment permit…

In unincorporated Placer County, new construction and substantial improvements in a mapped special flood hazard area must have the lowest floor, including any basement, elevated at…

Placer County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and enforces a Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance through Placer County Public Works. Any construction or…

A Placer County short-term rental permit can be revoked once its owner racks up three citations within any 24-month period, and any STR that draws three notices of violation within 90…

Short-term rental guests in eastern Placer County must follow the county's general noise ordinance plus Tahoe Basin CNEL levels, and the STR rules go further: amplified sound can never…

Placer County Code Article 9.42 sets maximum STR occupancy at two people per bedroom plus two additional people, excluding children under 16, and caps overnight occupancy regardless of…

In unincorporated eastern Placer County (North Lake Tahoe, above 5,000 feet), every short-term vacation rental needs a county STR permit under Code Article 9.42, plus a TOT certificate…

Placer County charges Transient Occupancy Tax of 10% in the eastern slope (North Lake Tahoe) and 8% on the western slope, plus a North Lake Tahoe TBID assessment of 1-2%. STR fees…

Every short-term rental permitted in eastern Placer County must provide on-site parking for guest vehicles, boats and trailers, or else a county-approved off-site parking plan; parking…

Once Placer County's short-term rental program hits its hard cap of 3,900 permits in the Eastern Placer County STR Area, no new permits issue except through a waitlist, and every…

Every short-term rental in unincorporated Placer County must have working carbon monoxide alarms installed per California Building Code standards: outside each bedroom, on every level…

Placer County adopts the 2025 CALGreen Code, Title 24 Part 11 of the California Code of Regulations, by reference for every new building permit issued in the unincorporated county…

Placer County Code § 15.04.460 adopts the 2025 California Plumbing Code, based on the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code, for every plumbing permit in the unincorporated county. Section…

Placer County Code § 15.04.100 lets the chief building official authorize alternative inspection procedures, using declarations from duly licensed professionals, except where the…

Placer County Code § 15.04.070 requires a building permit for most construction in the unincorporated county but exempts specific small projects: detached sheds and playhouses up to…

Placer County Code § 15.04.400 adopts the 2025 California Electrical Code, based on the 2023 National Electrical Code, as the standard for every electrical permit and installation in…

Placer County Code § 15.04.590 requires an approved automatic fire sprinkler system in any building of 3,600 square feet or more, except single-family/duplex (Group R-3) and utility…

Accessory dwelling units permitted in unincorporated Placer County after June 9, 2020 cannot be rented as short-term vacation rentals. Placer County Code § 9.42.090(A)(2) also bars…

Placer County waives building permit fees and road and park impact fees for accessory dwelling units of 750 square feet or larger if the owner voluntarily deed-restricts the unit for…

Placer County regulates tiny houses on wheels through a dedicated zoning section: they need zoning clearance, DMV or HCD registration, and a residential (not RV) look, and must sit at…

In unincorporated Placer County, a one-story detached accessory building used as a tool shed, storage shed or playhouse does not require a building permit if its floor area does not…

In unincorporated Placer County, residential parcels may have one primary dwelling, one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and one junior ADU. Detached ADUs may reach 1,200 sq ft; attached…

Converting a garage into living space in unincorporated Placer County requires a building permit and must meet building, energy and zoning standards. A garage converted into an…

Placer County paints curbs in five colors to signal parking rules on unincorporated roads: red bans parking and even stopping outright, yellow and white mark commercial and passenger…

Placer County lets neighborhoods petition for a residential permit parking zone under County Code § 10.12.220, exempting resident vehicles from posted general parking limits. A zone…

Registered, operative RVs, boats and trailers stored at a home in unincorporated Placer County are not regulated by the county's accessory storage rules at all, under County Code…

Unincorporated Placer County limits residential and agricultural parcels to storing just one commercial vehicle, and even that one requires a minor use permit and a minimum lot size in…

Placer County limits how long you can park on unincorporated roads to whatever time limit is posted, and once that time is up you cannot re-park in the same block until an equal period…

Placer County bans parking from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. on specific roads and lots the Board of Supervisors has listed by ordinance under County Code § 10.12.120, such as part of…

Placer County Code § 15.04.160 sets an expedited, deemed-approved permit process for electric vehicle charging stations. An application is deemed complete after five business days (10…

Placer County does not set one blanket loading-zone rule; instead the board of supervisors designates individual loading zones street by street under Code Section 10.12.120, each with…

How an abandoned vehicle is handled in unincorporated Placer County depends on location. On county-maintained roads, the California Highway Patrol handles abandoned vehicles under the…

Placer County places the duty to keep an abutting sidewalk clean on the property owner or tenant, not on the county road crew. The rule sits inside the Stormwater Quality Ordinance and…

Anyone digging, excavating or otherwise working in a county road, street or sidewalk needs an encroachment permit from the Department of Public Works under County Code § 12.04.010…

Placer County's camping and personal-property-storage ordinance bars anyone occupying unincorporated county public property, sidewalks and curbs included, from blocking pedestrian…

Placer County's environmental health division posts color-coded placards, green, yellow, or red, at every retail food facility after each routine inspection. A green Pass means no…

The board of supervisors has declared any syringe services program a public nuisance in unincorporated Placer County. County Code § 5.24.090 bars anyone from creating, operating, or…

Placer County requires garbage to be removed from any property within seven days to keep it from breeding or attracting rodents, flies, and other vectors. Section 8.16.080(E) lets the…

Placer County makes it an infraction to drink or carry an open alcoholic beverage in a short list of named public places, including Agatam County Beach in Kings Beach, Chambers Landing…

Placer County's Social Host Liability Ordinance makes it unlawful for anyone controlling a property, or responsible for a gathering, to knowingly allow a minor to possess or consume…

Placer County bans riding a skateboard, roller skate or in-line skate on any sidewalk or street if it interferes with pedestrian or vehicular traffic, and on private or posted public…

Placer County bans smoking and vaping across its own government center and other county-owned or county-leased buildings and vehicles under Article 8.12. At the Placer County…

Placer County makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate anywhere in an unincorporated public place other than a proper toilet or restroom, covering any spot exposed to public view, bare…

Placer County bans aggressive panhandling anywhere in an unincorporated public place, and layers on flat no-solicitation zones: no panhandling within 25 feet of a bank, ATM or building…

Placer County requires a special business license and a conditional use permit before any adult bookstore, cabaret, massage parlor, model studio or similar adult-entertainment business…

Operating as a pawnbroker or secondhand dealer in unincorporated Placer County requires a sheriff-issued license under County Code § 5.28.060, daily transaction reports to the sheriff…

Anyone who buys, sells, or otherwise deals in secondhand goods in unincorporated Placer County, including car radios, must hold a valid sheriff-issued license under County Code Article…

Auto repair and painting cannot be run as a home occupation anywhere in unincorporated Placer County. County Code Section 17.56.120(B)(2) puts auto repair or painting on the flat list…

Massage parlors are treated as adult-entertainment businesses in unincorporated Placer County, not ordinary personal-service shops. Placer County Code § 5.16.070 requires a special…

In unincorporated Placer County, anyone under 18 may not loiter on streets, roads, highways or any place open to the public between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Placer County Code Section…

Placer County closes its parks and recreation areas (PRAs) to the public from one-half hour after sunset until one-half hour before sunrise under County Code § 12.24.040, with named…

A production planning to close a street for filming in unincorporated Placer County can be required to survey affected residents and businesses, and must comply with the county's…

Placer County's filming ordinance folds student films into its general definition of regulated production, so a student project shooting on county property, a private business, or a…

Filming that would push sound above the county's noise limits in the unincorporated area needs a separate exception under County Code § 9.36.080, and the film permit application…

Anyone filming for commercial purposes on county-owned property, or on a private facility or residence in unincorporated Placer County, must first obtain a film permit from the…

Placer County treats air conditioners and refrigeration equipment as a 'fixed sound source' under the county noise ordinance, but Code Section 9.36.030(A)(1) exempts residential air…

Car alarms are exempt from Placer County's noise ordinance. Code Section 9.36.030(A)(3) excuses house and car alarms and other safety and warning devices from the article's sound…

A commercial film permit application in unincorporated Placer County must disclose any planned drone use, and County Code § 5.25.030 makes the applicant confirm FAA and county…

Placer County collects a Transient Occupancy Tax on hotel, motel and short-term rental stays under 31 days. The rate is eight percent of rent countywide, rising to ten percent within…

Placer County does not mandate spay or neuter surgery for every pet, but every dog or cat adopted from the county shelter must be spayed or neutered before release. County Code §…

Placer County has no general microchipping mandate for pet dogs and cats. But if a dog is formally declared potentially dangerous or vicious under County Code § 6.08.030, its owner…

Veterinary clinics and animal hospitals are a defined commercial land use in Placer County, not an 'animal keeping' activity. Placer County Code § 17.04.030 classifies them as 'medical…

Placer County zoning Section 17.56.050(F)(16) limits households to four dogs, four cats, or a combination of four in RS and RM residential zones; up to eight is allowed with a private…

Placer County does not require cat owners to license their pets, unlike dogs. Under County Code § 6.12.010(J), a cat license is available only if the owner requests one and shows a…

Placer County's 2011 Fowl and Poultry Ordinance allows up to six chicken hens in Residential Single-Family, Multi-Family, and Resort zones on lots of at least 5,000 sq ft. Roosters…

Dog and other animal owners in unincorporated Placer County may not let their animals run at large. County Code § 6.08.010(A) bars owners from allowing any animal off their property…

Beekeeping is allowed in Placer County zones that permit it, but hives must meet County Code § 6.32.030's registration, water, setback, and quantity rules. All beekeepers must register…

Placer County has no breed-specific ban. The County regulates dogs individually through a potentially-dangerous and vicious-dog process under Code Section 6.08.030, which supplements…

Placer County treats carnivorous, poisonous, or non-native 'zoo' animals as a distinct, more heavily regulated category: keeping any such exotic or dangerous animal requires at minimum…

Placer County splits business licensing into two tracks under Code § 5.08.010: general business licenses for ordinary commerce and special business licenses for enterprises needing…

Placer County caps card rooms at one countywide location with no more than five gambling tables, licensed and fingerprint-investigated by the county sheriff under Code § 5.16.090…

Placer County treats garage sales as an exempt category of temporary concession under Code § 5.16.320, but caps them at nine days and no more than four weekends per calendar year, held…

Placer County requires every door-to-door peddler or solicitor, including workers soliciting donations for nonprofit organizations, to obtain a business permit under Code § 5.20.080. A…

Placer County's Agricultural Exclusive (AE) district, established under Zoning Ordinance § 17.08.010, restricts land to crop production, livestock and other commercial farming uses…

Placer County's right-to-farm ordinance shields commercial agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits triggered by new neighbors, once the operation has run for over a year without…

Placer County requires cyclists to ride within a designated bicycle lane, or a parallel bike path within 75 feet of the roadway, under County Code §§ 10.28.010 and 10.28.020, and bars…

Placer County bans planting Tree of Heaven in any public highway under County Code § 12.14.060, grouping it with acacia, black walnut, eucalyptus, elm, palm, poplar and most conifers…

Landscape design plans for covered Placer County projects may not use invasive or noxious plant species. Section 15.75.020(2)(d)(ii)(7) bans species listed by the California Invasive…

Placer County authorizes its enforcement official to 'clean and clear' camp facilities on county property as needed for sanitation and health standards under County Code §…

Outdoor personal cannabis cultivation in unincorporated Placer County must sit at least 600 feet from any school, church, park, library, fairgrounds, child care center, youth-oriented…

Unincorporated Placer County bans medicinal cannabis dispensaries outright: Section 8.10.080 makes it unlawful to operate a dispensary, processing facility, or testing laboratory…

Placer County's water-efficient landscape ordinance requires any recycled-water irrigation system to be designed for current and future recycled-water use and treats recycled-water…

Under Placer County's small-project landscaping standard, new turf cannot exceed 25% of the landscape area on residential projects and is barred entirely on nonresidential projects…

Homeowners in unincorporated Placer County may compost their own household waste, but Section 8.16.090 requires it to stay nuisance-free, odor-free, and vector-free, and it only covers…

Placer County's water-efficient landscape ordinance directs applicants to select water-conserving plants and specifically favors local native species. Any plant is allowed as long as…

Placer County's landscape ordinance treats rainwater harvesting as encouraged, not required. Section 15.75.090 recommends capture and infiltration capacity sized to the one-inch or…

Unincorporated Placer County's Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Material Abatement ordinance (County Code 9.32, Part 4) requires owners to clear weeds and brush for wildfire…

Routine trimming of your own trees in unincorporated Placer County generally needs no permit, but fire defensible space rules require limbing trees up six feet from the ground, and…

Day-to-day watering schedules in unincorporated Placer County are set by your water provider (such as PCWA), not the county. The county adopted a Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance…

Removing a protected tree in covered parts of unincorporated Placer County requires a tree permit under the Woodland Conservation ordinance. Homeowners not tied to a discretionary…

Placer County caps building height by zone district under County Code Section 17.54.020, measuring from the average of the highest and lowest points where exterior walls meet grade…

In Placer County's Residential Single-Family (RS) zone, the most common unincorporated residential district, County Code § 17.50.010(E) sets a 20-foot front setback, 10-foot…

Placer County caps how much of a lot can be covered by buildings and roofed structures. In the Residential Single-Family (RS) zone, the county's standard subdivision district, site…

Every major subdivision approved in unincorporated Placer County, five or more parcels, must put a homeowners association in its CC&Rs with the power to assess owners for road…

When Placer County's advisory agency requires CC&Rs for a subdivision, those covenants must cover maintenance of recreational facilities, open space and common areas, and the county…

A Placer County homeowners association's CC&Rs cannot ban low-water plants as a group, and cannot prohibit or restrict removing turf in favor of more water-efficient landscaping. This…

Placer County's only local aircraft-noise rule sits inside the Blue Canyon Airport regulations, Article 12.44 of the county code, and applies solely to that county-owned field near…

Animal noise is excluded from the noise ordinance (9.36.030(A)(12)) and handled instead under Placer County Code Section 6.08.020, which makes it unlawful to keep a dog that barks or…

Placer County exempts ordinary vehicle sounds from a car entering or exiting a driveway, street or right-of-way from its noise ordinance, but the carve-out stops there. Amplified…

Placer County Code 9.36.030 exempts construction, alteration and repair activities from the noise standards only between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00…

In unincorporated Placer County, Placer County Code Article 9.36 sets nighttime quiet hours from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. During nighttime, the on-site sound limit at a sensitive…

Amplified music in unincorporated Placer County is regulated under Placer County Code Article 9.36. As 'simple tone' speech/music it must meet Table 1 limits reduced by 5 dB…

Placer County Code § 15.04.150 requires the building services division to issue a nondiscretionary building permit for a small residential rooftop solar system, defined as up to 10…

Placer County's Dangerous Buildings article requires rental housing to meet minimum habitability standards. Renting out a substandard or dangerous dwelling is a misdemeanor, and the…

Placer County lets property owners nominate buildings, sites or districts to its Official Register of Cultural and Historic Resources. Once listed, no demolition permit can issue…

Placer County's Woodland Conservation ordinance protects native trees at least six inches in trunk diameter, oak species at five inches, and all riparian-zone and landmark trees…

The Board of Supervisors can designate individual trees or groves as "landmark trees" for historical, cultural or specimen value under the county's Woodland Conservation ordinance…

Restaurants and bars in unincorporated Placer County that add an outdoor eating area need permit approval under County Code Section 17.56.190(A), plus extra off-street parking sized…

Reserving a Placer County park, picnic area or recreation hall for a wedding, concert, exhibition or other private function requires prior written approval from the enforcement…

Parades and other temporary events held within a public road right-of-way are exempt from the zoning ordinance's minor use permit process, unlike festivals on private land. The…

Outdoor festivals, concerts, and arts and crafts fairs in unincorporated Placer County need a minor use permit approved before the event, in any zoning district. A one-time event of…

Selling food from a vehicle or sidewalk stand on private property or in the public right-of-way is generally prohibited in unincorporated Placer County. Placer County Code §…

Selling food from a vehicle, on private property or in a public right-of-way, is prohibited across unincorporated Placer County by default. The only ways around the ban are operating…

Placer County exempts temporary window signs from a sign permit, but only if the total window signage covers no more than 25% of the window area and stays up no longer than 30 days…

Placer County prohibits animated signs countywide, including any sign with moving, rotating, flashing or otherwise animated lighting or components, which bars digital and electronic…

Placer County bars temporary off-premises subdivision advertising signs from being visible from a freeway or its on-/off-ramps, a design requirement under County Code §…

Political signs on private property in unincorporated Placer County are capped at 32 square feet, must be posted no more than 60 days before an election and removed within 21 days…

Any lighted sign in unincorporated Placer County, including an off-premises billboard, may only be illuminated by continuous, stationary light sources aimed so only the sign face is…

Placer County has no blanket dark-sky ordinance for every property. The one enforceable 'dark-sky compliant' standard in the code applies to wineries and farm breweries: their lighting…

Placer County grants a density bonus of up to 50% above a project's otherwise maximum zoning density when a residential development sets aside units for very low, low, or moderate…

Short-term rentals in unincorporated Placer County may only use grills the owner installed, kept at least 10 feet from structures and flammable material and never beneath trees…

Placer County lets residents light a cooking fire, grill or barbecue on their own unincorporated property without a burn permit, but Code Section 9.32.080(D) still requires clearing…

In unincorporated Placer County, fences in the front setback are limited to 3 feet, with open-style fencing allowed up to 6 feet in RA/RF zones and 4 feet in RS/RM zones where the site…

A grading permit is required for any retaining wall over four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the retained soil, or for any wall subject to a surcharge load…

Placer County ties some fence materials to setback location. In the front setback, only open-style materials (open wire, chain link, wood rail, or similar that do not block vehicle…

Under the California Building Code (Section 105.2) adopted by Placer County, fences not over 7 feet high are exempt from a building permit. Permit exemption does not waive zoning…

In unincorporated Placer County, building a new in-ground or above-ground pool or spa requires a building permit from the Community Development Resource Agency (CDRA) Building Services…

Under Placer County Code 15.04.320 and CBC Section 3109, a private pool or spa must have a permanent enclosure at least 60 inches high (measured on the outside) before it is filled…

In unincorporated Placer County, home-based businesses are regulated as 'home occupations' under Placer County Code Section 17.56.120. Before operating, you must confirm with the…

Signs for a home occupation in unincorporated Placer County are governed by the home occupation standards in Placer County Code Section 17.56.120 (which includes sign provisions). The…

In unincorporated Placer County, a family day care home caring for up to 14 children is a zoning-clearance ('C') use in every residential zone, not a discretionary permit. The RS…

Placer County has no dedicated data center ordinance. In unincorporated areas a data center is an industrial use, sited in the Industrial (IN), Industrial Park (INP), or Business Park…

Placer County's Noise Code (County Code Article 9.36) caps stationary-source sound at a sensitive receptor's property line at 55 dB daytime and 45 dB nighttime hourly Leq, or 5 dBA…